diff --git a/admin.mss b/admin.mss
index dbf05f6c2f..984356fafb 100644
--- a/admin.mss
+++ b/admin.mss
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-@admin-boundaries: #6b516b;
+@admin-boundaries-level2: #6b516b;
 @admin-boundaries-level3: #764f76;
 @admin-boundaries-level4: #814d81;
 @admin-boundaries-level5: #8c4c8c;
@@ -213,7 +213,7 @@ overlapping borders correctly.
 #admin-text[zoom >= 16] {
   text-name: "[name]";
   text-face-name: @book-fonts;
-  text-fill: @admin-boundaries;
+  text-fill: @admin-boundaries-level5;
   text-halo-radius: @standard-halo-radius;
   text-halo-fill: @standard-halo-fill;
   text-largest-bbox-only: false;
diff --git a/placenames.mss b/placenames.mss
index 8fce82af70..8b4886be1f 100644
--- a/placenames.mss
+++ b/placenames.mss
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 @placenames: #222;
 @placenames-light: #777777;
-@country-labels: darken(@admin-boundaries, 15%);
+@country-labels: darken(@admin-boundaries-level2, 15%);
 @state-labels: desaturate(darken(@admin-boundaries-level4, 5%), 20%);
 
 .country {
diff --git a/shapefiles.mss b/shapefiles.mss
index 1bfee4f50a..7fedca80dc 100644
--- a/shapefiles.mss
+++ b/shapefiles.mss
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
     [zoom >= 3] {
       line-width: 0.4;
     }
-    line-color: @admin-boundaries;
+    line-color: @admin-boundaries-level2;
   }
 }