diff --git a/scss/_nav.scss b/scss/_nav.scss
index 5714c77eb7..b9aaf42a0a 100644
--- a/scss/_nav.scss
+++ b/scss/_nav.scss
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@
   .nav-link {
     display: block;
     padding: $nav-link-padding;
-    border: 1px solid transparent;
+    border: $nav-tabs-link-border-width solid transparent;
     @include border-radius($border-radius $border-radius 0 0);
 
     @include hover-focus {
diff --git a/scss/_variables.scss b/scss/_variables.scss
index 9c66931930..793e703714 100644
--- a/scss/_variables.scss
+++ b/scss/_variables.scss
@@ -366,6 +366,7 @@ $nav-disabled-link-hover-color:             $gray-light !default;
 
 $nav-tabs-border-color:                     #ddd !default;
 
+$nav-tabs-link-border-width:                $border-width !default;
 $nav-tabs-link-hover-border-color:          $gray-lighter !default;
 
 $nav-tabs-active-link-hover-bg:             $body-bg !default;