diff --git a/packages/component-modal/src/components/Modal.js b/packages/component-modal/src/components/Modal.js
index 09987d71b5d31b528b23937126b89c1c54c59a14..b16774202a19629f580e8fe050200b9c1fa2ba8c 100644
--- a/packages/component-modal/src/components/Modal.js
+++ b/packages/component-modal/src/components/Modal.js
@@ -30,14 +30,15 @@ class Modal extends React.Component {
 export default Modal
 
 const ModalRoot = styled.div`
-  position: fixed;
+  align-items: center;
+  display: flex;
   top: 0;
   left: 0;
   bottom: 0;
   right: 0;
-  display: flex;
+  position: fixed;
   justify-content: center;
-  align-items: center;
   background-color: ${({ overlayColor }) =>
     overlayColor || 'rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8)'};
+  z-index: ${({ theme }) => theme.modalIndex};
 `
diff --git a/packages/components-faraday/src/components/Dashboard/AbstractModal.js b/packages/components-faraday/src/components/Dashboard/AbstractModal.js
index 108c02b4eea6232d45ea91c90fd074ae70777f15..4ae9f2774ddfaf59e9f940fc25903bd20fbcd0a6 100644
--- a/packages/components-faraday/src/components/Dashboard/AbstractModal.js
+++ b/packages/components-faraday/src/components/Dashboard/AbstractModal.js
@@ -1,12 +1,12 @@
 import React from 'react'
 import { get } from 'lodash'
 import { Icon } from '@pubsweet/ui'
-import styled from 'styled-components'
+import styled, { css, withTheme } from 'styled-components'
 
-const AbstractModal = ({ metadata, hideModal }) => (
+const AbstractModal = ({ metadata, hideModal, theme }) => (
   <Root>
     <CloseIcon onClick={hideModal}>
-      <Icon color="#667080">x</Icon>
+      <Icon color={theme.colorPrimary}>x</Icon>
     </CloseIcon>
     <Title dangerouslySetInnerHTML={{ __html: get(metadata, 'title') }} />
     <Subtitle>Abstract</Subtitle>
@@ -14,29 +14,33 @@ const AbstractModal = ({ metadata, hideModal }) => (
   </Root>
 )
 
-export default AbstractModal
+export default withTheme(AbstractModal)
 
 // #region styled-components
+const defaultText = css`
+  color: ${({ theme }) => theme.colorText};
+  font-family: ${({ theme }) => theme.fontReading};
+  font-size: ${({ theme }) => theme.fontSizeBaseSmall};
+`
+
 const Root = styled.div`
-  background-color: #fff;
+  background-color: ${({ theme }) => theme.backgroundColor};
   padding: 50px 32px 32px 32px;
-  border: 1px solid #667080;
+  border: ${({ theme }) => theme.borderDefault};
   position: relative;
   width: 600px;
   max-height: 500px;
+  overflow-y: scroll;
 `
 
 const Title = styled.div`
-  font-family: Helvetica;
-  font-size: 18px;
+  ${defaultText};
+  font-size: ${({ theme }) => theme.fontSizeBase};
   text-align: left;
-  color: #667080;
 `
 
 const Subtitle = styled.div`
-  color: #667080;
-  font-family: Helvetica;
-  font-size: 14px;
+  ${defaultText};
   font-weight: bold;
   line-height: 1.57;
   margin-bottom: 8px;
@@ -44,9 +48,7 @@ const Subtitle = styled.div`
 `
 
 const Content = styled.div`
-  color: #667080;
-  font-family: Helvetica;
-  font-size: 14px;
+  ${defaultText};
   line-height: 1.57;
   margin-top: 10px;
   text-align: left;
diff --git a/packages/xpub-faraday/app/theme.js b/packages/xpub-faraday/app/theme.js
index 0da49adad67d40df5a77c50b9e61d87e68ed4f82..720fbe162a9bb925421484e4bbb01240dd340763 100644
--- a/packages/xpub-faraday/app/theme.js
+++ b/packages/xpub-faraday/app/theme.js
@@ -39,6 +39,9 @@ const theme = {
   transitionDuration: '1.5s', // How long transitions should last
   transitionTimingFunction: 'linear', // Which function should be applied to transitions (eg. easein)
   transitionDelay: '0s', // How long transitions should be delayed before they begin
+
+  // z indexes
+  modalIndex: 10000,
 }
 
 export default theme