diff --git a/lms/templates/footer.html b/lms/templates/footer.html
index dfcc1a2bec..b6bf2cd84a 100644
--- a/lms/templates/footer.html
+++ b/lms/templates/footer.html
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 <%! from django.core.urlresolvers import reverse %>
 <%! from django.utils.translation import ugettext as _ %>
 <%namespace name='static' file='static_content.html'/>
+<%! from microsite_configuration.templatetags.microsite import platform_name %>
 
 <div class="wrapper wrapper-footer">
   <footer>
@@ -37,7 +38,7 @@
       </nav>
 
       <div class="colophon-about">
-        <img src="${static.url('images/header-logo.png')}" />
+        <img src="${static.url('images/header-logo.png')}" alt="${_('{platform_name} Logo').format(platform_name=platform_name())}" />
 
         <p>${_("{platform_name} is a non-profit created by founding partners {Harvard} and {MIT} whose mission is to bring the best of higher education to students of all ages anywhere in the world, wherever there is Internet access. {platform_name}'s free online MOOCs are interactive and subjects include computer science, public health, and artificial intelligence.").format(platform_name="EdX", Harvard="Harvard", MIT="MIT")}</p>
       </div>
diff --git a/lms/templates/main.html b/lms/templates/main.html
index e013a5530a..f334e6609a 100644
--- a/lms/templates/main.html
+++ b/lms/templates/main.html
@@ -1,3 +1,11 @@
+<!DOCTYPE html>
+<!--[if IE 7]><html class="ie ie7 lte9 lte8 lte7" lang="${LANGUAGE_CODE}"><![endif]-->
+<!--[if IE 8]><html class="ie ie8 lte9 lte8" lang="${LANGUAGE_CODE}"><![endif]-->
+<!--[if IE 9]><html class="ie ie9 lte9" lang="${LANGUAGE_CODE}"><![endif]-->
+<!--[if gt IE 9]><!--><html lang="${LANGUAGE_CODE}"><!--<![endif]-->
+<head>
+    <meta charset="UTF-8">
+    <meta http-equiv="X-UA-Compatible" content="IE=edge">
 <%! from django.utils.translation import ugettext as _ %>
 <%! from microsite_configuration.middleware import MicrositeConfiguration %>
 <%! from microsite_configuration import page_title_breadcrumbs %>
@@ -21,16 +29,9 @@
     return getattr(settings, "THEME_NAME", None) == "stanford"
   %>
 </%def>
+    
 ## this needs to be here to prevent the title from mysteriously appearing in the body, in one case
 <%def name="pagetitle()" />
-<!DOCTYPE html>
-<!--[if IE 7]><html class="ie ie7 lte9 lte8 lte7" lang="${LANGUAGE_CODE}"><![endif]-->
-<!--[if IE 8]><html class="ie ie8 lte9 lte8" lang="${LANGUAGE_CODE}"><![endif]-->
-<!--[if IE 9]><html class="ie ie9 lte9" lang="${LANGUAGE_CODE}"><![endif]-->
-<!--[if gt IE 9]><!--><html lang="${LANGUAGE_CODE}"><!--<![endif]-->
-<head>
-    <meta http-equiv="X-UA-Compatible" content="IE=edge">
-    
   <%block name="title">
       <title>
        ${page_title_breadcrumbs(self.pagetitle())}
diff --git a/lms/templates/main_django.html b/lms/templates/main_django.html
index 71fb623660..ceef729d6e 100644
--- a/lms/templates/main_django.html
+++ b/lms/templates/main_django.html
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 {% load compressed %}{% load sekizai_tags i18n microsite %}{% load url from future %}{% load staticfiles %}
 <html lang="{{LANGUAGE_CODE}}">
 <head>
+  <meta charset="UTF-8">
   {% block title %}<title>{% platform_name %}</title>{% endblock %}
 
   <link rel="icon" type="image/x-icon" href="{% static "images/favicon.ico" %}" />
