diff --git a/app/components/alchemy/ingredients/picture_view.rb b/app/components/alchemy/ingredients/picture_view.rb
index 8e5a52bef4..4d5a8a7100 100644
--- a/app/components/alchemy/ingredients/picture_view.rb
+++ b/app/components/alchemy/ingredients/picture_view.rb
@@ -101,7 +101,7 @@ def srcset_options
       end
 
       def alt_text
-        ingredient.alt_tag.presence || html_options.delete(:alt) || ingredient.picture.name&.humanize
+        html_options.delete(:alt) || ingredient.alt_text
       end
     end
   end
diff --git a/app/models/alchemy/ingredients/picture.rb b/app/models/alchemy/ingredients/picture.rb
index 378dd694f5..54d76bae6a 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_text
+        alt_tag.presence || picture&.description || picture&.name&.humanize
+      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..f1278d769a 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, placeholder: ingredient.alt_text %>
 <%- if ingredient.settings[:sizes].present? && ingredient.settings[:srcset].blank? -%>
   <%= f.input :render_size,
     collection: [
diff --git a/spec/components/alchemy/ingredients/picture_view_spec.rb b/spec/components/alchemy/ingredients/picture_view_spec.rb
index 10c2ec200d..b8ebabf9e2 100644
--- a/spec/components/alchemy/ingredients/picture_view_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/components/alchemy/ingredients/picture_view_spec.rb
@@ -287,6 +287,18 @@
         it "uses this as image alt text" do
           expect(page).to have_selector('img[alt="Cute kittens"]')
         end
+
+        context "with additional alt_tag" do
+          let(:ingredient) do
+            stub_model Alchemy::Ingredients::Picture,
+              picture: picture,
+              alt_tag: "not used alt text"
+          end
+
+          it "uses html option as image alt text" do
+            expect(page).to have_selector('img[alt="Cute kittens"]')
+          end
+        end
       end
 
       context "and not passed as html option" do
diff --git a/spec/models/alchemy/ingredients/picture_spec.rb b/spec/models/alchemy/ingredients/picture_spec.rb
index da1b4182b0..aa037b4555 100644
--- a/spec/models/alchemy/ingredients/picture_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/models/alchemy/ingredients/picture_spec.rb
@@ -24,6 +24,40 @@
     it { is_expected.to eq("A cute kitten") }
   end
 
+  describe "alt_text" do
+    subject { picture_ingredient.alt_text }
+
+    context "with a alt_tag" do
+      before { picture_ingredient.alt_tag = "A cute kitten" }
+
+      it { is_expected.to eq("A cute kitten") }
+    end
+
+    context "with a picture description" do
+      before { picture.description = "Another cute kitten" }
+
+      it { is_expected.to eq("Another cute kitten") }
+
+      context "with a alt_tag" do
+        before { picture_ingredient.alt_tag = "A cute kitten" }
+
+        it { is_expected.to eq("A cute kitten") }
+      end
+    end
+
+    context "with a picture name" do
+      before { picture.name = "cute_kitten" }
+
+      it { is_expected.to eq("Cute kitten") }
+
+      context "with a picture description" do
+        before { picture.description = "Another cute kitten" }
+
+        it { is_expected.to eq("Another cute kitten") }
+      end
+    end
+  end
+
   describe "css_class" do
     before { picture_ingredient.css_class = "download" }
     subject { picture_ingredient.css_class }