diff --git a/docs/assets/css/bootstrap.css b/docs/assets/css/bootstrap.css
index 25b0a1982..69ac84142 100644
--- a/docs/assets/css/bootstrap.css
+++ b/docs/assets/css/bootstrap.css
@@ -2929,6 +2929,18 @@ table [class*=span],
   border-left-color: #ffffff;
 }
 
+.dropdown-submenu.pull-left {
+  float: none;
+}
+
+.dropdown-submenu.pull-left > .dropdown-menu {
+  left: -100%;
+  margin-left: 10px;
+  -webkit-border-radius: 6px 0 6px 6px;
+     -moz-border-radius: 6px 0 6px 6px;
+          border-radius: 6px 0 6px 6px;
+}
+
 .dropdown .dropdown-menu .nav-header {
   padding-right: 20px;
   padding-left: 20px;
diff --git a/docs/components.html b/docs/components.html
index f369cfa1b..7623cda4b 100644
--- a/docs/components.html
+++ b/docs/components.html
@@ -165,25 +165,11 @@
 
           <h3>Sub menus on dropdowns</h3>
           <p>Add an extra level of dropdown menus, appearing on hover like those of OS X, with some simple markup additions. Add <code>.dropdown-submenu</code> to any <code>li</code> in an existing dropdown menu for automatic styling.</p>
-          <div class="bs-docs-example">
-            <div class="dropdown clearfix">
-              <ul class="dropdown-menu" role="menu" aria-labelledby="dropdownMenu" style="display: block; position: static; margin-bottom: 5px; *width: 180px;">
-                <li><a tabindex="-1" href="#">Action</a></li>
-                <li><a tabindex="-1" href="#">Another action</a></li>
-                <li><a tabindex="-1" href="#">Something else here</a></li>
-                <li class="divider"></li>
-                <li class="dropdown-submenu">
-                  <a tabindex="-1" href="#">More options</a>
-                  <ul class="dropdown-menu">
-                    <li><a tabindex="-1" href="#">Second level link</a></li>
-                    <li><a tabindex="-1" href="#">Second level link</a></li>
-                    <li><a tabindex="-1" href="#">Second level link</a></li>
-                    <li><a tabindex="-1" href="#">Second level link</a></li>
-                    <li><a tabindex="-1" href="#">Second level link</a></li>
-                  </ul>
-                </li>
-              </ul>
-              <div class="dropup" style="float: left; margin-left: 20px;">
+          <div class="bs-docs-example" style="min-height: 180px;">
+
+            <div class="pull-left">
+              <p class="muted">Default</p>
+              <div class="dropdown clearfix">
                 <ul class="dropdown-menu" role="menu" aria-labelledby="dropdownMenu" style="display: block; position: static; margin-bottom: 5px; *width: 180px;">
                   <li><a tabindex="-1" href="#">Action</a></li>
                   <li><a tabindex="-1" href="#">Another action</a></li>
@@ -202,6 +188,51 @@
                 </ul>
               </div>
             </div>
+
+            <div class="pull-left" style="margin-left: 20px;">
+              <p class="muted">Dropup</p>
+              <div class="dropup">
+                <ul class="dropdown-menu" role="menu" aria-labelledby="dropdownMenu" style="display: block; position: static; margin-bottom: 5px; *width: 180px;">
+                  <li><a tabindex="-1" href="#">Action</a></li>
+                  <li><a tabindex="-1" href="#">Another action</a></li>
+                  <li><a tabindex="-1" href="#">Something else here</a></li>
+                  <li class="divider"></li>
+                  <li class="dropdown-submenu">
+                    <a tabindex="-1" href="#">More options</a>
+                    <ul class="dropdown-menu">
+                      <li><a tabindex="-1" href="#">Second level link</a></li>
+                      <li><a tabindex="-1" href="#">Second level link</a></li>
+                      <li><a tabindex="-1" href="#">Second level link</a></li>
+                      <li><a tabindex="-1" href="#">Second level link</a></li>
+                      <li><a tabindex="-1" href="#">Second level link</a></li>
+                    </ul>
+                  </li>
+                </ul>
+              </div>
+            </div>
+
+            <div class="pull-left" style="margin-left: 20px;">
+              <p class="muted">Left submenu</p>
+              <div class="dropdown">
+                <ul class="dropdown-menu" role="menu" aria-labelledby="dropdownMenu" style="display: block; position: static; margin-bottom: 5px; *width: 180px;">
+                  <li><a tabindex="-1" href="#">Action</a></li>
+                  <li><a tabindex="-1" href="#">Another action</a></li>
+                  <li><a tabindex="-1" href="#">Something else here</a></li>
+                  <li class="divider"></li>
+                  <li class="dropdown-submenu pull-left">
+                    <a tabindex="-1" href="#">More options</a>
+                    <ul class="dropdown-menu">
+                      <li><a tabindex="-1" href="#">Second level link</a></li>
+                      <li><a tabindex="-1" href="#">Second level link</a></li>
+                      <li><a tabindex="-1" href="#">Second level link</a></li>
+                      <li><a tabindex="-1" href="#">Second level link</a></li>
+                      <li><a tabindex="-1" href="#">Second level link</a></li>
+                    </ul>
+                  </li>
+                </ul>
+              </div>
+            </div>
+
           </div>
 <pre class="prettyprint linenums">
 &lt;ul class="dropdown-menu" role="menu" aria-labelledby="dLabel"&gt;
diff --git a/docs/templates/pages/components.mustache b/docs/templates/pages/components.mustache
index 67770a766..6cb5aa69e 100644
--- a/docs/templates/pages/components.mustache
+++ b/docs/templates/pages/components.mustache
@@ -94,25 +94,11 @@
 
           <h3>{{_i}}Sub menus on dropdowns{{/i}}</h3>
           <p>{{_i}}Add an extra level of dropdown menus, appearing on hover like those of OS X, with some simple markup additions. Add <code>.dropdown-submenu</code> to any <code>li</code> in an existing dropdown menu for automatic styling.{{/i}}</p>
-          <div class="bs-docs-example">
-            <div class="dropdown clearfix">
-              <ul class="dropdown-menu" role="menu" aria-labelledby="dropdownMenu" style="display: block; position: static; margin-bottom: 5px; *width: 180px;">
-                <li><a tabindex="-1" href="#">{{_i}}Action{{/i}}</a></li>
-                <li><a tabindex="-1" href="#">{{_i}}Another action{{/i}}</a></li>
-                <li><a tabindex="-1" href="#">{{_i}}Something else here{{/i}}</a></li>
-                <li class="divider"></li>
-                <li class="dropdown-submenu">
-                  <a tabindex="-1" href="#">{{_i}}More options{{/i}}</a>
-                  <ul class="dropdown-menu">
-                    <li><a tabindex="-1" href="#">{{_i}}Second level link{{/i}}</a></li>
-                    <li><a tabindex="-1" href="#">{{_i}}Second level link{{/i}}</a></li>
-                    <li><a tabindex="-1" href="#">{{_i}}Second level link{{/i}}</a></li>
-                    <li><a tabindex="-1" href="#">{{_i}}Second level link{{/i}}</a></li>
-                    <li><a tabindex="-1" href="#">{{_i}}Second level link{{/i}}</a></li>
-                  </ul>
-                </li>
-              </ul>
-              <div class="dropup" style="float: left; margin-left: 20px;">
+          <div class="bs-docs-example" style="min-height: 180px;">
+
+            <div class="pull-left">
+              <p class="muted">Default</p>
+              <div class="dropdown clearfix">
                 <ul class="dropdown-menu" role="menu" aria-labelledby="dropdownMenu" style="display: block; position: static; margin-bottom: 5px; *width: 180px;">
                   <li><a tabindex="-1" href="#">{{_i}}Action{{/i}}</a></li>
                   <li><a tabindex="-1" href="#">{{_i}}Another action{{/i}}</a></li>
@@ -130,7 +116,52 @@
                   </li>
                 </ul>
               </div>
-            </div>
+            </div>{{! /.pull-left }}
+
+            <div class="pull-left" style="margin-left: 20px;">
+              <p class="muted">Dropup</p>
+              <div class="dropup">
+                <ul class="dropdown-menu" role="menu" aria-labelledby="dropdownMenu" style="display: block; position: static; margin-bottom: 5px; *width: 180px;">
+                  <li><a tabindex="-1" href="#">{{_i}}Action{{/i}}</a></li>
+                  <li><a tabindex="-1" href="#">{{_i}}Another action{{/i}}</a></li>
+                  <li><a tabindex="-1" href="#">{{_i}}Something else here{{/i}}</a></li>
+                  <li class="divider"></li>
+                  <li class="dropdown-submenu">
+                    <a tabindex="-1" href="#">{{_i}}More options{{/i}}</a>
+                    <ul class="dropdown-menu">
+                      <li><a tabindex="-1" href="#">{{_i}}Second level link{{/i}}</a></li>
+                      <li><a tabindex="-1" href="#">{{_i}}Second level link{{/i}}</a></li>
+                      <li><a tabindex="-1" href="#">{{_i}}Second level link{{/i}}</a></li>
+                      <li><a tabindex="-1" href="#">{{_i}}Second level link{{/i}}</a></li>
+                      <li><a tabindex="-1" href="#">{{_i}}Second level link{{/i}}</a></li>
+                    </ul>
+                  </li>
+                </ul>
+              </div>
+            </div>{{! /.pull-left }}
+
+            <div class="pull-left" style="margin-left: 20px;">
+              <p class="muted">Left submenu</p>
+              <div class="dropdown">
+                <ul class="dropdown-menu" role="menu" aria-labelledby="dropdownMenu" style="display: block; position: static; margin-bottom: 5px; *width: 180px;">
+                  <li><a tabindex="-1" href="#">{{_i}}Action{{/i}}</a></li>
+                  <li><a tabindex="-1" href="#">{{_i}}Another action{{/i}}</a></li>
+                  <li><a tabindex="-1" href="#">{{_i}}Something else here{{/i}}</a></li>
+                  <li class="divider"></li>
+                  <li class="dropdown-submenu pull-left">
+                    <a tabindex="-1" href="#">{{_i}}More options{{/i}}</a>
+                    <ul class="dropdown-menu">
+                      <li><a tabindex="-1" href="#">{{_i}}Second level link{{/i}}</a></li>
+                      <li><a tabindex="-1" href="#">{{_i}}Second level link{{/i}}</a></li>
+                      <li><a tabindex="-1" href="#">{{_i}}Second level link{{/i}}</a></li>
+                      <li><a tabindex="-1" href="#">{{_i}}Second level link{{/i}}</a></li>
+                      <li><a tabindex="-1" href="#">{{_i}}Second level link{{/i}}</a></li>
+                    </ul>
+                  </li>
+                </ul>
+              </div>
+            </div>{{! /.pull-left }}
+
           </div>{{! /example }}
 <pre class="prettyprint linenums">
 &lt;ul class="dropdown-menu" role="menu" aria-labelledby="dLabel"&gt;
diff --git a/less/dropdowns.less b/less/dropdowns.less
index 9622d2d46..5ed279167 100644
--- a/less/dropdowns.less
+++ b/less/dropdowns.less
@@ -206,39 +206,20 @@
   border-left-color: @dropdownLinkColorHover;
 }
 
-// Left-opening Sub menus
-// ---------------------------
-.dropdown-submenu-left {
-  position: relative;
-}
-.dropdown-submenu-left > .dropdown-menu {
-  top: 0;
-  left: -100%;
-  margin-top: -6px;
-  margin-left: -1px;
-  -webkit-border-radius: 6px 0px 6px 6px;
-     -moz-border-radius: 6px 0px 6px 6px;
-          border-radius: 6px 0px 6px 6px;
-}
-.dropdown-submenu-left:hover > .dropdown-menu {
-  display: block;
-}
+// Left aligned submenus
+.dropdown-submenu.pull-left {
+  // Undo the float
+  // Yes, this is awkward since .pull-left adds a float, but it sticks to our conventions elsewhere.
+  float: none;
 
-.dropdown-submenu-left > a:before {
-  display: block;
-  content: "  ";
-  float: left;
-  width: 0;
-  height: 0;
-  border-color: transparent;
-  border-style: solid;
-  border-width: 5px 5px 5px 0px;
-  border-right-color: darken(@dropdownBackground, 20%);
-  margin-top: 5px;
-  margin-left: -10px;
-}
-.dropdown-submenu-left:hover > a:after {
-  border-right-color: @dropdownLinkColorHover;
+  // Positioning the submenu
+  > .dropdown-menu {
+    left: -100%;
+    margin-left: 10px;
+    -webkit-border-radius: 6px 0 6px 6px;
+       -moz-border-radius: 6px 0 6px 6px;
+            border-radius: 6px 0 6px 6px;
+  }
 }
 
 // Tweak nav headers