diff --git a/lang/en/message.php b/lang/en/message.php
index 2c4975afa33..6fb25546aa7 100644
--- a/lang/en/message.php
+++ b/lang/en/message.php
@@ -83,9 +83,11 @@ $string['keywordssearchresults'] = 'Messages found: {$a}';
 $string['keywordssearchresultstoomany'] = 'More than {$a} messages found. Refine your search.';
 $string['loading'] = 'Loading ...';
 $string['loggedin'] = 'Online';
-$string['loggedindescription'] = 'When I\'m logged in';
-$string['loggedoff'] = 'Not online';
-$string['loggedoffdescription'] = 'When I\'m offline';
+$string['loggedin_help'] = 'Configure how you would like to receive notifications when you are logged into Moodle';
+$string['loggedindescription'] = 'When you are logged into Moodle';
+$string['loggedoff'] = 'Offline';
+$string['loggedoff_help'] = 'Configure how you would like to receive notifications when you are not logged into Moodle';
+$string['loggedoffdescription'] = 'When you are not logged into Moodle';
 $string['managecontacts'] = 'Manage my contacts';
 $string['managemessageoutputs'] = 'Manage message outputs';
 $string['messageoutputs'] = 'Message outputs';
diff --git a/message/classes/output/preferences/notification_list.php b/message/classes/output/preferences/notification_list.php
index bfba030bb19..d112b4a66f0 100644
--- a/message/classes/output/preferences/notification_list.php
+++ b/message/classes/output/preferences/notification_list.php
@@ -162,6 +162,15 @@ class notification_list implements templatable, renderable {
             $context['components'][] = $notificationcomponent->export_for_template($output);
         }
 
+        // This is fairly nasty but we don't currently have a way to add help icons
+        // in templates, so we'll need to provide it in the context.
+        //
+        // We only want the first component to render with the help icon.
+        if (!empty($context['components'])) {
+            $context['components'][0]['onlinehelphtml'] = $output->help_icon('loggedin', 'message');
+            $context['components'][0]['offlinehelphtml'] = $output->help_icon('loggedoff', 'message');
+        }
+
         return $context;
     }
 }
diff --git a/message/templates/message_preferences.mustache b/message/templates/message_preferences.mustache
index 66b82a12a7a..a108289c0cc 100644
--- a/message/templates/message_preferences.mustache
+++ b/message/templates/message_preferences.mustache
@@ -99,8 +99,14 @@
                             <td class="align-bottom">
                                 <div class="container-fluid">
                                     <div class="row-fluid">
-                                        <div class="span6">{{#str}} online, message {{/str}}</div>
-                                        <div class="span6">{{#str}} offline, message {{/str}}</div>
+                                        <div class="span6">
+                                            {{#str}} loggedin, message {{/str}}
+                                            {{#onlinehelphtml}}{{{.}}}{{/onlinehelphtml}}
+                                        </div>
+                                        <div class="span6">
+                                            {{#str}} loggedoff, message {{/str}}
+                                            {{#offlinehelphtml}}{{{.}}}{{/offlinehelphtml}}
+                                        </div>
                                     </div>
                                 </div>
                             </td>
diff --git a/message/templates/preferences_notifications_list.mustache b/message/templates/preferences_notifications_list.mustache
index c3b8a649d50..af0d3757149 100644
--- a/message/templates/preferences_notifications_list.mustache
+++ b/message/templates/preferences_notifications_list.mustache
@@ -120,8 +120,14 @@
                             <td class="align-bottom">
                                 <div class="container-fluid">
                                     <div class="row-fluid">
-                                        <div class="span6">{{#str}} online, message {{/str}}</div>
-                                        <div class="span6">{{#str}} offline, message {{/str}}</div>
+                                        <div class="span6">
+                                            {{#str}} loggedin, message {{/str}}
+                                            {{#onlinehelphtml}}{{{.}}}{{/onlinehelphtml}}
+                                        </div>
+                                        <div class="span6">
+                                            {{#str}} loggedoff, message {{/str}}
+                                            {{#offlinehelphtml}}{{{.}}}{{/offlinehelphtml}}
+                                        </div>
                                     </div>
                                 </div>
                             </td>