diff --git a/specs/Modal.spec.js b/specs/Modal.spec.js
index 47c43410..7765d967 100644
--- a/specs/Modal.spec.js
+++ b/specs/Modal.spec.js
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ import {
 } from "./helper";
 
 export default () => {
-  afterEach("check if test cleaned up rendered modals", emptyDOM);
+  afterEach("cleaned up all rendered modals", emptyDOM);
 
   it("scopes tab navigation to the modal");
   it("focuses the last focused element when tabbing in from browser chrome");
@@ -352,6 +352,104 @@ export default () => {
     should(el.getAttribute("aria-hidden")).not.be.ok();
   });
 
+  // eslint-disable-next-line max-len
+  it("removes aria-hidden when closed and another modal with ariaHideApp set to false is open", () => {
+    const rootNode = document.createElement("div");
+    document.body.appendChild(rootNode);
+
+    const appElement = document.createElement("div");
+    document.body.appendChild(appElement);
+
+    Modal.setAppElement(appElement);
+
+    const initialState = (
+      <div>
+        <Modal isOpen={true} ariaHideApp={false} id="test-1-modal-1" />
+        <Modal isOpen={true} ariaHideApp={true} id="test-1-modal-2" />
+      </div>
+    );
+
+    ReactDOM.render(initialState, rootNode);
+    appElement.getAttribute("aria-hidden").should.be.eql("true");
+
+    const updatedState = (
+      <div>
+        <Modal isOpen={true} ariaHideApp={false} id="test-1-modal-1" />
+        <Modal isOpen={false} ariaHideApp={true} id="test-1-modal-2" />
+      </div>
+    );
+
+    ReactDOM.render(updatedState, rootNode);
+    should(appElement.getAttribute("aria-hidden")).not.be.ok();
+
+    ReactDOM.unmountComponentAtNode(rootNode);
+  });
+
+  // eslint-disable-next-line max-len
+  it("maintains aria-hidden when closed and another modal with ariaHideApp set to true is open", () => {
+    const rootNode = document.createElement("div");
+    document.body.appendChild(rootNode);
+
+    const appElement = document.createElement("div");
+    document.body.appendChild(appElement);
+
+    Modal.setAppElement(appElement);
+
+    const initialState = (
+      <div>
+        <Modal isOpen={true} ariaHideApp={true} id="test-1-modal-1" />
+        <Modal isOpen={true} ariaHideApp={true} id="test-1-modal-2" />
+      </div>
+    );
+
+    ReactDOM.render(initialState, rootNode);
+    appElement.getAttribute("aria-hidden").should.be.eql("true");
+
+    const updatedState = (
+      <div>
+        <Modal isOpen={true} ariaHideApp={true} id="test-1-modal-1" />
+        <Modal isOpen={false} ariaHideApp={true} id="test-1-modal-2" />
+      </div>
+    );
+
+    ReactDOM.render(updatedState, rootNode);
+    appElement.getAttribute("aria-hidden").should.be.eql("true");
+
+    ReactDOM.unmountComponentAtNode(rootNode);
+  });
+
+  // eslint-disable-next-line max-len
+  it("removes aria-hidden when unmounted without close and second modal with ariaHideApp=false is open", () => {
+    const appElement = document.createElement("div");
+    document.body.appendChild(appElement);
+    Modal.setAppElement(appElement);
+
+    renderModal({ isOpen: true, ariaHideApp: false, id: "test-2-modal-1" });
+    should(appElement.getAttribute("aria-hidden")).not.be.ok();
+
+    renderModal({ isOpen: true, ariaHideApp: true, id: "test-2-modal-2" });
+    appElement.getAttribute("aria-hidden").should.be.eql("true");
+
+    unmountModal();
+    should(appElement.getAttribute("aria-hidden")).not.be.ok();
+  });
+
+  // eslint-disable-next-line max-len
+  it("maintains aria-hidden when unmounted without close and second modal with ariaHideApp=true is open", () => {
+    const appElement = document.createElement("div");
+    document.body.appendChild(appElement);
+    Modal.setAppElement(appElement);
+
+    renderModal({ isOpen: true, ariaHideApp: true, id: "test-3-modal-1" });
+    appElement.getAttribute("aria-hidden").should.be.eql("true");
+
+    renderModal({ isOpen: true, ariaHideApp: true, id: "test-3-modal-2" });
+    appElement.getAttribute("aria-hidden").should.be.eql("true");
+
+    unmountModal();
+    appElement.getAttribute("aria-hidden").should.be.eql("true");
+  });
+
   it("adds --after-open for animations", () => {
     const modal = renderModal({ isOpen: true });
     const rg = /--after-open/i;
diff --git a/specs/helper.js b/specs/helper.js
index e840ae97..1cf57516 100644
--- a/specs/helper.js
+++ b/specs/helper.js
@@ -121,14 +121,15 @@ export const mouseUpAt = Simulate.mouseUp;
 export const mouseDownAt = Simulate.mouseDown;
 
 export const renderModal = function(props, children, callback) {
-  props.ariaHideApp = false;
+  const modalProps = { ariaHideApp: false, ...props };
+
   const currentDiv = document.createElement("div");
   divStack.push(currentDiv);
   document.body.appendChild(currentDiv);
 
   // eslint-disable-next-line react/no-render-return-value
   return ReactDOM.render(
-    <Modal {...props}>{children}</Modal>,
+    <Modal {...modalProps}>{children}</Modal>,
     currentDiv,
     callback
   );
diff --git a/src/components/ModalPortal.js b/src/components/ModalPortal.js
index 6f48c513..ea46d945 100644
--- a/src/components/ModalPortal.js
+++ b/src/components/ModalPortal.js
@@ -3,7 +3,6 @@ import PropTypes from "prop-types";
 import * as focusManager from "../helpers/focusManager";
 import scopeTab from "../helpers/scopeTab";
 import * as ariaAppHider from "../helpers/ariaAppHider";
-import * as refCount from "../helpers/refCount";
 import * as bodyClassList from "../helpers/bodyClassList";
 import SafeHTMLElement from "../helpers/safeHTMLElement";
 
@@ -16,6 +15,8 @@ const CLASS_NAMES = {
 const TAB_KEY = 9;
 const ESC_KEY = 27;
 
+let ariaHiddenInstances = 0;
+
 export default class ModalPortal extends Component {
   static defaultProps = {
     style: {
@@ -121,6 +122,7 @@ export default class ModalPortal extends Component {
     bodyClassList.add(bodyOpenClassName);
     // Add aria-hidden to appElement
     if (ariaHideApp) {
+      ariaHiddenInstances += 1;
       ariaAppHider.hide(appElement);
     }
   }
@@ -132,8 +134,12 @@ export default class ModalPortal extends Component {
     bodyClassList.remove(this.props.bodyOpenClassName);
 
     // Reset aria-hidden attribute if all modals have been removed
-    if (ariaHideApp && refCount.totalCount() < 1) {
-      ariaAppHider.show(appElement);
+    if (ariaHideApp && ariaHiddenInstances > 0) {
+      ariaHiddenInstances -= 1;
+
+      if (ariaHiddenInstances === 0) {
+        ariaAppHider.show(appElement);
+      }
     }
 
     if (this.props.shouldFocusAfterRender) {
diff --git a/src/helpers/bodyClassList.js b/src/helpers/bodyClassList.js
index 19b98628..dab78df6 100644
--- a/src/helpers/bodyClassList.js
+++ b/src/helpers/bodyClassList.js
@@ -1,20 +1,35 @@
-import * as refCount from "./refCount";
+const classListMap = {};
 
-export function add(bodyClass) {
-  // Increment class(es) on refCount tracker and add class(es) to body
+const addClassToMap = className => {
+  // Set variable and default if none
+  if (!classListMap[className]) {
+    classListMap[className] = 0;
+  }
+  classListMap[className] += 1;
+  return className;
+};
+
+const removeClassFromMap = className => {
+  if (classListMap[className]) {
+    classListMap[className] -= 1;
+  }
+  return className;
+};
+
+const add = bodyClass => {
   bodyClass
     .split(" ")
-    .map(refCount.add)
+    .map(addClassToMap)
     .forEach(className => document.body.classList.add(className));
-}
+};
 
-export function remove(bodyClass) {
-  const classListMap = refCount.get();
-  // Decrement class(es) from the refCount tracker
-  // and remove unused class(es) from body
+const remove = bodyClass => {
+  // Remove unused class(es) from body
   bodyClass
     .split(" ")
-    .map(refCount.remove)
+    .map(removeClassFromMap)
     .filter(className => classListMap[className] === 0)
     .forEach(className => document.body.classList.remove(className));
-}
+};
+
+export { add, remove };
diff --git a/src/helpers/refCount.js b/src/helpers/refCount.js
deleted file mode 100644
index 033c3192..00000000
--- a/src/helpers/refCount.js
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,28 +0,0 @@
-const classListMap = {};
-
-export function get() {
-  return classListMap;
-}
-
-export function add(bodyClass) {
-  // Set variable and default if none
-  if (!classListMap[bodyClass]) {
-    classListMap[bodyClass] = 0;
-  }
-  classListMap[bodyClass] += 1;
-  return bodyClass;
-}
-
-export function remove(bodyClass) {
-  if (classListMap[bodyClass]) {
-    classListMap[bodyClass] -= 1;
-  }
-  return bodyClass;
-}
-
-export function totalCount() {
-  return Object.keys(classListMap).reduce(
-    (acc, curr) => acc + classListMap[curr],
-    0
-  );
-}