diff --git a/src/Navbar.js b/src/Navbar.js
index 62192753e0..2f0bebbd8d 100644
--- a/src/Navbar.js
+++ b/src/Navbar.js
@@ -152,16 +152,16 @@ let Navbar = React.createClass({
       props.role = 'navigation';
     }
 
-    const classes = tbsUtils.getClassSet(this.props);
+    if (inverse) {
+      props.bsStyle = INVERSE;
+    }
+
+    const classes = tbsUtils.getClassSet(props);
 
     classes[tbsUtils.prefix(this.props, 'fixed-top')] = fixedTop;
     classes[tbsUtils.prefix(this.props, 'fixed-bottom')] = fixedBottom;
     classes[tbsUtils.prefix(this.props, 'static-top')] = staticTop;
 
-    // handle built-in styles manually to provide the convenience `inverse` prop
-    classes[tbsUtils.prefix(this.props, INVERSE)] = inverse;
-    classes[tbsUtils.prefix(this.props, DEFAULT)] = !inverse;
-
     return (
       <ComponentClass {...props} className={classNames(className, classes)}>
         <Grid fluid={fluid}>
diff --git a/test/NavbarSpec.js b/test/NavbarSpec.js
index 8eacd68ec7..51c7b4a22f 100644
--- a/test/NavbarSpec.js
+++ b/test/NavbarSpec.js
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import Nav from '../src/Nav';
 import Navbar from '../src/Navbar';
 
 import { getOne, shouldWarn } from './helpers';
+import utils from '../src/utils/bootstrapUtils';
 
 describe('Navbar', () => {
 
@@ -56,6 +57,17 @@ describe('Navbar', () => {
     assert.ok(ReactTestUtils.findRenderedDOMComponentWithClass(instance, 'navbar-inverse'));
   });
 
+  it('Should not add default class along with custom styles', () => {
+    utils.addStyle(Navbar, ['custom']);
+
+    let instance = ReactTestUtils.renderIntoDocument(
+      <Navbar bsStyle='custom' />
+    );
+
+    expect(() => ReactTestUtils.findRenderedDOMComponentWithClass(instance, 'navbar-default'))
+      .to.throw();
+  });
+
   it('Should add fluid variation class', () => {
     let instance = ReactTestUtils.renderIntoDocument(
       <Navbar fluid />