diff --git a/IPython/frontend/html/notebook/handlers.py b/IPython/frontend/html/notebook/handlers.py
index 6dbaa65..3a96c51 100644
--- a/IPython/frontend/html/notebook/handlers.py
+++ b/IPython/frontend/html/notebook/handlers.py
@@ -184,6 +184,10 @@ class AuthenticatedHandler(RequestHandler):
         """
         return self.application.read_only
 
+    def use_less(self):
+	"""Use less instead of css in templates"""
+	return self.application.use_less
+
     @property
     def ws_url(self):
         """websocket url matching the current request
@@ -296,7 +300,8 @@ class NamedNotebookHandler(AuthenticatedHandler):
             read_only=self.read_only,
             logged_in=self.logged_in,
             login_available=self.login_available,
-            mathjax_url=self.application.ipython_app.mathjax_url,))
+            mathjax_url=self.application.ipython_app.mathjax_url,
+	    use_less=self.use_less,))
 
 
 class PrintNotebookHandler(AuthenticatedHandler):
diff --git a/IPython/frontend/html/notebook/notebookapp.py b/IPython/frontend/html/notebook/notebookapp.py
index eeff5c1..12d4c9f 100644
--- a/IPython/frontend/html/notebook/notebookapp.py
+++ b/IPython/frontend/html/notebook/notebookapp.py
@@ -345,6 +345,14 @@ class NotebookApp(BaseIPythonApplication):
     read_only = Bool(False, config=True,
         help="Whether to prevent editing/execution of notebooks."
     )
+
+    use_less = Bool(False, config=True, 
+                       help="""Wether to use Browser Side less-css parsing
+                       instead of compiled css version in templates that allows 
+                       it. This is mainly convenient when working on the less 
+                       file to avoid a build step, or if user want to overwrite
+                       some of the less variables without having to recompile
+                       everything.""")
     
     webapp_settings = Dict(config=True,
             help="Supply overrides for the tornado.web.Application that the "