diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index f17fad9c99..38539d65d1 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ Some earlier branches remain supported and security fixes are applied to them; i
 - `Document\Properties::setLanguage()`: the language of a spreadsheet as a BCP 47 tag, written and read as `dc:language` in Xlsx and Ods; the Ods writer also gives it to the default cell style, where LibreOffice keeps a spreadsheet's language, as LibreOffice writes it (the Western, Asian or complex slot by script, and `style:rfc-language-tag` for a tag with more than a language and a country), and the Ods reader reads it from there when there is no `dc:language`. Html writes and reads it as the `lang` of the `html` element. [Issue #5040](https://github.com/PHPOffice/PhpSpreadsheet/issues/5040) [PR #5041](https://github.com/PHPOffice/PhpSpreadsheet/pull/5041)
 - Xlsx Writer and Reader: `Chart::setDescription()` is the alternative text of a chart, written as `descr` of the chart's frame and read back, and the frame takes the chart's name; LibreOffice exports it as `/Alt` of the chart in a tagged PDF. [Issue #5038](https://github.com/PHPOffice/PhpSpreadsheet/issues/5038) [PR #5039](https://github.com/PHPOffice/PhpSpreadsheet/pull/5039)
 - `BaseDrawing::setDecorative()` marks an image as decorative. Xlsx writes and reads it as Excel and LibreOffice do (`adec:decorative` in the image's `cNvPr`), Ods as LibreOffice does (`loext:decorative` in the frame's graphic style, which the writer now defines; the reader also takes ODF 1.4's `draw:decorative`); LibreOffice then leaves the image out of a tagged PDF as an artifact. Html writes and reads it as an empty `alt`. [Issue #5036](https://github.com/PHPOffice/PhpSpreadsheet/issues/5036) [PR #5037](https://github.com/PHPOffice/PhpSpreadsheet/pull/5037)
+- Xlsx Writer and Reader: the description of a header/footer image is its alternative text, `alt` on the VML shape as Excel writes it. [Issue #5056](https://github.com/PHPOffice/PhpSpreadsheet/issues/5056) [PR #5057](https://github.com/PHPOffice/PhpSpreadsheet/pull/5057)
 
 ### Removed
 
diff --git a/src/PhpSpreadsheet/Reader/Xlsx.php b/src/PhpSpreadsheet/Reader/Xlsx.php
index b551dd14a3..1f6ab3c4e5 100644
--- a/src/PhpSpreadsheet/Reader/Xlsx.php
+++ b/src/PhpSpreadsheet/Reader/Xlsx.php
@@ -1429,6 +1429,7 @@ protected function loadSpreadsheetFromFile(string $filename): Spreadsheet
                                                     if (isset($imageData['title'])) {
                                                         $hfImages[$shapeId]->setName((string) $imageData['title']);
                                                     }
+                                                    $hfImages[$shapeId]->setDescription((string) $shape['alt']);
 
                                                     $hfImages[$shapeId]->setPath('zip://' . File::realpath($filename) . '#' . $drawings[(string) $imageData['relid']], false, $zip);
                                                     $hfImages[$shapeId]->setResizeProportional(false);
diff --git a/src/PhpSpreadsheet/Writer/Xlsx/Drawing.php b/src/PhpSpreadsheet/Writer/Xlsx/Drawing.php
index 9c732dd6a3..bebfb97090 100644
--- a/src/PhpSpreadsheet/Writer/Xlsx/Drawing.php
+++ b/src/PhpSpreadsheet/Writer/Xlsx/Drawing.php
@@ -550,6 +550,10 @@ private function writeVMLHeaderFooterImage(XMLWriter $objWriter, string $referen
         $objWriter->writeAttribute('o:spid', '_x0000_s' . $id);
         $objWriter->writeAttribute('type', '#_x0000_t75');
         $objWriter->writeAttribute('style', "position:absolute;margin-left:{$marginLeft}px;margin-top:{$marginTop}px;width:{$width}px;height:{$height}px;z-index:1");
+        // The alternative text, as Excel writes it; o:title below is the name
+        if ($image->getDescription() !== '') {
+            $objWriter->writeAttribute('alt', $image->getDescription());
+        }
 
         // v:imagedata
         $objWriter->startElement('v:imagedata');
diff --git a/tests/PhpSpreadsheetTests/Writer/Xlsx/HeaderFooterImageDescriptionTest.php b/tests/PhpSpreadsheetTests/Writer/Xlsx/HeaderFooterImageDescriptionTest.php
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..39e26055de
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/PhpSpreadsheetTests/Writer/Xlsx/HeaderFooterImageDescriptionTest.php
@@ -0,0 +1,52 @@
+<?php
+
+declare(strict_types=1);
+
+namespace PhpOffice\PhpSpreadsheetTests\Writer\Xlsx;
+
+use PhpOffice\PhpSpreadsheet\Spreadsheet;
+use PhpOffice\PhpSpreadsheet\Worksheet\HeaderFooter;
+use PhpOffice\PhpSpreadsheet\Worksheet\HeaderFooterDrawing;
+use PhpOffice\PhpSpreadsheet\Writer\Xlsx as XlsxWriter;
+use PhpOffice\PhpSpreadsheetTests\Functional\AbstractFunctional;
+
+class HeaderFooterImageDescriptionTest extends AbstractFunctional
+{
+    private static function spreadsheet(): Spreadsheet
+    {
+        $spreadsheet = new Spreadsheet();
+        $headerFooter = $spreadsheet->getActiveSheet()->getHeaderFooter();
+        $headerFooter->setOddHeader('&L&G&R&G');
+        foreach ([HeaderFooter::IMAGE_HEADER_LEFT => 'Company logo', HeaderFooter::IMAGE_HEADER_RIGHT => ''] as $location => $description) {
+            $image = new HeaderFooterDrawing();
+            $image->setName("Image $location");
+            $image->setDescription($description);
+            $image->setPath('samples/images/blue_square.png');
+            $image->setHeight(12);
+            $headerFooter->addImage($image, $location);
+        }
+
+        return $spreadsheet;
+    }
+
+    public function testWrittenAsAlt(): void
+    {
+        $spreadsheet = self::spreadsheet();
+        $vml = (new XlsxWriter($spreadsheet))->getWriterPartDrawing()->writeVMLHeaderFooterImages($spreadsheet->getActiveSheet());
+        self::assertMatchesRegularExpression('/<v:shape id="LH"[^>]* alt="Company logo"><v:imagedata [^>]*o:title="Image LH"/', $vml);
+        self::assertSame(1, substr_count($vml, ' alt='));
+        $spreadsheet->disconnectWorksheets();
+    }
+
+    public function testDescriptionSurvivesTheRoundTrip(): void
+    {
+        $spreadsheetOld = self::spreadsheet();
+        $spreadsheet = $this->writeAndReload($spreadsheetOld, 'Xlsx');
+        $spreadsheetOld->disconnectWorksheets();
+        $images = $spreadsheet->getActiveSheet()->getHeaderFooter()->getImages();
+        self::assertSame('Company logo', $images['LH']->getDescription());
+        self::assertSame('Image LH', $images['LH']->getName());
+        self::assertSame('', $images['RH']->getDescription());
+        $spreadsheet->disconnectWorksheets();
+    }
+}