--- a/static/bootstrap/less/alerts.less	Wed Dec 11 21:51:51 2013 -0800
+++ b/static/bootstrap/less/alerts.less	Thu Dec 12 21:54:04 2013 -0800
@@ -7,73 +7,61 @@
 // -------------------------
 
 .alert {
-  padding: 8px 35px 8px 14px;
-  margin-bottom: @baseLineHeight;
-  text-shadow: 0 1px 0 rgba(255,255,255,.5);
-  background-color: @warningBackground;
-  border: 1px solid @warningBorder;
-  .border-radius(@baseBorderRadius);
-}
-.alert,
-.alert h4 {
-  // Specified for the h4 to prevent conflicts of changing @headingsColor
-  color: @warningText;
-}
-.alert h4 {
-  margin: 0;
+  padding: @alert-padding;
+  margin-bottom: @line-height-computed;
+  border: 1px solid transparent;
+  border-radius: @alert-border-radius;
+
+  // Headings for larger alerts
+  h4 {
+    margin-top: 0;
+    // Specified for the h4 to prevent conflicts of changing @headings-color
+    color: inherit;
+  }
+  // Provide class for links that match alerts
+  .alert-link {
+    font-weight: @alert-link-font-weight;
+  }
+
+  // Improve alignment and spacing of inner content
+  > p,
+  > ul {
+    margin-bottom: 0;
+  }
+  > p + p {
+    margin-top: 5px;
+  }
 }
 
-// Adjust close link position
-.alert .close {
-  position: relative;
-  top: -2px;
-  right: -21px;
-  line-height: @baseLineHeight;
+// Dismissable alerts
+//
+// Expand the right padding and account for the close button's positioning.
+
+.alert-dismissable {
+ padding-right: (@alert-padding + 20);
+
+  // Adjust close link position
+  .close {
+    position: relative;
+    top: -2px;
+    right: -21px;
+    color: inherit;
+  }
 }
 
-
 // Alternate styles
-// -------------------------
+//
+// Generate contextual modifier classes for colorizing the alert.
 
 .alert-success {
-  background-color: @successBackground;
-  border-color: @successBorder;
-  color: @successText;
-}
-.alert-success h4 {
-  color: @successText;
-}
-.alert-danger,
-.alert-error {
-  background-color: @errorBackground;
-  border-color: @errorBorder;
-  color: @errorText;
-}
-.alert-danger h4,
-.alert-error h4 {
-  color: @errorText;
+  .alert-variant(@alert-success-bg; @alert-success-border; @alert-success-text);
 }
 .alert-info {
-  background-color: @infoBackground;
-  border-color: @infoBorder;
-  color: @infoText;
-}
-.alert-info h4 {
-  color: @infoText;
+  .alert-variant(@alert-info-bg; @alert-info-border; @alert-info-text);
 }
-
-
-// Block alerts
-// -------------------------
-
-.alert-block {
-  padding-top: 14px;
-  padding-bottom: 14px;
+.alert-warning {
+  .alert-variant(@alert-warning-bg; @alert-warning-border; @alert-warning-text);
 }
-.alert-block > p,
-.alert-block > ul {
-  margin-bottom: 0;
+.alert-danger {
+  .alert-variant(@alert-danger-bg; @alert-danger-border; @alert-danger-text);
 }
-.alert-block p + p {
-  margin-top: 5px;
-}