diff --git a/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/js/src/video/09_video_caption.js b/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/js/src/video/09_video_caption.js
index d5d895530a75..04a4ab27f30d 100644
--- a/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/js/src/video/09_video_caption.js
+++ b/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/js/src/video/09_video_caption.js
@@ -34,13 +34,13 @@
                 'handleKeypress', 'handleKeypressLink', 'openLanguageMenu', 'closeLanguageMenu',
                 'previousLanguageMenuItem', 'nextLanguageMenuItem', 'handleCaptionToggle',
                 'showClosedCaptions', 'hideClosedCaptions', 'toggleClosedCaptions',
-                'updateCaptioningCookie', 'handleCaptioningCookie', 'handleTranscriptToggle',
+                'handleTranscriptToggle',
                 'listenForDragDrop'
             );
             this.state = state;
             this.state.videoCaption = this;
             this.renderElements();
-            this.handleCaptioningCookie();
+            this.hideClosedCaptions();
             this.listenForDragDrop();
 
             return $.Deferred().resolve().promise();
@@ -1146,31 +1146,14 @@
                 }
             },
 
-            handleCaptioningCookie: function() {
-                if ($.cookie('show_closed_captions') === 'true') {
-                    this.state.showClosedCaptions = true;
-                    this.showClosedCaptions();
-
-                    // keep it going until turned off
-                    $.cookie('show_closed_captions', 'true', {
-                        expires: 3650,
-                        path: '/'
-                    });
-                } else {
-                    this.hideClosedCaptions();
-                }
-            },
-
             toggleClosedCaptions: function(event) {
                 event.preventDefault();
 
                 if (this.state.el.hasClass('has-captions')) {
                     this.state.showClosedCaptions = false;
-                    this.updateCaptioningCookie(false);
                     this.hideClosedCaptions();
                 } else {
                     this.state.showClosedCaptions = true;
-                    this.updateCaptioningCookie(true);
                     this.showClosedCaptions();
                 }
             },
@@ -1212,19 +1195,6 @@
                 this.state.el.trigger('captions:hide');
             },
 
-            updateCaptioningCookie: function(method) {
-                if (method) {
-                    $.cookie('show_closed_captions', 'true', {
-                        expires: 3650,
-                        path: '/'
-                    });
-                } else {
-                    $.cookie('show_closed_captions', null, {
-                        path: '/'
-                    });
-                }
-            },
-
             listenForDragDrop: function() {
                 var captions = document.querySelector('.closed-captions'),
                     draggable;
diff --git a/common/test/acceptance/tests/video/test_video_module.py b/common/test/acceptance/tests/video/test_video_module.py
index 05c88ae2878c..4bca2f692547 100644
--- a/common/test/acceptance/tests/video/test_video_module.py
+++ b/common/test/acceptance/tests/video/test_video_module.py
@@ -246,18 +246,24 @@ def test_cc_button(self):
         self.assets.append('chinese_transcripts.srt')
         self.navigate_to_video()
 
-        # Show captions and make sure they're visible and cookie is set
+        # Captions should not be visible by default
+        self.assertFalse(self.video.is_closed_captions_visible())
+
+        # Show captions and make sure they're visible and reset after page reload
         self.video.show_closed_captions()
         self.video.wait_for_closed_captions()
-        self.assertTrue(self.video.is_closed_captions_visible)
+        self.assertTrue(self.video.is_closed_captions_visible())
         self.video.reload_page()
-        self.assertTrue(self.video.is_closed_captions_visible)
+        self.assertFalse(self.video.is_closed_captions_visible())
+
+        # Now show captions again
+        self.video.show_closed_captions()
+        self.video.wait_for_closed_captions()
+        self.assertTrue(self.video.is_closed_captions_visible())
 
-        # Hide captions and make sure they're hidden and cookie is unset
+        # Hide captions and make sure they're hidden
         self.video.hide_closed_captions()
         self.video.wait_for_closed_captions_to_be_hidden()
-        self.video.reload_page()
-        self.video.wait_for_closed_captions_to_be_hidden()
 
     def test_transcript_button_transcripts_and_sub_fields_empty(self):
         """