diff --git a/.storybook/__snapshots__/Storyshots.test.js.snap b/.storybook/__snapshots__/Storyshots.test.js.snap
index a35b2b0f88..79a35f3a0e 100644
--- a/.storybook/__snapshots__/Storyshots.test.js.snap
+++ b/.storybook/__snapshots__/Storyshots.test.js.snap
@@ -15688,7 +15688,7 @@ exports[`Storyshots Modal modal with element body 1`] = `
 
 exports[`Storyshots Modal modal with warning variant 1`] = `
 <div
-  aria-labelledby="id10"
+  aria-labelledby="id11"
   aria-modal={true}
   className="modal modal-open modal-backdrop show"
   role="dialog"
@@ -15704,7 +15704,7 @@ exports[`Storyshots Modal modal with warning variant 1`] = `
       >
         <h2
           className="modal-title"
-          id="id10"
+          id="id11"
         >
           Warning Modal
         </h2>
@@ -15750,7 +15750,7 @@ exports[`Storyshots Modal modal with warning variant 1`] = `
                 <span
                   aria-hidden={true}
                   className="fa fa-exclamation-triangle fa-3x text-warning"
-                  id="Modal-WARNING11"
+                  id="Modal-WARNING12"
                 />
               </div>
             </div>
@@ -15784,6 +15784,55 @@ exports[`Storyshots Modal modal with warning variant 1`] = `
 </div>
 `;
 
+exports[`Storyshots Modal modal without a close button in the header 1`] = `
+<div
+  aria-labelledby="id10"
+  aria-modal={true}
+  className="modal modal-open modal-backdrop show"
+  role="dialog"
+  tabIndex="-1"
+>
+  <div
+    className="modal-dialog"
+  >
+    <div
+      className="modal-content"
+    >
+      <div
+        className="modal-header"
+      >
+        <h2
+          className="modal-title"
+          id="id10"
+        >
+          Modal title.
+        </h2>
+      </div>
+      <div
+        className="modal-body"
+      >
+        <p>
+          Modal body.
+        </p>
+      </div>
+      <div
+        className="modal-footer"
+      >
+        <button
+          className="btn btn-outline-primary"
+          onBlur={[Function]}
+          onClick={[Function]}
+          onKeyDown={[Function]}
+          type="button"
+        >
+          Close
+        </button>
+      </div>
+    </div>
+  </div>
+</div>
+`;
+
 exports[`Storyshots Paragon Welcome 1`] = `
 <div
   className="css-jail"
@@ -20026,10 +20075,10 @@ exports[`Storyshots Tabs basic usage 1`] = `
   >
     <li
       className="nav-item"
-      id="tab-label-tabInterface12-0"
+      id="tab-label-tabInterface13-0"
     >
       <a
-        aria-controls="tab-panel-tabInterface12-0"
+        aria-controls="tab-panel-tabInterface13-0"
         aria-selected={true}
         className="nav-link active"
         onClick={[Function]}
@@ -20041,10 +20090,10 @@ exports[`Storyshots Tabs basic usage 1`] = `
     </li>
     <li
       className="nav-item"
-      id="tab-label-tabInterface12-1"
+      id="tab-label-tabInterface13-1"
     >
       <a
-        aria-controls="tab-panel-tabInterface12-1"
+        aria-controls="tab-panel-tabInterface13-1"
         aria-selected={false}
         className="nav-link"
         onClick={[Function]}
@@ -20056,10 +20105,10 @@ exports[`Storyshots Tabs basic usage 1`] = `
     </li>
     <li
       className="nav-item"
-      id="tab-label-tabInterface12-2"
+      id="tab-label-tabInterface13-2"
     >
       <a
-        aria-controls="tab-panel-tabInterface12-2"
+        aria-controls="tab-panel-tabInterface13-2"
         aria-selected={false}
         className="nav-link"
         onClick={[Function]}
@@ -20075,9 +20124,9 @@ exports[`Storyshots Tabs basic usage 1`] = `
   >
     <div
       aria-hidden={false}
-      aria-labelledby="tab-label-tabInterface12-0"
+      aria-labelledby="tab-label-tabInterface13-0"
       className="tab-pane active"
-      id="tab-panel-tabInterface12-0"
+      id="tab-panel-tabInterface13-0"
       role="tabpanel"
     >
       <div>
@@ -20086,9 +20135,9 @@ exports[`Storyshots Tabs basic usage 1`] = `
     </div>
     <div
       aria-hidden={true}
-      aria-labelledby="tab-label-tabInterface12-1"
+      aria-labelledby="tab-label-tabInterface13-1"
       className="tab-pane"
-      id="tab-panel-tabInterface12-1"
+      id="tab-panel-tabInterface13-1"
       role="tabpanel"
     >
       <div>
@@ -20097,9 +20146,9 @@ exports[`Storyshots Tabs basic usage 1`] = `
     </div>
     <div
       aria-hidden={true}
-      aria-labelledby="tab-label-tabInterface12-2"
+      aria-labelledby="tab-label-tabInterface13-2"
       className="tab-pane"
-      id="tab-panel-tabInterface12-2"
+      id="tab-panel-tabInterface13-2"
       role="tabpanel"
     >
       <div>
diff --git a/src/Modal/Modal.scss b/src/Modal/Modal.scss
index 10006c1c7f..682802739c 100644
--- a/src/Modal/Modal.scss
+++ b/src/Modal/Modal.scss
@@ -4,7 +4,13 @@
 @import "~bootstrap/scss/_utilities";
 
 .modal-open {
-    display: block;
+  display: block;
+
+  &:focus {
+    .modal-dialog {
+      box-shadow: $btn-focus-box-shadow;
+    }
+  }
 }
 
 .modal-backdrop {
diff --git a/src/Modal/Modal.stories.jsx b/src/Modal/Modal.stories.jsx
index d81116a996..07c668124f 100644
--- a/src/Modal/Modal.stories.jsx
+++ b/src/Modal/Modal.stories.jsx
@@ -146,6 +146,15 @@ storiesOf('Modal', module)
       onClose={() => {}}
     />
   ))
+  .add('modal without a close button in the header', () => (
+    <Modal
+      open
+      title="Modal title."
+      body="Modal body."
+      onClose={() => {}}
+      renderHeaderCloseButton={false}
+    />
+  ))
   .add('modal with warning variant', () => (
     <Modal
       open
diff --git a/src/Modal/Modal.test.jsx b/src/Modal/Modal.test.jsx
index 8b001e93ee..b18a61c4d4 100644
--- a/src/Modal/Modal.test.jsx
+++ b/src/Modal/Modal.test.jsx
@@ -79,6 +79,16 @@ describe('<Modal />', () => {
       expect(modalBody.text()).toEqual(body);
       expect(wrapper.find('button')).toHaveLength(2);
     });
+
+    it('render of the header close button is optional', () => {
+      wrapper = mount(<Modal {...defaultProps} renderHeaderCloseButton={false} />);
+      const modalHeader = wrapper.find('.modal-header');
+      const modalFooter = wrapper.find('.modal-footer');
+
+      expect(modalHeader.find('button')).toHaveLength(0);
+      expect(modalFooter.find('button')).toHaveLength(1);
+      expect(wrapper.find('button')).toHaveLength(1);
+    });
   });
 
   describe('props received correctly', () => {
diff --git a/src/Modal/README.md b/src/Modal/README.md
index fb1070fa1c..1ffc23a5cc 100644
--- a/src/Modal/README.md
+++ b/src/Modal/README.md
@@ -21,3 +21,6 @@ Provides a basic modal component with customizable title, body, and footer butto
 
 ### `onClose` (function; required)
 `onClose` is a function that is called on close. It can be used to perform actions upon closing of the modal, such as restoring focus to the previous logical focusable element.
+
+### `renderHeaderCloseButton` (boolean; optional)
+`renderHeaderCloseButton` specifies whether a close button is rendered in the modal header. It defaults to true.
diff --git a/src/Modal/index.jsx b/src/Modal/index.jsx
index 75b9b4f3d3..245429fbfa 100644
--- a/src/Modal/index.jsx
+++ b/src/Modal/index.jsx
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ class Modal extends React.Component {
 
     this.close = this.close.bind(this);
     this.handleKeyDown = this.handleKeyDown.bind(this);
-    this.setXButton = this.setXButton.bind(this);
+    this.setFirstFocusableElement = this.setFirstFocusableElement.bind(this);
     this.setCloseButton = this.setCloseButton.bind(this);
 
     this.headerId = newId();
@@ -26,8 +26,8 @@ class Modal extends React.Component {
   }
 
   componentDidMount() {
-    if (this.xButton) {
-      this.xButton.focus();
+    if (this.firstFocusableElement) {
+      this.firstFocusableElement.focus();
     }
   }
 
@@ -39,12 +39,12 @@ class Modal extends React.Component {
 
   componentDidUpdate(prevState) {
     if (this.state.open && !prevState.open) {
-      this.xButton.focus();
+      this.firstFocusableElement.focus();
     }
   }
 
-  setXButton(input) {
-    this.xButton = input;
+  setFirstFocusableElement(input) {
+    this.firstFocusableElement = input;
   }
 
   setCloseButton(input) {
@@ -105,13 +105,13 @@ class Modal extends React.Component {
       this.close();
     } else if (e.key === 'Tab') {
       if (e.shiftKey) {
-        if (e.target === this.xButton) {
+        if (e.target === this.firstFocusableElement) {
           e.preventDefault();
           this.closeButton.focus();
         }
       } else if (e.target === this.closeButton) {
         e.preventDefault();
-        this.xButton.focus();
+        this.firstFocusableElement.focus();
       }
     }
   }
@@ -152,6 +152,7 @@ class Modal extends React.Component {
 
   render() {
     const { open } = this.state;
+    const { renderHeaderCloseButton } = this.props;
 
     return (
       <div
@@ -167,19 +168,23 @@ class Modal extends React.Component {
         role="dialog"
         aria-modal
         aria-labelledby={this.headerId}
+        {...(!renderHeaderCloseButton ? { tabIndex: '-1' } : {})}
+        {...(!renderHeaderCloseButton ? { ref: this.setFirstFocusableElement } : {})}
       >
         <div className={styles['modal-dialog']}>
           <div className={styles['modal-content']}>
             <div className={styles['modal-header']}>
               <h2 className={styles['modal-title']} id={this.headerId}>{this.props.title}</h2>
-              <Button
-                label={<Icon className={['fa', 'fa-times']} />}
-                className={['p-1']}
-                aria-label={this.props.closeText}
-                onClick={this.close}
-                inputRef={this.setXButton}
-                onKeyDown={this.handleKeyDown}
-              />
+              { renderHeaderCloseButton &&
+                <Button
+                  label={<Icon className={['fa', 'fa-times']} />}
+                  className={['p-1']}
+                  aria-label={this.props.closeText}
+                  onClick={this.close}
+                  inputRef={this.setFirstFocusableElement}
+                  onKeyDown={this.handleKeyDown}
+                />
+              }
             </div>
             <div className={styles['modal-body']}>
               {this.renderBody()}
@@ -214,6 +219,7 @@ Modal.propTypes = {
   variant: PropTypes.shape({
     status: PropTypes.string,
   }),
+  renderHeaderCloseButton: PropTypes.bool,
 };
 
 Modal.defaultProps = {
@@ -221,6 +227,7 @@ Modal.defaultProps = {
   buttons: [],
   closeText: 'Close',
   variant: {},
+  renderHeaderCloseButton: true,
 };