diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/parts/markers/browser/markersPanel.ts b/src/vs/workbench/parts/markers/browser/markersPanel.ts
index 5da59fcfc0042fbb73ba431e24167a0476887ca5..439964791f21387e94aca264a8852badca54a4a1 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/parts/markers/browser/markersPanel.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/parts/markers/browser/markersPanel.ts
@@ -109,6 +109,8 @@ export class MarkersPanel extends Panel {
 		if (this.markersModel.hasFilteredResources()) {
 			this.tree.DOMFocus();
 			this.revealProblemsForCurrentActiveEditor(true);
+		} else {
+			this.messageBox.focus();
 		}
 	}
 
@@ -135,7 +137,8 @@ export class MarkersPanel extends Panel {
 
 	private createMessageBox(parent: HTMLElement): void {
 		this.messageBoxContainer = dom.append(parent, dom.emmet('.message-box-container'));
-		this.messageBox = dom.append(this.messageBoxContainer, dom.emmet('p'));
+		this.messageBox = dom.append(this.messageBoxContainer, dom.emmet('span'));
+		this.messageBox.setAttribute('tabindex', '0');
 	}
 
 	private createTree(parent: HTMLElement): void {
@@ -146,7 +149,8 @@ export class MarkersPanel extends Panel {
 		this.tree = new TreeImpl.Tree(this.treeContainer, {
 			dataSource: new Viewer.DataSource(),
 			renderer: renderer,
-			controller: controller
+			controller: controller,
+			accessibilityProvider: new Viewer.ProblemsTreeAccessibilityProvider()
 		}, {
 				indentPixels: 0,
 				twistiePixels: 20,
@@ -260,6 +264,9 @@ export class MarkersPanel extends Panel {
 					this.tree.setSelection([currentActiveResource]);
 				}
 			}
+		} else if (focus) {
+			this.tree.setSelection([]);
+			this.tree.focusFirst();
 		}
 	}
 
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/parts/markers/browser/markersTreeViewer.ts b/src/vs/workbench/parts/markers/browser/markersTreeViewer.ts
index 5700ba16306a007ed68b16d66e9429c3d195a13c..7638ec9ce638aae917349bfe9838cc05f23e3196 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/parts/markers/browser/markersTreeViewer.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/parts/markers/browser/markersTreeViewer.ts
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
 
 import {TPromise, Promise} from 'vs/base/common/winjs.base';
 import * as dom from 'vs/base/browser/dom';
-import {IDataSource, ITree, IRenderer} from 'vs/base/parts/tree/browser/tree';
+import {IDataSource, ITree, IRenderer, IAccessibilityProvider} from 'vs/base/parts/tree/browser/tree';
 import { IActionRunner } from 'vs/base/common/actions';
 import Severity from 'vs/base/common/severity';
 import {IWorkspaceContextService} from 'vs/workbench/services/workspace/common/contextService';
@@ -174,4 +174,18 @@ export class Renderer implements IRenderer {
 
 	public disposeTemplate(tree: ITree, templateId: string, templateData: any): void {
 	}
+}
+
+export class ProblemsTreeAccessibilityProvider implements IAccessibilityProvider {
+
+	public getAriaLabel(tree: ITree, element: any): string {
+		if (element instanceof Resource) {
+			return Messages.PROBLEMS_TREE_ARIA_LABEL_RESOURCE(element.name, element.markers.length);
+		}
+		if (element instanceof Marker) {
+			return Messages.PROBLEMS_TREE_ARIA_LABEL_MARKER(element.marker);
+		}
+		return null;
+	}
+
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/parts/markers/browser/media/markers.css b/src/vs/workbench/parts/markers/browser/media/markers.css
index 5015470ed87d2c9380699610be6a728266ab9d6c..98e41dfb1254de31e551a4016e5b30d0f2ce8414 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/parts/markers/browser/media/markers.css
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/parts/markers/browser/media/markers.css
@@ -27,7 +27,11 @@
 }
 
 .markers-panel .markers-panel-container .message-box-container {
-	padding-left: 20px;
+	padding: 20px 0 0 20px;
+}
+
+.markers-panel .markers-panel-container .message-box-container span:focus {
+	outline: none;
 }
 
 .markers-panel  .markers-panel-container .hidden {
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/parts/markers/common/messages.ts b/src/vs/workbench/parts/markers/common/messages.ts
index 263811d5b0defe8cfa5b55c759f8ec404a7c3fe8..eebe223bc0e306def10221cc1112f976e98355bd 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/parts/markers/common/messages.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/parts/markers/common/messages.ts
@@ -5,6 +5,8 @@
 'use strict';
 
 import nls = require('vs/nls');
+import Severity from 'vs/base/common/severity';
+import { IMarker } from 'vs/platform/markers/common/markers';
 
 export default class Messages {
 
@@ -16,7 +18,7 @@ export default class Messages {
 
 	public static MARKERS_PANEL_TITLE_NO_PROBLEMS:string= nls.localize('markers.panel.title.no.problems', "No problems");
 
-	public static MARKERS_PANEL_NO_PROBLEMS_BUILT:string= nls.localize('markers.panel.no.problems.build', "No errors have been detected in the workspace so far.");
+	public static MARKERS_PANEL_NO_PROBLEMS_BUILT:string= nls.localize('markers.panel.no.problems.build', "No problems have been detected in the workspace so far.");
 	public static MARKERS_PANEL_NO_PROBLEMS_FILTERS:string= nls.localize('markers.panel.no.problems.filters', "No results found with provided filter criteria");
 
 	public static MARKERS_PANEL_ACTION_TOOLTIP_FILTER:string= nls.localize('markers.panel.action.filter', "Filter Problems");
@@ -37,4 +39,23 @@ export default class Messages {
 	public static MARKERS_PANEL_AT_LINE_COL_NUMBER= (ln: number, col: number):string=>{return nls.localize('markers.panel.at.ln.col.number', "({0}, {1})", '' + ln, '' + col);}
 	public static MARKERS_PANEL_TITLE_AT_LINE_COL_NUMBER= (ln: number, col: number):string=>{return nls.localize('markers.panel.title.at.ln.col.number', "At line {0}, column {1}", '' + ln, '' + col);}
 	public static MARKERS_PANEL_TITLE_SOURCE= (source: string):string=>{return nls.localize('markers.panel.title.source', "Built by {0}", source);}
+
+	public static PROBLEMS_TREE_ARIA_LABEL_RESOURCE= (fileName, noOfProblems):string => {return nls.localize('problems.tree.aria.label.resource', "{0} with {1} problems", fileName, noOfProblems);}
+	public static PROBLEMS_TREE_ARIA_LABEL_MARKER= (marker: IMarker):string => {
+		switch (marker.severity) {
+			case Severity.Error:
+				return marker.source ? nls.localize('problems.tree.aria.label.error.marker', "Error generated by {0}: {1} at line {2} and column {3}", marker.source, marker.message, marker.startLineNumber, marker.startColumn)
+									: nls.localize('problems.tree.aria.label.error.marker.nosource', "Error: {0} at line {1} and column {2}", marker.message, marker.startLineNumber, marker.startColumn);
+			case Severity.Warning:
+				return marker.source ? nls.localize('problems.tree.aria.label.warning.marker', "Warning generated by {0}: {1} at line {2} and column {3}", marker.source, marker.message, marker.startLineNumber, marker.startColumn)
+									: nls.localize('problems.tree.aria.label.warning.marker.nosource', "Warning: {0} at line {1} and column {2}", marker.message, marker.startLineNumber, marker.startColumn);
+
+			case Severity.Info:
+				return marker.source ? nls.localize('problems.tree.aria.label.info.marker', "Info generated by {0}: {1} at line {2} and column {3}", marker.source, marker.message, marker.startLineNumber, marker.startColumn)
+									: nls.localize('problems.tree.aria.label.info.marker.nosource', "Info: {0} at line {1} and column {2}", marker.message, marker.startLineNumber, marker.startColumn);
+			default:
+				return marker.source ? nls.localize('problems.tree.aria.label.marker', "Problem generated by {0}: {1} at line {2} and column {3}", marker.source, marker.message, marker.startLineNumber, marker.startColumn)
+									: nls.localize('problems.tree.aria.label.marker.nosource', "Problem: {0} at line {1} and column {2}", marker.message, marker.startLineNumber, marker.startColumn);
+		}
+	}
 }
\ No newline at end of file