diff --git a/less/thumbnails.less b/less/thumbnails.less
index 1f896708d8..d209412dc7 100644
--- a/less/thumbnails.less
+++ b/less/thumbnails.less
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@
 // Can be `a`, `div`, or `img`
 .thumbnail,
 .img-thumbnail {
-  padding: 4px;
+  padding: @thumbnail-padding;
   line-height: @line-height-base;
   background-color: @thumbnail-bg;
   border: 1px solid @thumbnail-border;
@@ -37,6 +37,6 @@ a.thumbnail:focus {
   margin-right: auto;
 }
 .thumbnail .caption {
-  padding: 9px;
+  padding: @thumbnail-caption-padding;
   color: @thumbnail-caption-color;
 }
diff --git a/less/variables.less b/less/variables.less
index bf180aff63..f2a622fbe4 100644
--- a/less/variables.less
+++ b/less/variables.less
@@ -499,11 +499,14 @@
 
 // Thumbnails
 // -------------------------
-@thumbnail-caption-color:     @text-color;
+@thumbnail-padding:           4px;
 @thumbnail-bg:                @body-bg;
 @thumbnail-border:            #ddd;
 @thumbnail-border-radius:     @border-radius-base;
 
+@thumbnail-caption-color:     @text-color;
+@thumbnail-caption-padding:   9px;
+
 
 // Wells
 // -------------------------