diff --git a/js/tests/unit/tab.js b/js/tests/unit/tab.js
index 9b452eb1c2d7..6e25f09ddab8 100644
--- a/js/tests/unit/tab.js
+++ b/js/tests/unit/tab.js
@@ -350,15 +350,15 @@ $(function () {
     var done = assert.async()
     var tabsHTML =
         '<nav class="nav nav-tabs" role="tablist">' +
-        '  <a id="tab1" href="#x-tab1" class="nav-item nav-link" data-toggle="tab" role="tab" aria-controls="x-tab1">Tab 1</a>' +
-        '  <a href="#x-tab2" class="nav-item nav-link active" data-toggle="tab" role="tab" aria-controls="x-tab2" aria-selected="true">Tab 2</a>' +
-        '  <a href="#x-tab3" class="nav-item nav-link" data-toggle="tab" role="tab" aria-controls="x-tab3">Tab 3</a>' +
+        '  <a id="tab1" href="#x-tab1" class="nav-link" data-toggle="tab" role="tab" aria-controls="x-tab1">Tab 1</a>' +
+        '  <a href="#x-tab2" class="nav-link active" data-toggle="tab" role="tab" aria-controls="x-tab2" aria-selected="true">Tab 2</a>' +
+        '  <a href="#x-tab3" class="nav-link" data-toggle="tab" role="tab" aria-controls="x-tab3">Tab 3</a>' +
         '</nav>' +
         '<div class="tab-content">' +
         '  <div class="tab-pane" id="x-tab1" role="tabpanel">' +
         '    <nav class="nav nav-tabs" role="tablist">' +
-        '      <a href="#nested-tab1" class="nav-item nav-link active" data-toggle="tab" role="tab" aria-controls="x-tab1" aria-selected="true">Nested Tab 1</a>' +
-        '      <a id="tabNested2" href="#nested-tab2" class="nav-item nav-link" data-toggle="tab" role="tab" aria-controls="x-profile">Nested Tab2</a>' +
+        '      <a href="#nested-tab1" class="nav-link active" data-toggle="tab" role="tab" aria-controls="x-tab1" aria-selected="true">Nested Tab 1</a>' +
+        '      <a id="tabNested2" href="#nested-tab2" class="nav-link" data-toggle="tab" role="tab" aria-controls="x-profile">Nested Tab2</a>' +
         '    </nav>' +
         '    <div class="tab-content">' +
         '      <div class="tab-pane active" id="nested-tab1" role="tabpanel">Nested Tab1 Content</div>' +
diff --git a/scss/_nav.scss b/scss/_nav.scss
index b8b73bb7ab26..d866c9841344 100644
--- a/scss/_nav.scss
+++ b/scss/_nav.scss
@@ -92,6 +92,7 @@
 //
 
 .nav-fill {
+  > .nav-link,
   .nav-item {
     flex: 1 1 auto;
     text-align: center;
@@ -99,6 +100,7 @@
 }
 
 .nav-justified {
+  > .nav-link,
   .nav-item {
     flex-basis: 0;
     flex-grow: 1;
diff --git a/site/docs/4.5/components/navbar.md b/site/docs/4.5/components/navbar.md
index 69df11b34050..4d26be3197d4 100644
--- a/site/docs/4.5/components/navbar.md
+++ b/site/docs/4.5/components/navbar.md
@@ -157,10 +157,10 @@ And because we use classes for our navs, you can avoid the list-based approach e
   </button>
   <div class="collapse navbar-collapse" id="navbarNavAltMarkup">
     <div class="navbar-nav">
-      <a class="nav-item nav-link active" href="#">Home <span class="sr-only">(current)</span></a>
-      <a class="nav-item nav-link" href="#">Features</a>
-      <a class="nav-item nav-link" href="#">Pricing</a>
-      <a class="nav-item nav-link disabled" href="#" tabindex="-1" aria-disabled="true">Disabled</a>
+      <a class="nav-link active" href="#">Home <span class="sr-only">(current)</span></a>
+      <a class="nav-link" href="#">Features</a>
+      <a class="nav-link" href="#">Pricing</a>
+      <a class="nav-link disabled" href="#" tabindex="-1" aria-disabled="true">Disabled</a>
     </div>
   </div>
 </nav>
diff --git a/site/docs/4.5/components/navs.md b/site/docs/4.5/components/navs.md
index 0787632be4c7..4bcf2e320d77 100644
--- a/site/docs/4.5/components/navs.md
+++ b/site/docs/4.5/components/navs.md
@@ -195,14 +195,14 @@ Force your `.nav`'s contents to extend the full available width one of two modif
 {% endcapture %}
 {% include example.html content=example %}
 
-When using a `<nav>`-based navigation, be sure to include `.nav-item` on the anchors.
+When using a `<nav>`-based navigation, you can safely omit `.nav-item` as only `.nav-link` is required for styling `<a>` elements.
 
 {% capture example %}
 <nav class="nav nav-pills nav-fill">
-  <a class="nav-item nav-link active" href="#">Active</a>
-  <a class="nav-item nav-link" href="#">Much longer nav link</a>
-  <a class="nav-item nav-link" href="#">Link</a>
-  <a class="nav-item nav-link disabled" href="#" tabindex="-1" aria-disabled="true">Disabled</a>
+  <a class="nav-link active" href="#">Active</a>
+  <a class="nav-link" href="#">Much longer nav link</a>
+  <a class="nav-link" href="#">Link</a>
+  <a class="nav-link disabled" href="#" tabindex="-1" aria-disabled="true">Disabled</a>
 </nav>
 {% endcapture %}
 {% include example.html content=example %}
@@ -227,14 +227,14 @@ For equal-width elements, use `.nav-justified`. All horizontal space will be occ
 {% endcapture %}
 {% include example.html content=example %}
 
-Similar to the `.nav-fill` example using a `<nav>`-based navigation, be sure to include `.nav-item` on the anchors.
+Similar to the `.nav-fill` example using a `<nav>`-based navigation.
 
 {% capture example %}
 <nav class="nav nav-pills nav-justified">
-  <a class="nav-item nav-link active" href="#">Active</a>
-  <a class="nav-item nav-link" href="#">Much longer nav link</a>
-  <a class="nav-item nav-link" href="#">Link</a>
-  <a class="nav-item nav-link disabled" href="#" tabindex="-1" aria-disabled="true">Disabled</a>
+  <a class="nav-link active" href="#">Active</a>
+  <a class="nav-link" href="#">Much longer nav link</a>
+  <a class="nav-link" href="#">Link</a>
+  <a class="nav-link disabled" href="#" tabindex="-1" aria-disabled="true">Disabled</a>
 </nav>
 
 {% endcapture %}
@@ -376,9 +376,9 @@ To help fit your needs, this works with `<ul>`-based markup, as shown above, or
 <div class="bd-example bd-example-tabs">
   <nav>
     <div class="nav nav-tabs" id="nav-tab" role="tablist">
-      <a class="nav-item nav-link active" id="nav-home-tab" data-toggle="tab" href="#nav-home" role="tab" aria-controls="nav-home" aria-selected="true">Home</a>
-      <a class="nav-item nav-link" id="nav-profile-tab" data-toggle="tab" href="#nav-profile" role="tab" aria-controls="nav-profile" aria-selected="false">Profile</a>
-      <a class="nav-item nav-link" id="nav-contact-tab" data-toggle="tab" href="#nav-contact" role="tab" aria-controls="nav-contact" aria-selected="false">Contact</a>
+      <a class="nav-link active" id="nav-home-tab" data-toggle="tab" href="#nav-home" role="tab" aria-controls="nav-home" aria-selected="true">Home</a>
+      <a class="nav-link" id="nav-profile-tab" data-toggle="tab" href="#nav-profile" role="tab" aria-controls="nav-profile" aria-selected="false">Profile</a>
+      <a class="nav-link" id="nav-contact-tab" data-toggle="tab" href="#nav-contact" role="tab" aria-controls="nav-contact" aria-selected="false">Contact</a>
     </div>
   </nav>
   <div class="tab-content" id="nav-tabContent">
@@ -397,9 +397,9 @@ To help fit your needs, this works with `<ul>`-based markup, as shown above, or
 {% highlight html %}
 <nav>
   <div class="nav nav-tabs" id="nav-tab" role="tablist">
-    <a class="nav-item nav-link active" id="nav-home-tab" data-toggle="tab" href="#nav-home" role="tab" aria-controls="nav-home" aria-selected="true">Home</a>
-    <a class="nav-item nav-link" id="nav-profile-tab" data-toggle="tab" href="#nav-profile" role="tab" aria-controls="nav-profile" aria-selected="false">Profile</a>
-    <a class="nav-item nav-link" id="nav-contact-tab" data-toggle="tab" href="#nav-contact" role="tab" aria-controls="nav-contact" aria-selected="false">Contact</a>
+    <a class="nav-link active" id="nav-home-tab" data-toggle="tab" href="#nav-home" role="tab" aria-controls="nav-home" aria-selected="true">Home</a>
+    <a class="nav-link" id="nav-profile-tab" data-toggle="tab" href="#nav-profile" role="tab" aria-controls="nav-profile" aria-selected="false">Profile</a>
+    <a class="nav-link" id="nav-contact-tab" data-toggle="tab" href="#nav-contact" role="tab" aria-controls="nav-contact" aria-selected="false">Contact</a>
   </div>
 </nav>
 <div class="tab-content" id="nav-tabContent">