diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/apm/common/custom_link/index.ts b/x-pack/plugins/apm/common/custom_link/index.ts
index bc0ffefd79c4da..00162f50d889a7 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/apm/common/custom_link/index.ts
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/apm/common/custom_link/index.ts
@@ -12,3 +12,11 @@ export const INVALID_LICENSE = i18n.translate(
       "To create custom links, you must be subscribed to an Elastic Gold license or above. With it, you'll have the ability to create custom links to improve your workflow when analyzing your services.",
   }
 );
+
+export const NO_PERMISSION_LABEL = i18n.translate(
+  'xpack.apm.settings.customizeUI.customLink.noPermissionTooltipLabel',
+  {
+    defaultMessage:
+      "Your user role doesn't have permissions to create custom links",
+  }
+);
diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/apm/public/components/app/Settings/CustomizeUI/CustomLink/CreateCustomLinkButton.tsx b/x-pack/plugins/apm/public/components/app/Settings/CustomizeUI/CustomLink/CreateCustomLinkButton.tsx
index 3b4c127aab1e5c..0a3d8f8b1e510d 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/apm/public/components/app/Settings/CustomizeUI/CustomLink/CreateCustomLinkButton.tsx
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/apm/public/components/app/Settings/CustomizeUI/CustomLink/CreateCustomLinkButton.tsx
@@ -6,24 +6,14 @@
 import { EuiButton, EuiToolTip } from '@elastic/eui';
 import { i18n } from '@kbn/i18n';
 import React from 'react';
+import { NO_PERMISSION_LABEL } from '../../../../../../common/custom_link';
 import { useApmPluginContext } from '../../../../../context/apm_plugin/use_apm_plugin_context';
 
 export function CreateCustomLinkButton({ onClick }: { onClick: () => void }) {
   const { core } = useApmPluginContext();
   const canSave = core.application.capabilities.apm.save;
   return (
-    <EuiToolTip
-      content={
-        !canSave &&
-        i18n.translate(
-          'xpack.apm.settings.customizeUI.customLink.noPermissionTooltipLabel',
-          {
-            defaultMessage:
-              "Your user role doesn't have permissions to create custom links",
-          }
-        )
-      }
-    >
+    <EuiToolTip content={!canSave && NO_PERMISSION_LABEL}>
       <EuiButton
         color="primary"
         fill
diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/apm/public/components/shared/TransactionActionMenu/CustomLinkMenuSection/CustomLinkToolbar.test.tsx b/x-pack/plugins/apm/public/components/shared/TransactionActionMenu/CustomLinkMenuSection/CustomLinkToolbar.test.tsx
index 777200099976ec..aaac9130067467 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/apm/public/components/shared/TransactionActionMenu/CustomLinkMenuSection/CustomLinkToolbar.test.tsx
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/apm/public/components/shared/TransactionActionMenu/CustomLinkMenuSection/CustomLinkToolbar.test.tsx
@@ -7,17 +7,33 @@
 import { act, fireEvent, render } from '@testing-library/react';
 import React, { ReactNode } from 'react';
 import { MemoryRouter } from 'react-router-dom';
-import { MockApmPluginContextWrapper } from '../../../../context/apm_plugin/mock_apm_plugin_context';
+import { ApmPluginContextValue } from '../../../../context/apm_plugin/apm_plugin_context';
+import {
+  mockApmPluginContextValue,
+  MockApmPluginContextWrapper,
+} from '../../../../context/apm_plugin/mock_apm_plugin_context';
 import {
   expectTextsInDocument,
   expectTextsNotInDocument,
 } from '../../../../utils/testHelpers';
 import { CustomLinkToolbar } from './CustomLinkToolbar';
 
+function getMockAPMContext({ canSave }: { canSave: boolean }) {
+  return ({
+    ...mockApmPluginContextValue,
+    core: {
+      ...mockApmPluginContextValue.core,
+      application: { capabilities: { apm: { save: canSave }, ml: {} } },
+    },
+  } as unknown) as ApmPluginContextValue;
+}
+
 function Wrapper({ children }: { children?: ReactNode }) {
   return (
     <MemoryRouter>
-      <MockApmPluginContextWrapper>{children}</MockApmPluginContextWrapper>
+      <MockApmPluginContextWrapper value={getMockAPMContext({ canSave: true })}>
+        {children}
+      </MockApmPluginContextWrapper>
     </MemoryRouter>
   );
 }
diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/apm/public/components/shared/TransactionActionMenu/CustomLinkMenuSection/CustomLinkToolbar.tsx b/x-pack/plugins/apm/public/components/shared/TransactionActionMenu/CustomLinkMenuSection/CustomLinkToolbar.tsx
index 36b370b4069aea..0fe3c461a49372 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/apm/public/components/shared/TransactionActionMenu/CustomLinkMenuSection/CustomLinkToolbar.tsx
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/apm/public/components/shared/TransactionActionMenu/CustomLinkMenuSection/CustomLinkToolbar.tsx
@@ -12,6 +12,8 @@ import {
   EuiIcon,
 } from '@elastic/eui';
 import { i18n } from '@kbn/i18n';
+import { NO_PERMISSION_LABEL } from '../../../../../common/custom_link';
+import { useApmPluginContext } from '../../../../context/apm_plugin/use_apm_plugin_context';
 import { APMLink } from '../../Links/apm/APMLink';
 
 export function CustomLinkToolbar({
@@ -21,6 +23,9 @@ export function CustomLinkToolbar({
   onClickCreate: () => void;
   showCreateButton?: boolean;
 }) {
+  const { core } = useApmPluginContext();
+  const canSave = !!core.application.capabilities.apm.save;
+
   return (
     <EuiFlexGroup>
       <EuiFlexItem>
@@ -42,17 +47,20 @@ export function CustomLinkToolbar({
             </EuiToolTip>
           </EuiFlexItem>
           {showCreateButton && (
-            <EuiFlexItem grow={false}>
-              <EuiButtonEmpty
-                iconType="plusInCircle"
-                size="xs"
-                onClick={onClickCreate}
-              >
-                {i18n.translate('xpack.apm.customLink.buttom.create.title', {
-                  defaultMessage: 'Create',
-                })}
-              </EuiButtonEmpty>
-            </EuiFlexItem>
+            <EuiToolTip content={!canSave && NO_PERMISSION_LABEL}>
+              <EuiFlexItem grow={false}>
+                <EuiButtonEmpty
+                  isDisabled={!canSave}
+                  iconType="plusInCircle"
+                  size="xs"
+                  onClick={onClickCreate}
+                >
+                  {i18n.translate('xpack.apm.customLink.buttom.create.title', {
+                    defaultMessage: 'Create',
+                  })}
+                </EuiButtonEmpty>
+              </EuiFlexItem>
+            </EuiToolTip>
           )}
         </EuiFlexGroup>
       </EuiFlexItem>
diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/apm/public/components/shared/TransactionActionMenu/CustomLinkMenuSection/index.tsx b/x-pack/plugins/apm/public/components/shared/TransactionActionMenu/CustomLinkMenuSection/index.tsx
index a32302d2464234..ae22718af8b571 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/apm/public/components/shared/TransactionActionMenu/CustomLinkMenuSection/index.tsx
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/apm/public/components/shared/TransactionActionMenu/CustomLinkMenuSection/index.tsx
@@ -13,6 +13,9 @@ import {
 } from '@elastic/eui';
 import { i18n } from '@kbn/i18n';
 import { isEmpty } from 'lodash';
+import { EuiToolTip } from '@elastic/eui';
+import { NO_PERMISSION_LABEL } from '../../../../../common/custom_link';
+import { useApmPluginContext } from '../../../../context/apm_plugin/use_apm_plugin_context';
 import {
   ActionMenuDivider,
   Section,
@@ -147,6 +150,9 @@ function BottomSection({
   toggleShowAll: () => void;
   onClickCreate: () => void;
 }) {
+  const { core } = useApmPluginContext();
+  const canSave = !!core.application.capabilities.apm.save;
+
   if (status === FETCH_STATUS.LOADING) {
     return <LoadingStatePrompt />;
   }
@@ -154,7 +160,7 @@ function BottomSection({
   // render empty prompt if there are no custom links
   if (isEmpty(customLinks)) {
     return (
-      <EuiFlexGroup>
+      <EuiFlexGroup responsive={false} direction="column" gutterSize="none">
         <EuiFlexItem>
           <EuiText size="xs" grow={false} style={{ width: px(300) }}>
             {i18n.translate('xpack.apm.customLink.empty', {
@@ -163,15 +169,20 @@ function BottomSection({
             })}
           </EuiText>
           <EuiSpacer size="s" />
-          <EuiButtonEmpty
-            iconType="plusInCircle"
-            size="xs"
-            onClick={onClickCreate}
-          >
-            {i18n.translate('xpack.apm.customLink.buttom.create', {
-              defaultMessage: 'Create custom link',
-            })}
-          </EuiButtonEmpty>
+        </EuiFlexItem>
+        <EuiFlexItem style={{ alignItems: 'center' }}>
+          <EuiToolTip content={!canSave && NO_PERMISSION_LABEL}>
+            <EuiButtonEmpty
+              isDisabled={!canSave}
+              iconType="plusInCircle"
+              size="xs"
+              onClick={onClickCreate}
+            >
+              {i18n.translate('xpack.apm.customLink.buttom.create', {
+                defaultMessage: 'Create custom link',
+              })}
+            </EuiButtonEmpty>
+          </EuiToolTip>
         </EuiFlexItem>
       </EuiFlexGroup>
     );
diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/apm/public/components/shared/TransactionActionMenu/TransactionActionMenu.test.tsx b/x-pack/plugins/apm/public/components/shared/TransactionActionMenu/TransactionActionMenu.test.tsx
index 6ff395db594f13..48c863b4604820 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/apm/public/components/shared/TransactionActionMenu/TransactionActionMenu.test.tsx
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/apm/public/components/shared/TransactionActionMenu/TransactionActionMenu.test.tsx
@@ -9,7 +9,11 @@ import React from 'react';
 import { MemoryRouter } from 'react-router-dom';
 import { License } from '../../../../../licensing/common/license';
 import { Transaction } from '../../../../typings/es_schemas/ui/transaction';
-import { MockApmPluginContextWrapper } from '../../../context/apm_plugin/mock_apm_plugin_context';
+import { ApmPluginContextValue } from '../../../context/apm_plugin/apm_plugin_context';
+import {
+  mockApmPluginContextValue,
+  MockApmPluginContextWrapper,
+} from '../../../context/apm_plugin/mock_apm_plugin_context';
 import { LicenseContext } from '../../../context/license/license_context';
 import * as hooks from '../../../hooks/use_fetcher';
 import * as apmApi from '../../../services/rest/createCallApmApi';
@@ -20,10 +24,22 @@ import {
 import { TransactionActionMenu } from './TransactionActionMenu';
 import * as Transactions from './__fixtures__/mockData';
 
+function getMockAPMContext({ canSave }: { canSave: boolean }) {
+  return ({
+    ...mockApmPluginContextValue,
+    core: {
+      ...mockApmPluginContextValue.core,
+      application: { capabilities: { apm: { save: canSave }, ml: {} } },
+    },
+  } as unknown) as ApmPluginContextValue;
+}
+
 function Wrapper({ children }: { children?: React.ReactNode }) {
   return (
     <MemoryRouter>
-      <MockApmPluginContextWrapper>{children}</MockApmPluginContextWrapper>
+      <MockApmPluginContextWrapper value={getMockAPMContext({ canSave: true })}>
+        {children}
+      </MockApmPluginContextWrapper>
     </MemoryRouter>
   );
 }