diff --git a/src/main/webapp/style/app.css b/src/main/webapp/style/app.css
index 55f1f6ea2c51fed83d1235116fc36226750c08a0..2be69d18f0f0cf2ad944478753d211ca77a3016b 100644
--- a/src/main/webapp/style/app.css
+++ b/src/main/webapp/style/app.css
@@ -1086,7 +1086,16 @@ body [type="reset"]:disabled {
     /*color: #a0a0a0;*/
     /*border-color: #c0c0c0;*/
     /*background: #e0e0e0;*/
-    cursor: default !important;
+    cursor: not-allowed !important;
+}
+
+body button.disabled,
+body button:disabled,
+body button.disabled:hover,
+body button:disabled:hover {
+    background: #e0e0e0;
+    border-color: #c0c0c0;
+    cursor: not-allowed !important;
 }
 
 /* remove outline from <button> or <input type="button/submit/reset"> elements */
diff --git a/src/main/webapp/xnat-templates/screens/Login.vm b/src/main/webapp/xnat-templates/screens/Login.vm
index 98361fc097f44e3ff919b02ee1d05499672a5cb0..5a8e1c1ff3eb643fc2de8a654941ab4403cbed19 100644
--- a/src/main/webapp/xnat-templates/screens/Login.vm
+++ b/src/main/webapp/xnat-templates/screens/Login.vm
@@ -22,8 +22,9 @@ $page.setTitle("$siteId - Please Login")
         <br><br>
         We recommend using a modern browser such as
         <a class="link" href="https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/desktop/" target="_blank">Mozilla Firefox</a>,
-        <a class="link" href="http://www.opera.com/" target="_blank">Opera</a>, or
-        <a class="link" href="https://www.google.com/chrome/" target="_blank">Google Chrome</a>.
+        <a class="link" href="http://www.opera.com/" target="_blank">Opera</a>,
+        <a class="link" href="https://www.google.com/chrome/" target="_blank">Google Chrome</a>, or a newer
+        version of Internet Explorer (version 9.0 or higher).
     </div>
     <![endif]-->
 
@@ -193,9 +194,7 @@ $page.setTitle("$siteId - Please Login")
         return (myNav.indexOf('msie') != -1) ? parseInt(myNav.split('msie')[1]) : false;
     }
     if (isIE() === 8) {
-        $('#login_box').addClass('disabled')
-                .css('background-color','#ffdfdf')
-                .find('input').prop('disabled', true);
+        $('#login_box').addClass('disabled').find(':input').addClass('disabled').prop('disabled', true);
         $('#ie8_error').show();
     }
 </script>