diff --git a/scss/_type.scss b/scss/_type.scss
index 60f983aaf7..fc45d352db 100644
--- a/scss/_type.scss
+++ b/scss/_type.scss
@@ -117,7 +117,7 @@ mark,
   padding: ($spacer / 2) $spacer;
   margin-bottom: $spacer;
   font-size: $blockquote-font-size;
-  border-left: .25rem solid $blockquote-border-color;
+  border-left: $blockquote-border-width solid $blockquote-border-color;
 }
 
 .blockquote-footer {
@@ -136,7 +136,7 @@ mark,
   padding-right: $spacer;
   padding-left: 0;
   text-align: right;
-  border-right: .25rem solid $blockquote-border-color;
+  border-right: $blockquote-border-width solid $blockquote-border-color;
   border-left: 0;
 }
 
diff --git a/scss/_variables.scss b/scss/_variables.scss
index a3bba57418..81eabb278d 100644
--- a/scss/_variables.scss
+++ b/scss/_variables.scss
@@ -185,6 +185,7 @@ $abbr-border-color: $gray-light !default;
 $blockquote-small-color:  $gray-light !default;
 $blockquote-font-size:    ($font-size-base * 1.25) !default;
 $blockquote-border-color: $gray-lighter !default;
+$blockquote-border-width: .25rem !default;
 
 $hr-border-color: rgba(0,0,0,.1) !default;
 $hr-border-width: $border-width !default;