diff --git a/scss/_alert.scss b/scss/_alert.scss
index 8e550d8f73..b9f6c60dad 100644
--- a/scss/_alert.scss
+++ b/scss/_alert.scss
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 .alert {
   padding: $alert-padding;
   margin-bottom: $spacer-y;
-  border: 1px solid transparent;
+  border: $alert-border-width solid transparent;
   @include border-radius($alert-border-radius);
 
   // Improve alignment and spacing of inner content
diff --git a/scss/_variables.scss b/scss/_variables.scss
index 74f05a2a7f..b7bb880903 100644
--- a/scss/_variables.scss
+++ b/scss/_variables.scss
@@ -526,6 +526,7 @@ $modal-sm:                    300px !default;
 $alert-padding:               15px !default;
 $alert-border-radius:         $border-radius !default;
 $alert-link-font-weight:      bold !default;
+$alert-border-width:          $border-width !default;
 
 $alert-success-bg:            $state-success-bg !default;
 $alert-success-text:          $state-success-text !default;