diff --git a/lib/javascript-static.js b/lib/javascript-static.js
index 1cf2c8656b811..8e562713f5bdb 100644
--- a/lib/javascript-static.js
+++ b/lib/javascript-static.js
@@ -1376,6 +1376,7 @@ M.util.help_icon = {
                     },
 
                     display_callback : function(content) {
+                        content = '<div role="alert">' + content + '</div>';
                         this.overlay.set('bodyContent', content);
                     },
 
diff --git a/lib/outputrenderers.php b/lib/outputrenderers.php
index e29abd1649355..f51c5d4aa0961 100644
--- a/lib/outputrenderers.php
+++ b/lib/outputrenderers.php
@@ -1617,7 +1617,7 @@ protected function render_old_help_icon(old_help_icon $helpicon) {
         // note: this title is displayed only if JS is disabled, otherwise the link will have the new ajax tooltip
         $title = get_string('helpprefix2', '', trim($helpicon->title, ". \t"));
 
-        $attributes = array('href'=>$url, 'title'=>$title);
+        $attributes = array('href'=>$url, 'title'=>$title, 'aria-haspopup' => 'true');
         $id = html_writer::random_id('helpicon');
         $attributes['id'] = $id;
         $output = html_writer::tag('a', $output, $attributes);
@@ -1681,7 +1681,7 @@ protected function render_help_icon(help_icon $helpicon) {
         // note: this title is displayed only if JS is disabled, otherwise the link will have the new ajax tooltip
         $title = get_string('helpprefix2', '', trim($title, ". \t"));
 
-        $attributes = array('href'=>$url, 'title'=>$title);
+        $attributes = array('href'=>$url, 'title'=>$title, 'aria-haspopup' => 'true');
         $id = html_writer::random_id('helpicon');
         $attributes['id'] = $id;
         $output = html_writer::tag('a', $output, $attributes);