diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/awards_handler.js b/app/assets/javascripts/awards_handler.js
index cace8bb9dba..73ce3e760ab 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/awards_handler.js
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/awards_handler.js
@@ -437,7 +437,7 @@ export class AwardsHandler {
 
   createAwardButtonForVotesBlock(votesBlock, emojiName) {
     const buttonHtml = `
-      <button class="btn award-control js-emoji-btn has-tooltip active" title="You" data-placement="bottom">
+      <button class="btn award-control js-emoji-btn has-tooltip active" title="You">
         ${this.emoji.glEmojiTag(emojiName)}
         <span class="award-control-text js-counter">1</span>
       </button>
diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/main.js b/app/assets/javascripts/main.js
index 8e10b3ad912..63db4938cd7 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/main.js
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/main.js
@@ -124,9 +124,6 @@ function deferredInitialisation() {
     selector: '.has-tooltip, [data-toggle="tooltip"]',
     trigger: 'hover',
     boundary: 'viewport',
-    placement(tip, el) {
-      return $(el).data('placement') || 'bottom';
-    },
   });
 
   // Initialize popovers
diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/notes/components/note_actions.vue b/app/assets/javascripts/notes/components/note_actions.vue
index 394f2a80a67..cad0d382fa2 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/notes/components/note_actions.vue
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/notes/components/note_actions.vue
@@ -151,10 +151,9 @@ export default {
     </div>
     <div v-if="canAwardEmoji" class="note-actions-item">
       <a
-        v-gl-tooltip.bottom
+        v-gl-tooltip
         :class="{ 'js-user-authored': isAuthoredByCurrentUser }"
         class="note-action-button note-emoji-button js-add-award js-note-emoji"
-        data-position="right"
         href="#"
         title="Add reaction"
       >
@@ -175,7 +174,7 @@ export default {
     />
     <div v-if="canEdit" class="note-actions-item">
       <button
-        v-gl-tooltip.bottom
+        v-gl-tooltip
         type="button"
         title="Edit comment"
         class="note-action-button js-note-edit btn btn-transparent"
@@ -186,7 +185,7 @@ export default {
     </div>
     <div v-if="showDeleteAction" class="note-actions-item">
       <button
-        v-gl-tooltip.bottom
+        v-gl-tooltip
         type="button"
         title="Delete comment"
         class="note-action-button js-note-delete btn btn-transparent"
@@ -197,7 +196,7 @@ export default {
     </div>
     <div v-else-if="shouldShowActionsDropdown" class="dropdown more-actions note-actions-item">
       <button
-        v-gl-tooltip.bottom
+        v-gl-tooltip
         type="button"
         title="More actions"
         class="note-action-button more-actions-toggle btn btn-transparent"
diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/notes/components/note_awards_list.vue b/app/assets/javascripts/notes/components/note_awards_list.vue
index 3efdd1c5c17..17e5fcab5b7 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/notes/components/note_awards_list.vue
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/notes/components/note_awards_list.vue
@@ -171,7 +171,6 @@ export default {
         :class="getAwardClassBindings(awardList)"
         :title="awardTitle(awardList)"
         data-boundary="viewport"
-        data-placement="bottom"
         class="btn award-control"
         type="button"
         @click="handleAward(awardName)"
@@ -187,7 +186,6 @@ export default {
           title="Add reaction"
           aria-label="Add reaction"
           data-boundary="viewport"
-          data-placement="bottom"
           type="button"
         >
           <span class="award-control-icon award-control-icon-neutral">
diff --git a/app/views/award_emoji/_awards_block.html.haml b/app/views/award_emoji/_awards_block.html.haml
index a758a63dfb3..8d9c083d223 100644
--- a/app/views/award_emoji/_awards_block.html.haml
+++ b/app/views/award_emoji/_awards_block.html.haml
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
   - awards_sort(grouped_emojis).each do |emoji, awards|
     %button.btn.award-control.js-emoji-btn.has-tooltip{ type: "button",
       class: [(award_state_class(awardable, awards, current_user))],
-      data: { placement: "bottom", title: award_user_list(awards, current_user) } }
+      data: { title: award_user_list(awards, current_user) } }
       = emoji_icon(emoji)
       %span.award-control-text.js-counter
         = awards.count
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@
     .award-menu-holder.js-award-holder
       %button.btn.award-control.has-tooltip.js-add-award{ type: 'button',
         'aria-label': _('Add reaction'),
-        data: { title: _('Add reaction'), placement: "bottom" } }
+        data: { title: _('Add reaction') } }
         %span{ class: "award-control-icon award-control-icon-neutral" }= custom_icon('emoji_slightly_smiling_face')
         %span{ class: "award-control-icon award-control-icon-positive" }= custom_icon('emoji_smiley')
         %span{ class: "award-control-icon award-control-icon-super-positive" }= custom_icon('emoji_smile')
diff --git a/changelogs/unreleased/tooltips-to-top.yml b/changelogs/unreleased/tooltips-to-top.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..51bf127089e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelogs/unreleased/tooltips-to-top.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+title: Change spawning of tooltips to be top by default
+merge_request: 21223
+author:
+type: changed