diff --git a/customize.html b/customize.html
index 0bb8f12b8a..6a44630c49 100644
--- a/customize.html
+++ b/customize.html
@@ -1019,6 +1019,36 @@ lead: Customize Bootstrap's components, LESS variables, and jQuery plugins to ge
           <input type="text" placeholder="@line-height-base">
           <p class="help-block">Modal title line-height</p>
         </div>
+        <div class="col-lg-4">
+          <label>@modal-content-bg</label>
+          <input type="text" placeholder="#fff">
+          <p class="help-block">Background color of modal content area</p>
+        </div>
+        <div class="col-lg-4">
+          <label>@modal-content-border-color</label>
+          <input type="text" placeholder="rgba(0,0,0,.2)">
+          <p class="help-block">Modal content border color</p>
+        </div>
+        <div class="col-lg-4">
+          <label>@modal-content-fallback-border-color</label>
+          <input type="text" placeholder="#999">
+          <p class="help-block">Modal content border color <strong>for IE8</strong></p>
+        </div> 
+        <div class="col-lg-4">
+          <label>@modal-backdrop-bg</label>
+          <input type="text" placeholder="#000">
+          <p class="help-block">Modal backdrop background color</p>
+        </div> 
+        <div class="col-lg-4">
+          <label>@modal-header-border-color</label>
+          <input type="text" placeholder="#e5e5e5">
+          <p class="help-block">Modal header border color</p>
+        </div>
+        <div class="col-lg-4">
+          <label>@modal-footer-border-color</label>
+          <input type="text" placeholder="#e5e5e5">
+          <p class="help-block">Modal footer border color</p>
+        </div>  
       </div>
 
       <h2 id="variables-carousel">Carousel</h2>
diff --git a/less/modals.less b/less/modals.less
index d791210973..52c1b0df8f 100644
--- a/less/modals.less
+++ b/less/modals.less
@@ -46,10 +46,10 @@
 // Actual modal
 .modal-content {
   position: relative;
-  background-color: #fff;
-  border: 1px solid #999;
-  border: 1px solid rgba(0,0,0,.2);
-  border-radius: 6px;
+  background-color: @modal-content-bg;
+  border: 1px solid @modal-content-fallback-border-color; //old browsers fallback (ie8 etc)
+  border: 1px solid @modal-content-border-color;
+  border-radius: @border-radius-large;
   .box-shadow(0 3px 9px rgba(0,0,0,.5));
   .background-clip(padding-box);
   // Remove focus outline from opened modal
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@
   bottom: 0;
   left: 0;
   z-index: (@zindex-modal-background - 10);
-  background-color: #000;
+  background-color: @modal-backdrop-bg;
   // Fade for backdrop
   &.fade { .opacity(0); }
   &.fade.in { .opacity(.5); }
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@
 // Top section of the modal w/ title and dismiss
 .modal-header {
   padding: @modal-title-padding;
-  border-bottom: 1px solid #e5e5e5;
+  border-bottom: 1px solid @modal-header-border-color;
   min-height: (@modal-title-padding + @modal-title-line-height);
 }
 // Close icon
@@ -100,7 +100,7 @@
   margin-top: 15px;
   padding: (@modal-inner-padding - 1) @modal-inner-padding @modal-inner-padding;
   text-align: right; // right align buttons
-  border-top: 1px solid #e5e5e5;
+  border-top: 1px solid @modal-footer-border-color;
   .clearfix(); // clear it in case folks use .pull-* classes on buttons
 
   // Properly space out buttons
diff --git a/less/variables.less b/less/variables.less
index bf29d3556c..97e608b361 100644
--- a/less/variables.less
+++ b/less/variables.less
@@ -296,6 +296,16 @@
 @modal-title-padding:         15px;
 @modal-title-line-height:     @line-height-base;
 
+@modal-content-bg:                             #fff;
+@modal-content-border-color:                   rgba(0,0,0,.2);
+@modal-content-fallback-border-color:          #999;
+
+@modal-backdrop-bg:           #000;
+
+@modal-header-border-color:   #e5e5e5;
+
+@modal-footer-border-color:   #e5e5e5;
+
 // Alerts
 // -------------------------
 @alert-bg:                    @state-warning-bg;