diff --git a/src/indicators/flash-message-container.js b/src/indicators/flash-message-container.js
index 8d7ac0e3..350a19f5 100644
--- a/src/indicators/flash-message-container.js
+++ b/src/indicators/flash-message-container.js
@@ -8,13 +8,13 @@ import FlashMessage from './flash-message'
  * A component that displays multiple flash messages generated by [redux-flash](https://github.com/LaunchPadLab/redux-flash).
  * Most apps will need only one of these containers at the top level.
  * Will pass down any additional props to the inner `FlashMessage` components.
- * 
+ *
  * @name FlashMessageContainer
  * @type Function
  * @param {Object} messages - The flash messages that will be displayed.
  * @param {Number} [limit] - Maximum number of concurrent messages to display
  * @example
- * 
+ *
  * function MyApp ({ messages }) {
  *   return (
  *      <div>
@@ -35,15 +35,20 @@ const defaultProps = {
   limit: 5,
 }
 
-function FlashMessageContainer ({ messages, limit, ...rest }) {
+function FlashMessageContainer({ messages, limit, ...rest }) {
   const messagesToDisplay = messages.slice(0, limit)
   return (
     <div className="flash-message-container" role="alert">
-    {
-      messagesToDisplay.map(message => 
-        <FlashMessage key={ message.id } message={ message } { ...rest } />
-      )
-    }
+      {messagesToDisplay.map((message) => (
+        <FlashMessage
+          key={message.id}
+          isError={message.isError}
+          {...message.props}
+          {...rest}
+        >
+          {message.message}
+        </FlashMessage>
+      ))}
     </div>
   )
 }
diff --git a/src/indicators/flash-message.js b/src/indicators/flash-message.js
index d392da9f..4ac82bdb 100644
--- a/src/indicators/flash-message.js
+++ b/src/indicators/flash-message.js
@@ -1,25 +1,27 @@
 import React from 'react'
 import PropTypes from 'prop-types'
-import { flashMessageType } from 'redux-flash'
 import classnames from 'classnames'
 
 /**
  *
- * A component that displays a flash message generated by [redux-flash](https://github.com/LaunchPadLab/redux-flash).
- * Any message props will be passed through to this component.
- * 
+ * A component that displays a flash message.
+ *
  * @name FlashMessage
  * @type Function
- * @param {Object} message - The flash message that will be displayed.
+ * @param {String} children - The flash message that will be displayed.
+ * @param {Boolean} [isError] - A flag to indicate whether the message is an error message.
  * @param {Function} [onDismiss] - A callback for dismissing the flash message. The dismiss button will only be shown if this callback is provided.
  * @example
- * 
- * function ManyMessages ({ messages }) {
+ *
+ * function MyView () {
+ *   const [message, setMessage] = useState(null)
  *   return (
  *      <div>
- *         {
- *            messages.map(message => <FlashMessage key={ message.id } message={ message } />)
- *         }
+ *        {
+ *           message &&
+ *           <FlashMessage>{message}</FlashMessage>)
+ *        }
+ *        <button onClick={() => setMessage('Hi!')}> Show message </button>
  *      </div>
  *   )
  * }
@@ -27,25 +29,31 @@ import classnames from 'classnames'
  */
 
 const propTypes = {
-  message: flashMessageType.isRequired,
+  children: PropTypes.node.isRequired,
+  isError: PropTypes.bool,
   onDismiss: PropTypes.func,
+  className: PropTypes.string,
 }
 
 const defaultProps = {
+  isError: false,
   onDismiss: null,
+  className: '',
 }
 
-function FlashMessage ({ message, onDismiss }) {
-  const statusClass = message.isError ? 'failure' : 'success'
+function FlashMessage({ children, isError, onDismiss, className, ...rest }) {
+  const statusClass = isError ? 'failure' : 'success'
   return (
-    <div { ...message.props } className={ classnames('flash-message', statusClass, message.props.className) }>
-      { 
-        onDismiss &&
-        <button type="button" className="dismiss" onClick={ () => onDismiss(message) }>
+    <div
+      className={classnames('flash-message', statusClass, className)}
+      {...rest}
+    >
+      {onDismiss && (
+        <button type="button" className="dismiss" onClick={() => onDismiss()}>
           ×
         </button>
-      }
-      <p> { message.message } </p>
+      )}
+      <p> {children} </p>
     </div>
   )
 }
diff --git a/stories/indicators/flash-message.story.js b/stories/indicators/flash-message.story.js
index 1eddd47d..b88e7cec 100644
--- a/stories/indicators/flash-message.story.js
+++ b/stories/indicators/flash-message.story.js
@@ -3,19 +3,9 @@ import { storiesOf } from '@storybook/react'
 import { action } from '@storybook/addon-actions'
 import { FlashMessage } from 'src'
 
-const successMessage = { id: '0', message: 'Success!', isError: false, props: {} }
-const failureMessage = { id: '1', message: 'Failure!', isError: true, props: {} }
-
 storiesOf('FlashMessage', module)
-  .add('success', () => (
-    <FlashMessage message={ successMessage } />
-  ))
-  .add('failure', () => (
-    <FlashMessage message={ failureMessage }  />
-  ))
+  .add('success', () => <FlashMessage>Success!</FlashMessage>)
+  .add('failure', () => <FlashMessage isError>Failure!</FlashMessage>)
   .add('dismissable', () => (
-    <FlashMessage message={ successMessage } onDismiss={ action('Dismiss') }  />
+    <FlashMessage onDismiss={action('Dismiss')}>Success!</FlashMessage>
   ))
-  .add('with custom prop ("hidden")', () => (
-    <FlashMessage message={ { ...successMessage, props: { hidden: true } }} />
-  ))
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/test/indicators/flash-message-container.test.js b/test/indicators/flash-message-container.test.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..3b1e9af5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/indicators/flash-message-container.test.js
@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+import React from 'react'
+import { mount } from 'enzyme'
+import { FlashMessageContainer } from '../../src'
+
+const successMessage = {
+  id: '0',
+  message: 'Success!',
+  isError: false,
+  props: {},
+}
+const failureMessage = {
+  id: '1',
+  message: 'Failure!',
+  isError: true,
+  props: {},
+}
+
+test('FlashMessageContainer displays all provided redux-flash messages', () => {
+  const wrapper = mount(
+    <FlashMessageContainer messages={[successMessage, failureMessage]} />
+  )
+  expect(wrapper.find('div.flash-message.success').exists()).toBe(true)
+  expect(
+    wrapper
+      .find('div.flash-message.success > p')
+      .first()
+      .contains('Success!')
+  ).toBe(true)
+  expect(wrapper.find('div.flash-message.failure').exists()).toBe(true)
+  expect(
+    wrapper
+      .find('div.flash-message.failure > p')
+      .first()
+      .contains('Failure!')
+  ).toBe(true)
+})
diff --git a/test/indicators/flash-message.test.js b/test/indicators/flash-message.test.js
index cbe1ff22..65bd7766 100644
--- a/test/indicators/flash-message.test.js
+++ b/test/indicators/flash-message.test.js
@@ -2,24 +2,26 @@ import React from 'react'
 import { mount } from 'enzyme'
 import { FlashMessage } from '../../src/'
 
-const successMessage = { id: '0', message: 'Success!', isError: false, props: {} }
-const customMessage = { id: '0', message: 'Success!', isError: false, props: { className: 'foo', hidden: true } }
-
 test('FlashMessage only shows dismiss button when callback is provided', () => {
-  const wrapper = mount(
-    <FlashMessage message={ successMessage } />
-  )
+  const wrapper = mount(<FlashMessage>Success!</FlashMessage>)
   expect(wrapper.find('button.dismiss').exists()).toBe(false)
   const dismissWrapper = mount(
-    <FlashMessage message={ successMessage } onDismiss={ () => { /* do something */ } } />
+    <FlashMessage
+      onDismiss={() => {
+        /* do something */
+      }}
+    >
+      Success!
+    </FlashMessage>
   )
   expect(dismissWrapper.find('button.dismiss').exists()).toBe(true)
 })
 
-test('FlashMessage accepts props from message object', () => {
-  const wrapper = mount(
-    <FlashMessage message={ customMessage } />
-  )
-  expect(wrapper.find('div.foo').exists()).toBe(true)
-  expect(wrapper.find('div').prop('hidden')).toBe(true)
+test('FlashMessage sets class based on isError prop', () => {
+  const wrapper = mount(<FlashMessage>Success!</FlashMessage>)
+  expect(wrapper.find('div.success').exists()).toBe(true)
+  expect(wrapper.find('div.failure').exists()).toBe(false)
+  const errorWrapper = mount(<FlashMessage isError>Failure!</FlashMessage>)
+  expect(errorWrapper.find('div.success').exists()).toBe(false)
+  expect(errorWrapper.find('div.failure').exists()).toBe(true)
 })