diff --git a/frontend/packages/dashboard/src/modal.js b/frontend/packages/dashboard/src/modal.js
index 5e6fd406..01ff8f24 100644
--- a/frontend/packages/dashboard/src/modal.js
+++ b/frontend/packages/dashboard/src/modal.js
@@ -52,9 +52,19 @@ export function openDialog(opts = {}) {
       return { spec: b, btn };
     });
 
-    const box = el('div', { class: 'tc-box', role: 'dialog', 'aria-modal': 'true' },
-      title ? el('div', { class: 'tc-title' }, title) : null,
-      message ? el('div', { class: 'tc-message' }, message) : null,
+    // Give the dialog an accessible name: label it by its title if present,
+    // else by its message, via `aria-labelledby` (a11y — role=dialog needs a
+    // name). Only the labelling element carries the id.
+    const labelId = 'tc-dlg-' + Math.random().toString(36).slice(2, 9);
+    const titleEl = title ? el('div', { class: 'tc-title', id: labelId }, title) : null;
+    const messageEl = message
+      ? el('div', title ? { class: 'tc-message' } : { class: 'tc-message', id: labelId }, message)
+      : null;
+    const boxAttrs = { class: 'tc-box', role: 'dialog', 'aria-modal': 'true' };
+    if (titleEl || messageEl) boxAttrs['aria-labelledby'] = labelId;
+    const box = el('div', boxAttrs,
+      titleEl,
+      messageEl,
       content || null,
       el('div', { class: 'tc-actions' }, ...btnEls.map((b) => b.btn)));