diff --git a/src/components/modal.css b/src/components/modal.css
index 83a54fd5..fca5a869 100644
--- a/src/components/modal.css
+++ b/src/components/modal.css
@@ -41,7 +41,6 @@
   }
 }
 
-/* stylelint-disable no-descending-specificity */
 .modal {
   /* Public API (customizable component options) */
   --_op-modal-width: calc(141 * var(--op-size-unit)); /* 564px */
@@ -87,63 +86,46 @@
     gap: var(--op-space-small);
   }
 }
-/* stylelint-enable no-descending-specificity */
 
 dialog.modal {
-  position: fixed;
-  display: block;
   padding: 0;
   border: none;
-  inset: 0;
+  overscroll-behavior: contain;
+  transform: scale(0.7);
+  transition:
+    display var(--op-transition-modal-time) allow-discrete,
+    overlay var(--op-transition-modal-time) allow-discrete,
+    transform var(--op-transition-modal-time),
+    opacity var(--op-transition-modal-time);
 
   &::backdrop {
-    /* The Dialog backdrop does not inheret from :root so these need to be duplicated here. */
-    --op-color-black: hsl(0deg 0% 0%);
-    --_op-modal-backdrop-active-opacity: 0.5;
-    --op-opacity-none: 0;
-    --op-opacity-full: 1;
-
-    animation: show-backdrop 300ms ease-in;
-    background: var(--op-color-black);
-    opacity: var(--_op-modal-backdrop-active-opacity);
+    overflow: hidden;
+    background-color: var(--op-color-black);
+    opacity: var(--op-opacity-none);
+    overscroll-behavior: contain;
+    transition:
+      display var(--op-transition-modal-time) allow-discrete,
+      overlay var(--op-transition-modal-time) allow-discrete,
+      transform var(--op-transition-modal-time),
+      opacity var(--op-transition-modal-time);
   }
 
   &[open] {
     opacity: var(--op-opacity-full);
     transform: scale(1);
-  }
-
-  &.modal--closing {
-    opacity: var(--op-opacity-none);
-    transform: scale(0.7);
 
     &::backdrop {
-      animation: hide-backdrop 300ms ease-in;
-      opacity: var(--op-opacity-none);
+      opacity: var(--op-opacity-half);
     }
   }
 }
 
-/* Using the Dialog element */
-
-/* https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/HTML/Element/dialog */
-
-@keyframes show-backdrop {
-  from {
-    opacity: var(--op-opacity-none);
-  }
-
-  to {
-    opacity: var(--_op-modal-backdrop-active-opacity);
-  }
-}
-
-@keyframes hide-backdrop {
-  from {
-    opacity: var(--_op-modal-backdrop-active-opacity);
-  }
+@starting-style {
+  dialog.modal[open] {
+    transform: scale(0.7);
 
-  to {
-    opacity: var(--op-opacity-none);
+    &::backdrop {
+      opacity: var(--op-opacity-none);
+    }
   }
 }
diff --git a/src/components/navbar.css b/src/components/navbar.css
index db74452e..0f811f06 100644
--- a/src/components/navbar.css
+++ b/src/components/navbar.css
@@ -16,7 +16,9 @@
   align-items: center;
   padding: var(--op-space-small) var(--_op-navbar-horizontal-spacing);
   background-color: var(--_op-navbar-background-color);
-  box-shadow: var(--op-border-bottom) var(--_op-navbar-border-color);
+  box-shadow:
+    var(--op-border-top) var(--_op-navbar-border-color),
+    var(--op-border-bottom) var(--_op-navbar-border-color);
   color: var(--_op-navbar-text-color);
   gap: var(--_op-navbar-content-spacing);
 
diff --git a/src/components/sidebar.css b/src/components/sidebar.css
index 7ea36eda..dd6f3384 100644
--- a/src/components/sidebar.css
+++ b/src/components/sidebar.css
@@ -31,7 +31,9 @@
   display: flex;
   flex-direction: column;
   background-color: var(--_op-sidebar-background-color);
-  box-shadow: var(--op-border-right) var(--_op-sidebar-border-color);
+  box-shadow:
+    var(--op-border-left) var(--_op-sidebar-border-color),
+    var(--op-border-right) var(--_op-sidebar-border-color);
   color: var(--_op-sidebar-text-color);
   inline-size: var(--__op-sidebar-width);
   min-inline-size: var(--__op-sidebar-width);
diff --git a/src/core/tokens/base_tokens.css b/src/core/tokens/base_tokens.css
index c8127f8c..e51f8145 100644
--- a/src/core/tokens/base_tokens.css
+++ b/src/core/tokens/base_tokens.css
@@ -203,7 +203,8 @@
   --op-transition-accordion-content: height 300ms ease, content-visibility 300ms ease allow-discrete;
   --op-transition-input: all 120ms ease-in;
   --op-transition-sidebar: all 200ms ease-in-out;
-  --op-transition-modal: all 300ms ease-in;
+  --op-transition-modal-time: 300ms;
+  --op-transition-modal: all var(--op-transition-modal-time) ease-in;
   --op-transition-panel: right 400ms ease-in;
   --op-transition-tooltip: all 300ms ease-in 300ms;
 
diff --git a/src/stories/Components/Modal/Modal.js b/src/stories/Components/Modal/Modal.js
index 925ad39a..2ad765cf 100644
--- a/src/stories/Components/Modal/Modal.js
+++ b/src/stories/Components/Modal/Modal.js
@@ -1,4 +1,8 @@
-export const createModal = ({ header, body, footer = '', inlineDemo = false }) => {
+export const createModal = ({ header, body, footer = '', inlineDemo = false, dialog = false }) => {
+  if (dialog) {
+    return createDialogModal({ header, body, footer })
+  }
+
   const element = document.createElement('div')
 
   element.classList = `modal-wrapper modal-wrapper--active ${inlineDemo ? 'modal-wrapper--demo' : ''}`
@@ -31,3 +35,39 @@ export const createModal = ({ header, body, footer = '', inlineDemo = false }) =
 
   return element
 }
+
+export const createDialogModal = ({ header, body, footer = '' }) => {
+  const example = document.createElement('div')
+
+  const footerContents =
+    footer !== ''
+      ? footer
+      : `
+        <form method="dialog">
+          <button class="btn">Cancel</button>
+        </form>
+        <button class='btn btn--primary'>Save</button>
+  `
+
+  example.innerHTML = `
+    <button class="btn" commandfor="my-dialog" command="show-modal">Show Dialog</button>
+    <dialog id="my-dialog" class="modal" closedby="any">
+      <div class='modal__header'>
+        ${header}
+        <form method="dialog">
+          <button class="btn btn--no-border btn--icon btn--pill">
+            <span class='material-symbols-outlined icon--x-large'>close</span>
+          </button>
+        </form>
+      </div>
+      <div class='modal__body'>
+        ${body}
+      </div>
+      <div class='modal__footer'>
+        ${footerContents}
+      </div>
+    </dialog>
+  `
+
+  return example
+}
diff --git a/src/stories/Components/Modal/Modal.mdx b/src/stories/Components/Modal/Modal.mdx
index e8e2a0a3..b66b7530 100644
--- a/src/stories/Components/Modal/Modal.mdx
+++ b/src/stories/Components/Modal/Modal.mdx
@@ -51,85 +51,28 @@ Modal can be used as a standalone component, however, it does have a few depende
 
 [\<dialog\> The Dialog Element](https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/HTML/Element/dialog)
 
-The modal styles will still work using the HTML dialog element. Simply add the `modal` class to the dialog element. No need for the wrapper classes or the active class.
+The modal styles work well using the HTML dialog element. Simply add the `modal` class to the dialog element. No need for the wrapper classes or the active class.
 
-```html
-<dialog id="my-dialog" class="modal">
-  <div class="modal__header">
-    <span>Favorite animal:</span>
-    <button id="dialog-close" class="btn btn--icon btn--pill">
-      <span class="material-symbols-outlined icon--x-large">close</span>
-    </button>
-  </div>
-  <div class="modal__body">
-    <p>Red panda</p>
-  </div>
-  <div class="modal__footer">
-    <button id="dialog-cancel" class="btn">Cancel</button>
-    <button id="dialog-confirm" class="btn btn--primary">Submit</button>
-  </div>
-</dialog>
-```
-
-You can then use Javascript to open the dialog:
-
-```javascript
-const dialog = document.getElementById('my-dialog')
-const showButton = document.getElementById('show-dialog')
-const closeButton = document.getElementById('dialog-close')
-const cancelButton = document.getElementById('dialog-cancel')
-
-// This handles the escape key as well as other events
-// This is a bit of a gotcha to get the dialog to close and animate correctly
-// Normally you would just call dialog.close() but this will not fade the backdrop correctly.
-dialog.addEventListener('cancel', (event) => {
-  event.preventDefault()
-
-  dialog.classList.add('modal--closing') // run animation here
-
-  dialog.addEventListener(
-    'animationend',
-    () => {
-      dialog.classList.remove('modal--closing')
-      dialog.close() // then run the default close method
-    },
-    { once: true }
-  ) // add this to prevent bugs when reopening the modal
-})
-
-// This handles clicking outside the dialog
-dialog.addEventListener('click', (event) => {
-  //This prevents issues with forms
-  if (event.target.tagName !== 'DIALOG') {
-    return
-  }
+<Canvas of={ModalStories.Dialog} />
 
-  const rect = event.target.getBoundingClientRect()
+To open a `<dialog>` modally by clicking a `<button>` you typically need an onclick handler that calls the showModal method on that `<dialog>`.
 
-  const clickedInDialog =
-    rect.top <= event.clientY &&
-    event.clientY <= rect.top + rect.height &&
-    rect.left <= event.clientX &&
-    event.clientX <= rect.left + rect.width
+```html
+<button onclick="document.querySelector('#my-dialog').showModal();">Show Dialog</button>
+<dialog id="my-dialog">…</dialog>
+```
 
-  console.log(clickedInDialog)
+With [invoker commands](https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/API/Invoker_Commands_API), newly available in all browsers though only as of December 12, 2025, buttons can now perform actions on other elements declaratively, without the need for any JavaScript.
 
-  if (clickedInDialog === false) {
-    event.target.dispatchEvent(new Event('cancel'))
-  }
-})
-
-showButton.addEventListener('click', () => {
-  dialog.showModal()
-})
+```html
+<button commandfor="my-dialog" command="show-modal">Show Dialog</button>
+<dialog id="my-dialog">…</dialog>
+```
 
-closeButton.addEventListener('click', () => {
-  dialog.dispatchEvent(new Event('cancel'))
-})
+If you want to use the invoker approach in your project today and ensure backwards compatibility, you can use a polyfill.
 
-cancelButton.addEventListener('click', () => {
-  dialog.dispatchEvent(new Event('cancel'))
-})
+```js
+import 'https://esm.sh/invokers-polyfill'
 ```
 
 ## Modal API
@@ -138,20 +81,18 @@ Styles are built on CSS variables scoped to the modal.
 
 Here are the variables that can be customized:
 
-{/* prettier-ignore-start */}
 ```css
+/* base tokens */
+--op-transition-modal-time
+--op-transition-modal
+
 /* modal-wrapper */
 --_op-modal-backdrop-active-opacity
 
 /* modal */
 --_op-modal-width
 --_op-modal-max-height
-
-/* dialog.modal::backdrop */
---op-color-black
---_op-modal-backdrop-active-opacity
 ```
-{/* prettier-ignore-end */}
 
 ## Customizing Modal styles
 
diff --git a/src/stories/Components/Modal/Modal.stories.js b/src/stories/Components/Modal/Modal.stories.js
index 1abfc17e..8be8508b 100644
--- a/src/stories/Components/Modal/Modal.stories.js
+++ b/src/stories/Components/Modal/Modal.stories.js
@@ -34,3 +34,11 @@ export const Inline = {
     inlineDemo: true,
   },
 }
+
+export const Dialog = {
+  args: {
+    header: 'Modal Title',
+    body: 'This is the contents of the modal!',
+    dialog: true,
+  },
+}