diff --git a/src/alert/alert.js b/src/alert/alert.js
index bec5a2904b..07f68dde5b 100644
--- a/src/alert/alert.js
+++ b/src/alert/alert.js
@@ -4,9 +4,12 @@ angular.module("ui.bootstrap.alert", []).directive('alert', function () {
     templateUrl:'template/alert/alert.html',
     transclude:true,
     replace:true,
-    scope:{
-      type:'=',
-      close:'&'
+    scope: {
+      type: '=',
+      close: '&'
+    },
+    link: function(scope, iElement, iAttrs, controller) {
+      scope.closeable = "close" in iAttrs;
     }
   };
-});
\ No newline at end of file
+});
diff --git a/src/alert/docs/demo.html b/src/alert/docs/demo.html
index d91517526e..a750374f37 100644
--- a/src/alert/docs/demo.html
+++ b/src/alert/docs/demo.html
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
 <div ng-controller="AlertDemoCtrl">
   <alert ng-repeat="alert in alerts" type="alert.type" close="closeAlert($index)">{{alert.msg}}</alert>
   <button class='btn' ng-click="addAlert()">Add Alert</button>
-</div>
\ No newline at end of file
+</div>
diff --git a/src/alert/docs/readme.md b/src/alert/docs/readme.md
index 1fafb54af4..fb8029a5a3 100644
--- a/src/alert/docs/readme.md
+++ b/src/alert/docs/readme.md
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
 Alert is an AngularJS-version of bootstrap's alert.
 
-This directive can be used to generate alerts from the dynamic model data (using the ng-repeat directive);
\ No newline at end of file
+This directive can be used to generate alerts from the dynamic model data (using the ng-repeat directive);
+
+The presence of the "close" attribute determines if a close button is displayed
diff --git a/src/alert/test/alert.spec.js b/src/alert/test/alert.spec.js
index 5fa21daeb5..0ffbc241a7 100644
--- a/src/alert/test/alert.spec.js
+++ b/src/alert/test/alert.spec.js
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 describe("alert", function () {
+
   var scope, ctrl, model, $compile;
   var element;
 
@@ -11,14 +12,16 @@ describe("alert", function () {
     $compile = _$compile_;
 
     element = angular.element(
-        "<div><alert ng-repeat='alert in alerts' type='alert.type'" +
-        "close='removeAlert($index)'>{{alert.msg}}" +
-        "</alert></div>");
+        "<div>" + 
+          "<alert ng-repeat='alert in alerts' type='alert.type'" +
+            "close='removeAlert($index)'>{{alert.msg}}" +
+          "</alert>" +
+        "</div>");
 
     scope.alerts = [
       { msg:'foo', type:'success'},
       { msg:'bar', type:'error'},
-      { msg:'baz' }
+      { msg:'baz'}
     ];
   }));
 
@@ -48,13 +51,6 @@ describe("alert", function () {
     expect(alerts.eq(2)).not.toHaveClass('alert-block');
   });
 
-  it('it should be possible to add additional classes for alert', function () {
-    var element = $compile('<alert class="alert-block" type="\'info\'">Default alert!</alert>')(scope);
-    scope.$digest();
-    expect(element).toHaveClass('alert-block');
-    expect(element).toHaveClass('alert-info');
-  });
-
   it("should fire callback when closed", function () {
 
     var alerts = createAlerts();
@@ -67,4 +63,17 @@ describe("alert", function () {
     expect(scope.removeAlert).toHaveBeenCalledWith(1);
   });
 
+  it('should not show close buttons if no close callback specified', function () {
+    var element = $compile('<alert>No close</alert>')(scope);
+    scope.$digest();
+    expect(findCloseButton(0).length).toEqual(0);
+  });
+
+  it('it should be possible to add additional classes for alert', function () {
+    var element = $compile('<alert class="alert-block" type="\'info\'">Default alert!</alert>')(scope);
+    scope.$digest();
+    expect(element).toHaveClass('alert-block');
+    expect(element).toHaveClass('alert-info');
+  });
+
 });
diff --git a/template/alert/alert.html b/template/alert/alert.html
index d060a1779c..26f65b3c75 100644
--- a/template/alert/alert.html
+++ b/template/alert/alert.html
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
 <div class='alert' ng-class='type && "alert-" + type'>
-    <button type='button' class='close' ng-click='close()'>&times;</button>
+    <button ng-show='closeable' type='button' class='close' ng-click='close()'>&times;</button>
     <div ng-transclude></div>
-</div>
\ No newline at end of file
+</div>