diff --git a/less/code.less b/less/code.less
index 8dd34670a8..d2aa39cc33 100644
--- a/less/code.less
+++ b/less/code.less
@@ -13,8 +13,8 @@ pre {
 code {
   padding: 2px 4px;
   font-size: 90%;
-  color: #c7254e;
-  background-color: #f9f2f4;
+  color: @code-color:;
+  background-color: @code-bg;
   white-space: nowrap;
   border-radius: 4px;
 }
@@ -29,9 +29,9 @@ pre {
   word-break: break-all;
   word-wrap: break-word;
   color: @gray-dark;
-  background-color: #f5f5f5;
-  border: 1px solid #ccc; // IE8 fallback
-  border: 1px solid rgba(0,0,0,.15);
+  background-color: @pre-bg;
+  border: 1px solid @pre-fallback-border-color; // IE8 fallback
+  border: 1px solid @pre-border-color;
   border-radius: @border-radius-base;
 
   // Make prettyprint styles more spaced out for readability
diff --git a/less/dropdowns.less b/less/dropdowns.less
index 7e35d42871..1430435e4e 100644
--- a/less/dropdowns.less
+++ b/less/dropdowns.less
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@
   height: 0;
   margin-left: 2px;
   vertical-align: middle;
-  border-top:   4px solid #000;
+  border-top:   4px solid @caret-border-top-color;
   border-right: 4px solid transparent;
   border-left:  4px solid transparent;
   content: "";
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@
   margin: 2px 0 0; // override default ul
   list-style: none;
   background-color: @dropdown-bg;
-  border: 1px solid #ccc; // IE8 fallback
+  border: 1px solid @dropdown-fallback-border; // IE8 fallback
   border: 1px solid @dropdown-border;
   border-radius: @border-radius-base;
   .box-shadow(0 6px 12px rgba(0,0,0,.175));
@@ -159,7 +159,7 @@
   // Reverse the caret
   .caret {
     border-top: 0;
-    border-bottom: 4px solid #000;
+    border-bottom: 4px solid @dropup-caret-border-color;
     content: "";
   }
   // Different positioning for bottom up menu
diff --git a/less/variables.less b/less/variables.less
index ed5051df7f..c30c0232cc 100644
--- a/less/variables.less
+++ b/less/variables.less
@@ -120,7 +120,6 @@
 @btn-hover-color:                #fff;
 
 
-
 // Forms
 // -------------------------
 
@@ -142,6 +141,7 @@
 
 @dropdown-bg:                    #fff;
 @dropdown-border:                rgba(0,0,0,.15);
+@dropdown-fallback-border:       #ccc;
 @dropdown-divider-top:           #e5e5e5;
 @dropdown-divider-bottom:        #fff;
 
@@ -152,6 +152,10 @@
 @dropdown-link-hover-color:      #fff;
 @dropdown-link-hover-bg:         @dropdown-link-active-bg;
 
+@caret-border-top-color:         #000;
+
+@dropup-caret-border-color:      #000;
+
 
 // COMPONENT VARIABLES
 // --------------------------------------------------
@@ -404,12 +408,25 @@
 @carousel-caption-color:                      #fff;
 @carousel-caption-text-shadow:                0 1px 2px rgba(0,0,0,.6);
 
+
 // Close
 // ------------------------
 @close-color:                 #000;
 @close-hover-color:           #000;
 @close-text-shadow:           0 1px 0 rgba(255,255,255,1);
 
+
+// Code
+// ------------------------
+@code-bg:                     #f9f2f4;
+@code-color:                  #c7254e;
+
+
+@pre-bg:                      #f5f5f5;
+@pre-border-color:            rgba(0,0,0,.15);
+@pre-fallback-border-color:   #ccc;
+
+
 // Miscellaneous
 // -------------------------