diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/lib/utilities.js b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/lib/utilities.js
index 11f5af292..f51fd4d46 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/lib/utilities.js
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/lib/utilities.js
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ Discourse.Utilities = {
 
     var classes = "avatar" + (options.extraClasses ? " " + options.extraClasses : "");
     var title = (options.title) ? " title='" + Handlebars.Utils.escapeExpression(options.title || "") + "'" : "";
-    return "<img width='" + size + "' height='" + size + "' src='" + url + "' class='" + classes + "'" + title + ">";
+    return "<img alt='' width='" + size + "' height='" + size + "' src='" + url + "' class='" + classes + "'" + title + ">";
   },
 
   tinyAvatar: function(avatarTemplate, options) {
diff --git a/spec/components/pretty_text_spec.rb b/spec/components/pretty_text_spec.rb
index 57576faca..5b1dfd26c 100644
--- a/spec/components/pretty_text_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/components/pretty_text_spec.rb
@@ -17,15 +17,15 @@ describe PrettyText do
       end
 
       it "produces a quote even with new lines in it" do
-        expect(PrettyText.cook("[quote=\"EvilTrout, post:123, topic:456, full:true\"]ddd\n[/quote]")).to match_html "<aside class=\"quote\" data-post=\"123\" data-topic=\"456\" data-full=\"true\"><div class=\"title\">\n<div class=\"quote-controls\"></div>\n<img width=\"20\" height=\"20\" src=\"//test.localhost/uploads/default/avatars/42d/57c/46ce7ee487/40.png\" class=\"avatar\">EvilTrout:</div>\n<blockquote><p>ddd</p></blockquote></aside>"
+        expect(PrettyText.cook("[quote=\"EvilTrout, post:123, topic:456, full:true\"]ddd\n[/quote]")).to match_html "<aside class=\"quote\" data-post=\"123\" data-topic=\"456\" data-full=\"true\"><div class=\"title\">\n<div class=\"quote-controls\"></div>\n<img alt='' width=\"20\" height=\"20\" src=\"//test.localhost/uploads/default/avatars/42d/57c/46ce7ee487/40.png\" class=\"avatar\">EvilTrout:</div>\n<blockquote><p>ddd</p></blockquote></aside>"
       end
 
       it "should produce a quote" do
-        expect(PrettyText.cook("[quote=\"EvilTrout, post:123, topic:456, full:true\"]ddd[/quote]")).to match_html "<aside class=\"quote\" data-post=\"123\" data-topic=\"456\" data-full=\"true\"><div class=\"title\">\n<div class=\"quote-controls\"></div>\n<img width=\"20\" height=\"20\" src=\"//test.localhost/uploads/default/avatars/42d/57c/46ce7ee487/40.png\" class=\"avatar\">EvilTrout:</div>\n<blockquote><p>ddd</p></blockquote></aside>"
+        expect(PrettyText.cook("[quote=\"EvilTrout, post:123, topic:456, full:true\"]ddd[/quote]")).to match_html "<aside class=\"quote\" data-post=\"123\" data-topic=\"456\" data-full=\"true\"><div class=\"title\">\n<div class=\"quote-controls\"></div>\n<img alt='' width=\"20\" height=\"20\" src=\"//test.localhost/uploads/default/avatars/42d/57c/46ce7ee487/40.png\" class=\"avatar\">EvilTrout:</div>\n<blockquote><p>ddd</p></blockquote></aside>"
       end
 
       it "trims spaces on quote params" do
-        expect(PrettyText.cook("[quote=\"EvilTrout, post:555, topic: 666\"]ddd[/quote]")).to match_html "<aside class=\"quote\" data-post=\"555\" data-topic=\"666\"><div class=\"title\">\n<div class=\"quote-controls\"></div>\n<img width=\"20\" height=\"20\" src=\"//test.localhost/uploads/default/avatars/42d/57c/46ce7ee487/40.png\" class=\"avatar\">EvilTrout:</div>\n<blockquote><p>ddd</p></blockquote></aside>"
+        expect(PrettyText.cook("[quote=\"EvilTrout, post:555, topic: 666\"]ddd[/quote]")).to match_html "<aside class=\"quote\" data-post=\"555\" data-topic=\"666\"><div class=\"title\">\n<div class=\"quote-controls\"></div>\n<img alt='' width=\"20\" height=\"20\" src=\"//test.localhost/uploads/default/avatars/42d/57c/46ce7ee487/40.png\" class=\"avatar\">EvilTrout:</div>\n<blockquote><p>ddd</p></blockquote></aside>"
       end
 
     end
diff --git a/test/javascripts/lib/utilities-test.js.es6 b/test/javascripts/lib/utilities-test.js.es6
index c73153f7d..75d4f14b8 100644
--- a/test/javascripts/lib/utilities-test.js.es6
+++ b/test/javascripts/lib/utilities-test.js.es6
@@ -137,15 +137,15 @@ test("avatarImg", function() {
 
   var avatarTemplate = "/path/to/avatar/{size}.png";
   equal(utils.avatarImg({avatarTemplate: avatarTemplate, size: 'tiny'}),
-        "<img width='20' height='20' src='/path/to/avatar/40.png' class='avatar'>",
+        "<img alt='' width='20' height='20' src='/path/to/avatar/40.png' class='avatar'>",
         "it returns the avatar html");
 
   equal(utils.avatarImg({avatarTemplate: avatarTemplate, size: 'tiny', title: 'evilest trout'}),
-        "<img width='20' height='20' src='/path/to/avatar/40.png' class='avatar' title='evilest trout'>",
+        "<img alt='' width='20' height='20' src='/path/to/avatar/40.png' class='avatar' title='evilest trout'>",
         "it adds a title if supplied");
 
   equal(utils.avatarImg({avatarTemplate: avatarTemplate, size: 'tiny', extraClasses: 'evil fish'}),
-        "<img width='20' height='20' src='/path/to/avatar/40.png' class='avatar evil fish'>",
+        "<img alt='' width='20' height='20' src='/path/to/avatar/40.png' class='avatar evil fish'>",
         "it adds extra classes if supplied");
 
   blank(utils.avatarImg({avatarTemplate: "", size: 'tiny'}),