diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index ebe7ebbe1..2ea7d81d2 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -65,6 +65,7 @@ and this project adheres to [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0
   - [1902](https://github.com/microsoft/BotFramework-Emulator/pull/1902)
   - [1893](https://github.com/microsoft/BotFramework-Emulator/pull/1893)
   - [1916](https://github.com/microsoft/BotFramework-Emulator/pull/1916)
+  - [1918](https://github.com/microsoft/BotFramework-Emulator/pull/1918)
  
  - [client] Fixed an issue with the transcripts path input inside of the resource settings dialog in PR [1836](https://github.com/microsoft/BotFramework-Emulator/pull/1836)
  - [client] Implemented HTML app menu for Windows in PR [1893](https://github.com/microsoft/BotFramework-Emulator/pull/1893) 
diff --git a/packages/app/client/src/ui/dialogs/openBotDialog/openBotDialog.spec.tsx b/packages/app/client/src/ui/dialogs/openBotDialog/openBotDialog.spec.tsx
index bb9a881c5..2264300c9 100644
--- a/packages/app/client/src/ui/dialogs/openBotDialog/openBotDialog.spec.tsx
+++ b/packages/app/client/src/ui/dialogs/openBotDialog/openBotDialog.spec.tsx
@@ -249,16 +249,6 @@ describe('The OpenBotDialog', () => {
     expect(instance.state.botUrl).toBe('http://localhost:3978');
   });
 
-  it('should announce any validation error messages', () => {
-    // make sure there are no leftover alerts from previous test(s)
-    const preExistingAlerts = document.querySelectorAll('body > span#alert-from-service');
-    preExistingAlerts.forEach(alert => alert.remove());
-    const spy = jest.spyOn(ariaAlertService, 'alert').mockReturnValueOnce(undefined);
-    instance.announceErrorMessage('Invalid bot url.');
-
-    expect(spy).toHaveBeenCalledWith('For Bot URL, Invalid bot url.');
-  });
-
   it('should call the appropriate command when onAnchorClick is called', () => {
     instance.props.onAnchorClick('http://blah');
     expect(mockDispatch).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
diff --git a/packages/app/client/src/ui/dialogs/openBotDialog/openBotDialog.tsx b/packages/app/client/src/ui/dialogs/openBotDialog/openBotDialog.tsx
index ebe4c355e..1d71a10e4 100644
--- a/packages/app/client/src/ui/dialogs/openBotDialog/openBotDialog.tsx
+++ b/packages/app/client/src/ui/dialogs/openBotDialog/openBotDialog.tsx
@@ -46,12 +46,9 @@ import * as React from 'react';
 import { ChangeEvent, Component, MouseEvent, ReactNode } from 'react';
 import { EmulatorMode } from '@bfemulator/sdk-shared';
 
-import { debounce } from '../../../utils';
-
 import * as openBotStyles from './openBotDialog.scss';
 
 export interface OpenBotDialogProps {
-  createAriaAlert?: (msg: string) => void;
   mode?: EmulatorMode;
   isDebug?: boolean;
   onAnchorClick?: (url: string) => void;
@@ -136,7 +133,6 @@ export class OpenBotDialog extends Component<OpenBotDialogProps, OpenBotDialogSt
     const { botUrl, appId, appPassword, mode, isDebug, isAzureGov } = this.state;
     const validationResult = OpenBotDialog.validateEndpoint(botUrl);
     const errorMessage = OpenBotDialog.getErrorMessage(validationResult);
-    errorMessage && this.announceErrorMessage(errorMessage);
     const shouldBeDisabled =
       validationResult === ValidationResult.Invalid || validationResult === ValidationResult.Empty;
     const botUrlLabel = 'Bot URL';
@@ -258,10 +254,4 @@ export class OpenBotDialog extends Component<OpenBotDialogProps, OpenBotDialogSt
     }
     return null;
   }
-
-  /** Announces the error message to screen reader technologies */
-  private announceErrorMessage = debounce((msg: string): void => {
-    // ensure that we aren't spamming aria alerts each time the input is validated
-    this.props.createAriaAlert(`For Bot URL, ${msg}`);
-  }, 2000);
 }
diff --git a/packages/app/client/src/ui/dialogs/openBotDialog/openBotDialogContainer.ts b/packages/app/client/src/ui/dialogs/openBotDialog/openBotDialogContainer.ts
index 3373d12e5..2ce0929cf 100644
--- a/packages/app/client/src/ui/dialogs/openBotDialog/openBotDialogContainer.ts
+++ b/packages/app/client/src/ui/dialogs/openBotDialog/openBotDialogContainer.ts
@@ -38,16 +38,12 @@ import { Action } from 'redux';
 import { openBotViaFilePathAction, openBotViaUrlAction } from '../../../state/actions/botActions';
 import { DialogService } from '../service';
 import { RootState } from '../../../state/store';
-import { ariaAlertService } from '../../a11y';
 import { executeCommand } from '../../../state/actions/commandActions';
 
 import { OpenBotDialog, OpenBotDialogProps, OpenBotDialogState } from './openBotDialog';
 
 const mapDispatchToProps = (dispatch: (action: Action) => void): OpenBotDialogProps => {
   return {
-    createAriaAlert: (msg: string) => {
-      ariaAlertService.alert(msg);
-    },
     onAnchorClick: (url: string) => {
       dispatch(executeCommand(true, SharedConstants.Commands.Electron.OpenExternal, null, url));
     },
diff --git a/packages/sdk/ui-react/src/widget/autoComplete/autoComplete.spec.tsx b/packages/sdk/ui-react/src/widget/autoComplete/autoComplete.spec.tsx
index a84d57f3c..73e7932bb 100644
--- a/packages/sdk/ui-react/src/widget/autoComplete/autoComplete.spec.tsx
+++ b/packages/sdk/ui-react/src/widget/autoComplete/autoComplete.spec.tsx
@@ -76,6 +76,13 @@ describe('<AutoComplete />', () => {
     expect(instance.errorMessage).toBeTruthy();
   });
 
+  it('should generate an error message id if there is an error message', () => {
+    expect(instance.errorMessageId).toBe(undefined);
+
+    wrapper.setProps({ errorMessage: 'something broke :(' });
+    expect(instance.errorMessageId).toBe(`auto-complete-err-msg-${wrapper.state().id}`);
+  });
+
   it('should generate a label id if a label has been provided', () => {
     expect(instance.labelId).toBe(undefined);
 
diff --git a/packages/sdk/ui-react/src/widget/autoComplete/autoComplete.tsx b/packages/sdk/ui-react/src/widget/autoComplete/autoComplete.tsx
index 4095c65d3..e10fb859d 100644
--- a/packages/sdk/ui-react/src/widget/autoComplete/autoComplete.tsx
+++ b/packages/sdk/ui-react/src/widget/autoComplete/autoComplete.tsx
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ export class AutoComplete extends Component<AutoCompleteProps, AutoCompleteState
   }
 
   public render(): ReactNode {
-    const { onBlur, onChange, onFocus, onKeyDown, value } = this;
+    const { errorMessageId, onBlur, onChange, onFocus, onKeyDown, value } = this;
     const { autoFocus, className = '', errorMessage, disabled, placeholder } = this.props;
     const invalidClassName = errorMessage ? styles.invalid : '';
 
@@ -102,6 +102,7 @@ export class AutoComplete extends Component<AutoCompleteProps, AutoCompleteState
           aria-activedescendant={this.getOptionId(this.state.selectedIndex)}
           aria-autocomplete="list"
           aria-controls={this.listboxId}
+          aria-labelledby={errorMessageId}
         />
         {this.errorMessage}
         {this.results}
@@ -148,11 +149,19 @@ export class AutoComplete extends Component<AutoCompleteProps, AutoCompleteState
   private get errorMessage(): ReactNode {
     const { errorMessage } = this.props;
     if (errorMessage) {
-      return <sub className={styles.errorMessage}>{errorMessage}</sub>;
+      return (
+        <sub id={this.errorMessageId} className={styles.errorMessage}>
+          {errorMessage}
+        </sub>
+      );
     }
     return undefined;
   }
 
+  private get errorMessageId(): string {
+    return this.props.errorMessage ? `auto-complete-err-msg-${this.state.id}` : undefined;
+  }
+
   private get labelId(): string {
     // label id is only necessary if we have a label
     return this.props.label ? `auto-complete-label-${this.state.id}` : undefined;