diff --git a/lib/breadcrumbs.less b/lib/breadcrumbs.less
index 2fa9921ac8..19b8081e1b 100644
--- a/lib/breadcrumbs.less
+++ b/lib/breadcrumbs.less
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
 .breadcrumb {
   padding: 7px 14px;
   margin: 0 0 @baseLineHeight;
-  #gradient > .vertical(#ffffff, #f5f5f5);
+  #gradient > .vertical(@white, #f5f5f5);
   border: 1px solid #ddd;
   .border-radius(3px);
   .box-shadow(inset 0 1px 0 @white);
diff --git a/lib/button-groups.less b/lib/button-groups.less
index e9724ba8c2..253469f88a 100644
--- a/lib/button-groups.less
+++ b/lib/button-groups.less
@@ -110,7 +110,7 @@
 .info,
 .success {
   .caret {
-    border-top-color: #fff;
+    border-top-color: @white;
     .opacity(75);
   }
 }
diff --git a/lib/buttons.less b/lib/buttons.less
index e53dce7af5..5da34a5257 100644
--- a/lib/buttons.less
+++ b/lib/buttons.less
@@ -34,9 +34,9 @@
   padding: 5px 10px 6px;
   font-size: @baseFontSize;
   line-height: normal;
-  color: #333;
+  color: @grayDark;
   text-shadow: 0 1px 1px rgba(255,255,255,.75);
-  #gradient > .vertical-three-colors(#ffffff, #ffffff, 25%, darken(#ffffff, 10%)); // Don't use .gradientbar() here since it does a three-color gradient
+  #gradient > .vertical-three-colors(@white, @white, 25%, darken(@white, 10%)); // Don't use .gradientbar() here since it does a three-color gradient
   border: 1px solid #ccc;
   border-bottom-color: #bbb;
   .border-radius(4px);
diff --git a/lib/carousel.less b/lib/carousel.less
index a9399ef63c..1a18d44b6a 100644
--- a/lib/carousel.less
+++ b/lib/carousel.less
@@ -70,7 +70,7 @@
   line-height: 30px;
   color: #ccc;
   text-align: center;
-  background: #999;
+  background: @grayLight;
   background: rgba(0,0,0,.5);
   .border-radius(20px);
 
@@ -82,9 +82,9 @@
 
   // Hover state
   &:hover {
-    color: #fff;
+    color: @white;
     text-decoration: none;
-    background: #333;
+    background: @grayDark;
     background: rgba(0,0,0,.75);
   }
 }
@@ -98,10 +98,10 @@
   right: 0;
   bottom: 0;
   padding: 10px 15px 5px;
-  background: #333;
+  background: @grayDark;
   background: rgba(0,0,0,.75);
 }
 .carousel-caption h4,
 .carousel-caption p {
-  color: #fff;
+  color: @white;
 }
diff --git a/lib/dropdowns.less b/lib/dropdowns.less
index 08054713ce..40b4d7e875 100644
--- a/lib/dropdowns.less
+++ b/lib/dropdowns.less
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@
   vertical-align: top;
   border-left:  4px solid transparent;
   border-right: 4px solid transparent;
-  border-top:   4px solid #000;
+  border-top:   4px solid @black;
   .opacity(30);
   content: "\2193";
 }
@@ -79,7 +79,7 @@
 .dropdown-menu li > a:hover,
 .dropdown-menu .active > a,
 .dropdown-menu .active > a:hover {
-  color: #fff;
+  color: @white;
   text-decoration: none;
   background-color: @linkColor;
 }
diff --git a/lib/navbar.less b/lib/navbar.less
index 94bc652410..8064490f76 100644
--- a/lib/navbar.less
+++ b/lib/navbar.less
@@ -164,7 +164,7 @@
 .navbar .nav .active > a {
   color: @white;
   text-decoration: none;
-  background-color: #222;
+  background-color: @grayDarker;
   background-color: rgba(0,0,0,.5);
 }
 
@@ -174,7 +174,7 @@
   width: 1px;
   margin: 0 5px;
   overflow: hidden;
-  background-color: #222;
+  background-color: @grayDarker;
   border-right: 1px solid #444;
 }
 
@@ -209,7 +209,7 @@
     display: inline-block;
     border-left:   6px solid transparent;
     border-right:  6px solid transparent;
-    border-bottom: 6px solid #fff;
+    border-bottom: 6px solid @white;
     position: absolute;
     top: -6px;
     left: 10px;
@@ -219,7 +219,7 @@
 // Dropdown toggle caret
 .navbar .nav .dropdown-toggle .caret,
 .navbar .nav .open.dropdown .caret {
-  border-top-color: #fff;
+  border-top-color: @white;
 }
 .navbar .nav .active .caret {
   .opacity(100);
@@ -234,7 +234,7 @@
 
 // Dropdown link on hover
 .navbar .nav .active > .dropdown-toggle:hover {
-  color: #fff;
+  color: @white;
 }
 
 // Right aligned menus need alt position
diff --git a/lib/navs.less b/lib/navs.less
index 432ab3cbd1..4db77af4f2 100644
--- a/lib/navs.less
+++ b/lib/navs.less
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@
 }
 .nav > li > a:hover {
   text-decoration: none;
-  background-color: #eee;
+  background-color: @grayLighter;
 }
 
 
@@ -97,7 +97,7 @@
   border: 1px solid transparent;
   .border-radius(4px 4px 0 0);
   &:hover {
-    border-color: #eee #eee #ddd;
+    border-color: @grayLighter @grayLighter #ddd;
   }
 }
 // Active state, and it's :hover to override normal :hover
@@ -201,13 +201,13 @@
 // -------------------------
 .tabs .active .dropdown-toggle .caret,
 .pills .active .dropdown-toggle .caret {
-  border-top-color: #333;
+  border-top-color: @grayDark;
 }
 
 // Active:hover dropdown links
 // -------------------------
 .nav > .dropdown.active > a:hover {
-  color: #000;
+  color: @black;
   cursor: pointer;
 }
 
@@ -216,20 +216,20 @@
 .tabs .open .dropdown-toggle,
 .pills .open .dropdown-toggle,
 .nav > .open.active > a:hover {
-  color: #fff;
-  background-color: #999;
-  border-color: #999;
+  color: @white;
+  background-color: @grayLight;
+  border-color: @grayLight;
 }
 .nav .open .caret,
 .nav .open.active .caret,
 .nav .open a:hover .caret {
-  border-top-color: #fff;
+  border-top-color: @white;
   .opacity(100);
 }
 
 // Dropdowns in stacked tabs
 .tabs.stacked .open > a:hover {
-  border-color: #999;
+  border-color: @grayLight;
 }
 
 
@@ -312,7 +312,7 @@
   .border-radius(4px 0 0 4px);
 }
 .tabs-left .tabs > li > a:hover {
-  border-color: #eee #ddd #eee #eee;
+  border-color: @grayLighter #ddd @grayLighter @grayLighter;
 }
 .tabs-left .tabs .active > a,
 .tabs-left .tabs .active > a:hover {
@@ -330,7 +330,7 @@
   .border-radius(0 4px 4px 0);
 }
 .tabs-right .tabs > li > a:hover {
-  border-color: #eee #eee #eee #ddd;
+  border-color: @grayLighter @grayLighter @grayLighter #ddd;
 }
 .tabs-right .tabs .active > a,
 .tabs-right .tabs .active > a:hover {
diff --git a/lib/tables.less b/lib/tables.less
index 5dad3e896f..14e4ea44a3 100644
--- a/lib/tables.less
+++ b/lib/tables.less
@@ -144,7 +144,7 @@ table {
       margin-top: 7px;
       border-width: 0 4px 4px;
       border-style: solid;
-      border-color: #000 transparent;
+      border-color: @black transparent;
       visibility: hidden;
     }
   }
@@ -174,7 +174,7 @@ table {
       border-bottom: none;
       border-left: 4px solid transparent;
       border-right: 4px solid transparent;
-      border-top: 4px solid #000;
+      border-top: 4px solid @black;
       visibility:visible;
       .box-shadow(none); //can't add boxshadow to downward facing arrow :(
       .opacity(60);
diff --git a/lib/tooltip.less b/lib/tooltip.less
index b21c6bb7a5..5111a193f0 100644
--- a/lib/tooltip.less
+++ b/lib/tooltip.less
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@
 .tooltip-inner {
   max-width: 200px;
   padding: 3px 8px;
-  color: white;
+  color: @white;
   text-align: center;
   text-decoration: none;
   background-color: @black;
diff --git a/lib/type.less b/lib/type.less
index 707d2215de..a94a4956ed 100644
--- a/lib/type.less
+++ b/lib/type.less
@@ -119,7 +119,7 @@ hr {
   margin: @baseLineHeight 0;
   border: 0;
   border-top: 1px solid #e5e5e5;
-  border-bottom: 1px solid #fff;
+  border-bottom: 1px solid @white;
 }
 
 // Emphasis
@@ -148,7 +148,7 @@ abbr {
 blockquote {
   padding-left: 15px;
   margin-bottom: @baseLineHeight;
-  border-left: 5px solid #eee;
+  border-left: 5px solid @grayLighter;
   p {
     margin-bottom: 0;
     #font > .shorthand(16px,300,@baseLineHeight * 1.25);
@@ -168,7 +168,7 @@ blockquote {
     padding-left: 0;
     padding-right: 15px;
     border-left: 0;
-    border-right: 5px solid #eee;
+    border-right: 5px solid @grayLighter;
     p,
     small {
       text-align: right;
diff --git a/lib/variables.less b/lib/variables.less
index 807a9ea0d5..0a67521dfc 100644
--- a/lib/variables.less
+++ b/lib/variables.less
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@
 
 // Grays
 @black:                 #000;
+@grayDarker:            #222;
 @grayDark:              #333;
 @gray:                  #555;
 @grayLight:             #999;
@@ -65,7 +66,7 @@
 
 // Navbar
 @navBarHeight:                    40px;
-@navbarBackground:                #222;
-@navbarBackgroundHighlight:       #333;
+@navbarBackground:                @grayDarker;
+@navbarBackgroundHighlight:       @grayDark;