diff --git a/lib/outputcomponents.php b/lib/outputcomponents.php
index 76b0c834387..043cb61e58f 100644
--- a/lib/outputcomponents.php
+++ b/lib/outputcomponents.php
@@ -2354,7 +2354,7 @@ class paging_bar implements renderable {
                 $displaypage = $currpage + 1;
 
                 if ($this->page == $currpage) {
-                    $this->pagelinks[] = $displaypage;
+                    $this->pagelinks[] = html_writer::span($displaypage, 'current-page');
                 } else {
                     $pagelink = html_writer::link(new moodle_url($this->baseurl, array($this->pagevar=>$currpage)), $displaypage);
                     $this->pagelinks[] = $pagelink;
diff --git a/lib/tests/outputcomponents_test.php b/lib/tests/outputcomponents_test.php
index c6ab93a49ee..aa0e52b832c 100644
--- a/lib/tests/outputcomponents_test.php
+++ b/lib/tests/outputcomponents_test.php
@@ -389,7 +389,7 @@ EOF;
     }
 
     public function test_prepare() {
-        $expecteda = array('1',
+        $expecteda = array('<span class="current-page">1</span>',
                            '<a href="index.php?page=1">2</a>',
                            '<a href="index.php?page=2">3</a>',
                            '<a href="index.php?page=3">4</a>',
@@ -400,7 +400,7 @@ EOF;
                            );
         $expectedb = array('<a href="page?page=3">4</a>',
                            '<a href="page?page=4">5</a>',
-                           '6',
+                           '<span class="current-page">6</span>',
                            '<a href="page?page=6">7</a>',
                            '<a href="page?page=7">8</a>',
                            );