diff --git a/app/models/alchemy/ingredients/picture.rb b/app/models/alchemy/ingredients/picture.rb
index 378dd694f5..3f25b63abe 100644
--- a/app/models/alchemy/ingredients/picture.rb
+++ b/app/models/alchemy/ingredients/picture.rb
@@ -38,6 +38,10 @@ class Picture < Alchemy::Ingredient
         upsample
       ]
 
+      def alt_tag
+        super.presence || picture&.description
+      end
+
       # The first 30 characters of the pictures name
       #
       # Used by the Element#preview_text method.
diff --git a/app/views/alchemy/admin/ingredients/_picture_fields.html.erb b/app/views/alchemy/admin/ingredients/_picture_fields.html.erb
index fb54429aac..64657533df 100644
--- a/app/views/alchemy/admin/ingredients/_picture_fields.html.erb
+++ b/app/views/alchemy/admin/ingredients/_picture_fields.html.erb
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 <%= f.input :caption, as: ingredient.settings[:caption_as_textarea] ? 'text' : 'string' %>
 <%= f.input :title %>
-<%= f.input :alt_tag %>
+<%= f.input :alt_tag, as: :text %>
 <%- if ingredient.settings[:sizes].present? && ingredient.settings[:srcset].blank? -%>
   <%= f.input :render_size,
     collection: [
diff --git a/spec/models/alchemy/ingredients/picture_spec.rb b/spec/models/alchemy/ingredients/picture_spec.rb
index da1b4182b0..992940f9ab 100644
--- a/spec/models/alchemy/ingredients/picture_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/models/alchemy/ingredients/picture_spec.rb
@@ -18,10 +18,24 @@
   end
 
   describe "alt_tag" do
-    before { picture_ingredient.alt_tag = "A cute kitten" }
     subject { picture_ingredient.alt_tag }
 
-    it { is_expected.to eq("A cute kitten") }
+    context "without a picture description" do
+      before { picture_ingredient.alt_tag = "A cute kitten" }
+
+      it { is_expected.to eq("A cute kitten") }
+    end
+
+    context "with a picture description" do
+      let(:picture) { build_stubbed(:alchemy_picture, description: "so cute") }
+
+      it { is_expected.to eq("so cute") }
+
+      it "uses the alt text if given" do
+        picture_ingredient.alt_tag = "A cute kitten"
+        expect(picture_ingredient.alt_tag).to eq("A cute kitten")
+      end
+    end
   end
 
   describe "css_class" do