diff --git a/js/angular/directive/headerFooterBar.js b/js/angular/directive/headerFooterBar.js
index 1d7955fb249..2515ef885a5 100644
--- a/js/angular/directive/headerFooterBar.js
+++ b/js/angular/directive/headerFooterBar.js
@@ -124,9 +124,9 @@ function headerFooterBarDirective(isHeader) {
       controller: '$ionicHeaderBar',
       compile: function(tElement, $attr) {
         tElement.addClass(isHeader ? 'bar bar-header' : 'bar bar-footer');
-        // android style tabs? if so, remove bottom border for seamless display
+        // top style tabs? if so, remove bottom border for seamless display
         $timeout(function() {
-          if ($document[0].getElementsByClassName('tabs-top').length) tElement.addClass('has-tabs-top');
+          if (isHeader && $document[0].getElementsByClassName('tabs-top').length) tElement.addClass('has-tabs-top');
         });
 
         return { pre: prelink };
diff --git a/scss/_tabs.scss b/scss/_tabs.scss
index da22c030e7c..4daccbbc3c7 100644
--- a/scss/_tabs.scss
+++ b/scss/_tabs.scss
@@ -94,10 +94,10 @@
       background-color: $background;
     }
     .tab-item {
-      color: rgba($color, $tabs-off-opacity);
+      color: rgba($color, $tabs-striped-off-opacity);
       opacity: 1;
       .badge{
-        opacity:$tabs-off-opacity;
+        opacity:$tabs-striped-off-opacity;
       }
       &.tab-item-active,
       &.active,
@@ -166,10 +166,10 @@
 @mixin tabs-striped-color($style, $color) {
   &.#{$style} {
     .tab-item {
-      color: rgba($color, $tabs-off-opacity);
+      color: rgba($color, $tabs-striped-off-opacity);
       opacity: 1;
       .badge{
-        opacity:$tabs-off-opacity;
+        opacity:$tabs-striped-off-opacity;
       }
       &.tab-item-active,
       &.active,
@@ -325,6 +325,8 @@ ion-tabs {
   top: $bar-height;
   padding-top: 0;
   background-position: bottom;
+  border-top-width: 0;
+  border-bottom-width: 1px;
   .tab-item {
     &.tab-item-active,
     &.active,
diff --git a/scss/_variables.scss b/scss/_variables.scss
index c021ee37b3d..329e504d69d 100644
--- a/scss/_variables.scss
+++ b/scss/_variables.scss
@@ -279,7 +279,8 @@ $tabs-default-text:               $tabs-stable-text !default;
 
 $tab-item-max-width:              150px !default;
 
-$tabs-off-opacity: 0.4;
+$tabs-off-opacity:                0.4 !default;
+$tabs-striped-off-opacity:        $tabs-off-opacity !default;
 $tabs-striped-off-color: #000;
 $tabs-striped-border-width: 2px;