diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 92fcf02f..f3fe1857 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -1,3 +1,9 @@
+## Unreleased
+
+### Improvements
+
+- Update styling for Alert component for increased contrast and consistency with U.S. Web Design System. ([#439](https://github.com/18F/identity-design-system/pull/439))
+
 ## 9.1.0
 
 ### New Features
diff --git a/src/img/alerts/info.svg b/src/img/alerts/info.svg
deleted file mode 100644
index 1e5440a5..00000000
--- a/src/img/alerts/info.svg
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-<svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="16" height="16" viewBox="0 0 16 16"><path fill="#00A2C4" d="M14.927 3.984a7.97 7.97 0 0 0-2.911-2.911A7.8 7.8 0 0 0 8 0Q5.824 0 3.985 1.073a7.96 7.96 0 0 0-2.912 2.911A7.8 7.8 0 0 0 0 8q0 2.177 1.073 4.016a7.97 7.97 0 0 0 2.911 2.911A7.8 7.8 0 0 0 8 16a7.83 7.83 0 0 0 4.016-1.073 7.97 7.97 0 0 0 2.911-2.911A7.83 7.83 0 0 0 16 8q0-2.177-1.073-4.016M6.667 2q0-.146.094-.24A.33.33 0 0 1 7 1.667h2q.145 0 .239.093a.33.33 0 0 1 .094.24v1.667a.33.33 0 0 1-.094.24A.32.32 0 0 1 9 4H7a.32.32 0 0 1-.24-.094.32.32 0 0 1-.093-.24zm4 11a.33.33 0 0 1-.094.24.32.32 0 0 1-.24.093H5.668a.32.32 0 0 1-.24-.094.32.32 0 0 1-.094-.24v-1.666q0-.146.094-.24a.33.33 0 0 1 .24-.093h1V7.667h-1a.32.32 0 0 1-.24-.094.32.32 0 0 1-.094-.24V5.667q0-.146.094-.24a.32.32 0 0 1 .24-.094H9q.146 0 .24.094a.33.33 0 0 1 .094.24V11h1a.32.32 0 0 1 .239.094.33.33 0 0 1 .094.24z"/></svg>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/img/alerts/warning.svg b/src/img/alerts/warning.svg
deleted file mode 100644
index ebd1efd0..00000000
--- a/src/img/alerts/warning.svg
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-<svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="16" height="16" viewBox="0 0 16 16"><path fill="#F5D600" d="M15.848 13.734 9 1.177A1.137 1.137 0 0 0 7.42.739a1.14 1.14 0 0 0-.419.437L.151 13.734q-.31.563.019 1.124a1.13 1.13 0 0 0 .981.562h13.698q.304 0 .567-.152t.414-.41q.33-.563.018-1.124m-6.706-.892a.28.28 0 0 1-.085.21.27.27 0 0 1-.2.084H7.143a.27.27 0 0 1-.2-.085.28.28 0 0 1-.085-.21v-1.694q0-.125.084-.21a.27.27 0 0 1 .201-.084h1.712q.117 0 .201.085a.28.28 0 0 1 .085.21zm-.018-3.336a.2.2 0 0 1-.094.148.36.36 0 0 1-.21.058H7.17a.4.4 0 0 1-.213-.058q-.09-.059-.09-.148L6.716 5.43q0-.125.09-.188.115-.098.213-.098h1.962q.099 0 .214.099.09.061.09.169l-.161 4.093z"/></svg>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/scss/packages/_uswds-core.scss b/src/scss/packages/_uswds-core.scss
index e0fab91f..4241dfa7 100644
--- a/src/scss/packages/_uswds-core.scss
+++ b/src/scss/packages/_uswds-core.scss
@@ -142,7 +142,6 @@ $site-palette: (
   $theme-accordion-border-width: '1px' !default,
   $theme-accordion-border-color: 'primary-light' !default,
   // Alert
-  $theme-alert-bar-width: 0 !default,
   $theme-alert-icon-size: 2 !default,
   $theme-alert-padding-x: 2 !default,
   $theme-alert-padding-y: 1.5 !default,
diff --git a/src/scss/packages/usa-alert/src/_overrides.scss b/src/scss/packages/usa-alert/src/_overrides.scss
index e5b04475..eaa58d10 100644
--- a/src/scss/packages/usa-alert/src/_overrides.scss
+++ b/src/scss/packages/usa-alert/src/_overrides.scss
@@ -10,27 +10,22 @@ $alerts: 'success', 'warning', 'error', 'info', 'emergency';
 
   .usa-alert__body {
     @include u-padding-x($theme-alert-padding-x); // See: https://github.com/uswds/uswds/issues/5252
-
-    &::before {
-      background-color: transparent;
-      background-position: center;
-      mask: none;
-    }
+    padding-left: units($theme-alert-icon-size) + (1.5 * $alert-icon-optical-padding);
   }
 }
 
 @each $name in $alerts {
-  .usa-alert--#{$name} .usa-alert__body {
-    &::before {
-      @include add-background-svg('alerts/#{$name}');
-      left: $alert-icon-optical-padding;
-      top: units($theme-alert-padding-y) + units(0.5);
-    }
-
-    padding-left: units($theme-alert-icon-size) + (1.5 * $alert-icon-optical-padding);
+  .usa-alert--#{$name} .usa-alert__body::before {
+    left: $alert-icon-optical-padding;
+    top: units($theme-alert-padding-y) + units(0.5);
   }
 }
 
 .usa-alert--other {
   background-color: color('primary-lighter');
+  border-left-color: color('primary-light');
+
+  .usa-alert__body {
+    padding-left: units($theme-alert-padding-x);
+  }
 }