diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/backends/web_static/index.html b/lib/matplotlib/backends/web_static/index.html
index 3e894dffadd0..fd6e14496e1b 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/backends/web_static/index.html
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/backends/web_static/index.html
@@ -7,6 +7,8 @@
      onkeydown="key_event(event, 'key_press')"
      onkeyup="key_event(event, 'key_release')">
     <div id="mpl-div">
+      <div id="mpl-warnings" class="mpl-warnings"></div>
+
       <canvas id="mpl-canvas"
               class="mpl-canvas"
               width="800" height="600"
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/backends/web_static/mpl.css b/lib/matplotlib/backends/web_static/mpl.css
index e0940137999d..e51bef73ca92 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/backends/web_static/mpl.css
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/backends/web_static/mpl.css
@@ -1,3 +1,14 @@
+body {
+    font-family: sans;
+}
+
+.mpl-warnings {
+    display:none;
+    background:#ffdddd;
+    color:#880000;
+    border:1 #880000;
+}
+
 .mpl-message {
     float:right;
     vertical-align:middle;
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/backends/web_static/mpl.js b/lib/matplotlib/backends/web_static/mpl.js
index 5757f484a4f6..aa4279ca3577 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/backends/web_static/mpl.js
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/backends/web_static/mpl.js
@@ -30,6 +30,14 @@ window.onload = function() {
 
     var supports_binary = (ws.binaryType != undefined);
 
+    if (!supports_binary) {
+        var warnings = document.getElementById("mpl-warnings");
+        warnings.style.display = 'block';
+        warnings.textContent = (
+            "This browser does not support binary websocket messages. " +
+            "Performance may be slow.");
+    }
+
     ws.onopen = function () {
         ws.send(JSON.stringify(
             {type: 'supports_binary',