--- /modules/popups/popups/popups.js
+++ popups.js
@@ -1137,7 +1137,7 @@
   var template;
   template += '<div id="'+ popupId + '" class="popups-box">';
   template += '  <div class="popups-title">';
-  template += '    <div class="popups-close"><a href="#">' + Drupal.t('Close') + '</a></div>';
+  template += '    <div class="popups-close"><a href="#"></span></a></div>';
   template += '    <div class="title">%title</div>';
   template += '    <div class="clear-block"></div>';
   template += '  </div>';

--- /modules/popups/popups.css
+++ popups.css
@@ -33,10 +33,23 @@
   float: left;
 }
 .popups-title .popups-close {
-  float: right;
+	/*resets*/margin-top: 5; padding: 0; border: 0; outline: 0; line-height: 1.3; text-decoration: none; font-size: 100%; list-style: none;
+	background: url(close.gif) 0 0 no-repeat;
+	position: absolute;
+	right: 8px;
+	top: .7em;
+	width: 11px;
+	height: 11px;
+	z-index: 100;
 }
-.popups-title .popups-close a {
-  font-weight: normal;  
+.popups-title .popups-close:hover {
+	background: url(close_hover.gif) 0 0 no-repeat;
+}
+.popups-title .popups-close:active {
+	background: url(close_hover.gif) 0 0 no-repeat;
+}
+.popups-title .popups-close span {
+	display: none;
 }
 /* Allow messages to be used as the title of the popups */
 .popups-box div.messages {