diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/templates/user/about.js.handlebars b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/templates/user/about.js.handlebars
index ecb34d780e5..d47df3d3a95 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/templates/user/about.js.handlebars
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/templates/user/about.js.handlebars
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@
   {{#if error}}
     <div class="control-group">
       <div class="instructions">
-        <div class='alert error'>{{i18n user.change_about.error}}</div>
+        <div class='alert alert-error'>{{i18n user.change_about.error}}</div>
       </div>
     </div>
   {{/if}}
diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/templates/user/email.js.handlebars b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/templates/user/email.js.handlebars
index 41b6c82fafb..1f59f77c3ed 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/templates/user/email.js.handlebars
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/templates/user/email.js.handlebars
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@
       {{#if error}}
         <div class="control-group">
           <div class="instructions">
-            <div class='alert error'>{{i18n user.change_email.error}}</div>
+            <div class='alert alert-error'>{{i18n user.change_email.error}}</div>
           </div>
         </div>
       {{/if}}
diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/templates/user/username.js.handlebars b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/templates/user/username.js.handlebars
index 2518c905b30..1d571721c8d 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/templates/user/username.js.handlebars
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/templates/user/username.js.handlebars
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@
     {{#if error}}
       <div class="control-group">
         <div class="instructions">
-          <div class='alert error'>{{i18n user.change_username.error}}</div>
+          <div class='alert alert-error'>{{i18n user.change_username.error}}</div>
         </div>
       </div>
     {{/if}}
diff --git a/app/assets/stylesheets/common/base/discourse.scss b/app/assets/stylesheets/common/base/discourse.scss
index edd8e832c46..3882863caf8 100644
--- a/app/assets/stylesheets/common/base/discourse.scss
+++ b/app/assets/stylesheets/common/base/discourse.scss
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ blockquote {
   border-left: 5px solid darken(scale-color-diff(), 10%);
 }
 
-    a.no-href {
+a.no-href {
   cursor: pointer;
 }
 
diff --git a/app/assets/stylesheets/desktop/discourse.scss b/app/assets/stylesheets/desktop/discourse.scss
index e59fb1929c8..24db9bfb75d 100644
--- a/app/assets/stylesheets/desktop/discourse.scss
+++ b/app/assets/stylesheets/desktop/discourse.scss
@@ -491,27 +491,12 @@ body {
     margin-bottom: 18px;
     background-color: scale-color($danger, $lightness: 75%);
     color: #c09853;
-  }
-  .alert .close {
-    position: relative;
-    top: -2px;
-    right: -21px;
-    line-height: 18px;
-  }
-  .alert-success {
-    background-color:  scale-color($success, $lightness: 90%);
-    color: $success;
-  }
-  .alert-error {
-    background-color:  scale-color($danger, $lightness: 75%);
-    color: $danger;
-  }
-  .alert-info {
-    background-color: scale-color($tertiary, $lightness: 90%);
-    color: $primary;
-  }
-  .alert {
+
     .close {
+      position: relative;
+      top: -2px;
+      right: -21px;
+      line-height: 18px;
       float: right;
       font-size: 20px;
       font-weight: bold;
@@ -534,7 +519,20 @@ body {
       border: 0;
       -webkit-appearance: none;
     }
+    &.alert-success {
+      background-color:  scale-color($success, $lightness: 90%);
+      color: $success;
+    }
+    &.alert-error {
+      background-color:  scale-color($danger, $lightness: 75%);
+      color: $danger;
+    }
+    &.alert-info {
+      background-color: scale-color($tertiary, $lightness: 90%);
+      color: $primary;
+    }
   }
+
   .bootbox.modal {
     .modal-footer {
       a.btn-primary {