diff --git a/src/components/views/rooms/EventTile.js b/src/components/views/rooms/EventTile.js
index 43ab7c6b22..123319be75 100644
--- a/src/components/views/rooms/EventTile.js
+++ b/src/components/views/rooms/EventTile.js
@@ -822,7 +822,7 @@ export default createReactClass({
             case 'notif': {
                 const room = this.context.getRoom(this.props.mxEvent.getRoomId());
                 return (
-                    <div className={classes} aria-live={ariaLive}>
+                    <div className={classes} aria-live={ariaLive} aria-atomic="true">
                         <div className="mx_EventTile_roomName">
                             <a href={permalink} onClick={this.onPermalinkClicked}>
                                 { room ? room.name : '' }
@@ -848,7 +848,7 @@ export default createReactClass({
             }
             case 'file_grid': {
                 return (
-                    <div className={classes} aria-live={ariaLive}>
+                    <div className={classes} aria-live={ariaLive} aria-atomic="true">
                         <div className="mx_EventTile_line">
                             <EventTileType ref={this._tile}
                                            mxEvent={this.props.mxEvent}
@@ -884,7 +884,7 @@ export default createReactClass({
                     );
                 }
                 return (
-                    <div className={classes} aria-live={ariaLive}>
+                    <div className={classes} aria-live={ariaLive} aria-atomic="true">
                         { ircTimestamp }
                         { avatar }
                         { sender }
@@ -914,7 +914,7 @@ export default createReactClass({
 
                 // tab-index=-1 to allow it to be focusable but do not add tab stop for it, primarily for screen readers
                 return (
-                    <div className={classes} tabIndex={-1} aria-live={ariaLive}>
+                    <div className={classes} tabIndex={-1} aria-live={ariaLive} aria-atomic="true">
                         { ircTimestamp }
                         <div className="mx_EventTile_msgOption">
                             { readAvatars }