diff --git a/comment/comment.js b/comment/comment.js
index 59bf3070841..56d0eeca5c7 100644
--- a/comment/comment.js
+++ b/comment/comment.js
@@ -45,13 +45,13 @@ M.core_comment = {
                 if (args.autostart) {
                     this.view(args.page);
                 }
-                // hide toggle link
-                if (args.notoggle) {
-                    Y.one('#comment-link-'+this.client_id).setStyle('display', 'none');
-                }
                 // load comments
                 var handle = Y.one('#comment-link-'+this.client_id);
+                // hide toggle link
                 if (handle) {
+                    if (args.notoggle) {
+                        handle.setStyle('display', 'none');
+                    }
                     handle.on('click', function(e) {
                         e.preventDefault();
                         this.view(0);
@@ -85,7 +85,9 @@ bodyContent: '<div class="comment-delete-confirm"><a href="#" id="confirmdelete-
                             container.appendChild(newcomment);
                             var ids = result.ids;
                             var linktext = Y.one('#comment-link-text-'+cid);
-                            linktext.set('innerHTML', M.str.moodle.comments + ' ('+obj.count+')');
+                            if (linktext) {
+                                linktext.set('innerHTML', M.str.moodle.comments + ' ('+obj.count+')');
+                            }
                             for(var i in ids) {
                                 var attributes = {
                                     color: { to: '#06e' },
@@ -205,7 +207,7 @@ bodyContent: '<div class="comment-delete-confirm"><a href="#" id="confirmdelete-
                     params: params,
                     callback: function(id, ret, args) {
                         var linktext = Y.one('#comment-link-text-'+scope.client_id);
-                        if (ret.count) {
+                        if (ret.count && linktext) {
                             linktext.set('innerHTML', M.str.moodle.comments + ' ('+ret.count+')');
                         }
                         var container = Y.one('#comment-list-'+scope.client_id);
@@ -350,7 +352,9 @@ bodyContent: '<div class="comment-delete-confirm"><a href="#" id="confirmdelete-
                         this.register_pagination();
                     }
                     container.setStyle('display', 'block');
-                    img.set('src', M.util.image_url('t/expanded', 'core'));
+                    if (img) {
+                        img.set('src', M.util.image_url('t/expanded', 'core'));
+                    }
                 } else {
                     // hide
                     container.setStyle('display', 'none');
diff --git a/comment/lib.php b/comment/lib.php
index 2cfc904f41e..576314540e7 100644
--- a/comment/lib.php
+++ b/comment/lib.php
@@ -321,15 +321,21 @@ EOD;
             $icon = $OUTPUT->pix_url('t/collapsed');
             $html .= <<<EOD
 <div class="mdl-left">
-<noscript>
-<div><a href="{$this->link}">{$strshowcomments}</a></div>
-</noscript>
+<a class="showcommentsnonjs" href="{$this->link}">{$strshowcomments}</a>
+EOD;
+            if ($this->env != 'block_comments') {
+                $html .= <<<EOD
 <a id="comment-link-{$this->cid}" class="comment-link" href="#">
     <img id="comment-img-{$this->cid}" src="$icon" alt="{$this->linktext}" title="{$this->linktext}" />
     <span id="comment-link-text-{$this->cid}">{$this->linktext} {$this->count}</span>
 </a>
+EOD;
+            }
+
+            $html .= <<<EOD
 <div id="comment-ctrl-{$this->cid}" class="comment-ctrl">
     <ul id="comment-list-{$this->cid}" class="comment-list">
+        <li class="first"></li>
 EOD;
             // in comments block, we print comments list right away
             if ($this->env == 'block_comments') {
@@ -348,19 +354,15 @@ EOD;
                 $html .= <<<EOD
 <div class='comment-area'>
     <div class="bd">
-        <textarea name="content" rows="2" id="dlg-content-{$this->cid}"></textarea>
+        <textarea name="content" rows="2" cols="20" id="dlg-content-{$this->cid}"></textarea>
     </div>
     <div class="fd" id="comment-action-{$this->cid}">
         <a href="#" id="comment-action-post-{$this->cid}"> {$strsubmit} </a>
 EOD;
-        if ($this->env != 'block_comments') {
-            $html .= <<<EOD
-        <span> | </span>
-        <a href="#" id="comment-action-cancel-{$this->cid}"> {$strcancel} </a>
-EOD;
-        }
-
-        $html .= <<<EOD
+                if ($this->env != 'block_comments') {
+                    $html .= "<span> | </span><a href=\"#\" id=\"comment-action-cancel-{$this->cid}\"> {$strcancel} </a>";
+                }
+                $html .= <<<EOD
     </div>
 </div>
 <div class="clearer"></div>
@@ -637,7 +639,7 @@ EOD;
         $replacements = array();
 
         if (!empty($cmt->delete) && empty($nonjs)) {
-            $cmt->content = '<div class="comment-delete"><a href="#" id ="comment-delete-'.$this->cid.'-'.$cmt->id.'"><img src="'.$OUTPUT->pix_url('t/delete').'" /></a></div>' . $cmt->content;
+            $cmt->content = '<div class="comment-delete"><a href="#" id ="comment-delete-'.$this->cid.'-'.$cmt->id.'"><img src="'.$OUTPUT->pix_url('t/delete').'" alt="'.get_string('delete').'" /></a></div>' . $cmt->content;
             // add the button
         }
         $patterns[] = '___picture___';
diff --git a/theme/base/style/core.css b/theme/base/style/core.css
index 3f9bb47f296..77ed5fa2a9c 100644
--- a/theme/base/style/core.css
+++ b/theme/base/style/core.css
@@ -318,6 +318,7 @@ table.mod_index {width:100%;}
 .comment-meta span {color:gray;}
 .comment-list {font-size: 11px;overflow:auto;list-style:none;padding:0;margin:0;}
 .comment-list li {margin: 2px;margin-bottom:5px;clear:both;}
+.comment-list li.first {display:none}
 .comment-paging{text-align:center;}
 .comment-paging .pageno{padding:2px;}
 .comment-paging .curpage{border:1px solid #CCC;}
@@ -331,6 +332,7 @@ table.mod_index {width:100%;}
 .comment-report-selectall{display:none}
 .comment-link {display:none}
 .jsenabled .comment-link {display:block}
+.jsenabled .showcommentsnonjs{display:none}
 .jsenabled .comment-report-selectall{display:inline}
 
 /**
@@ -677,4 +679,4 @@ body.tag .managelink {padding: 5px;}
  * Fix for broken YUI images in the menunav component
  */
 .yui3-skin-sam .yui3-menu-horizontal .yui3-menu-label,
-.yui3-skin-sam .yui3-menu-horizontal .yui3-menu-content {background-image:none;}
\ No newline at end of file
+.yui3-skin-sam .yui3-menu-horizontal .yui3-menu-content {background-image:none;}