diff --git a/message/lib.php b/message/lib.php
index 72a9aa612fe..3a738fd0cf6 100644
--- a/message/lib.php
+++ b/message/lib.php
@@ -592,7 +592,7 @@ function message_contact_link($userid, $linktype='add', $return=false, $script="
     $output = '<span class="'.$linktype.'">'.
               '<a href="'.$script.'&amp;'.$command.'='.$userid.
               '&amp;sesskey='.sesskey().'" title="'.$string.'">'.
-              '<img src="'.$CFG->pixpath.$icon.'" height="11" width="11" border="0">'.
+              '<img src="'.$CFG->pixpath.$icon.'" height="11" width="11" border="0" alt="'.$string.'">'.
               $text.'</a></span>';
 
     if ($return) {
@@ -623,9 +623,9 @@ function message_history_link($userid1, $userid2=0, $returnstr=false, $keywords=
     }
 
     if ($linktext == 'icon') {  // Icon only
-        $fulllink = '<img src="'.$CFG->pixpath.'/t/log.gif" height="11" width="11" border="0">';
+        $fulllink = '<img src="'.$CFG->pixpath.'/t/log.gif" height="11" width="11" border="0" alt="'.$strmessagehistory.'">';
     } else if ($linktext == 'both') {  // Icon and standard name
-        $fulllink = '<img src="'.$CFG->pixpath.'/t/log.gif" height="11" width="11" border="0">';
+        $fulllink = '<img src="'.$CFG->pixpath.'/t/log.gif" height="11" width="11" border="0" alt="'.$strmessagehistory.'">';
         $fulllink .= '&nbsp;'.$strmessagehistory;
     } else if ($linktext) {    // Custom name
         $fulllink = $linktext;