diff --git a/src/reactA11yAnchorsRule.ts b/src/reactA11yAnchorsRule.ts
index 5b861dea3..7a5dfddc1 100644
--- a/src/reactA11yAnchorsRule.ts
+++ b/src/reactA11yAnchorsRule.ts
@@ -5,11 +5,19 @@ import {ErrorTolerantWalker} from './utils/ErrorTolerantWalker';
 import {ExtendedMetadata} from './utils/ExtendedMetadata';
 import {SyntaxKind} from './utils/SyntaxKind';
 import {Utils} from './utils/Utils';
+import {getImplicitRole} from './utils/getImplicitRole';
+import {
+    getJsxAttributesFromJsxElement,
+    getStringLiteral
+} from './utils/JsxAttribute';
+
+const ROLE_STRING: string = 'role';
 
 const NO_HASH_FAILURE_STRING: string =
     'Do not use # as anchor href.';
 const LINK_TEXT_TOO_SHORT_FAILURE_STRING: string =
-    'Link text should be at least 4 characters long.';
+    'Link text should be at least 4 characters long. If you are not using <a> ' +
+    'element as anchor, please specify explicit role, e.g. role=\'button\'';
 const UNIQUE_ALT_FAILURE_STRING: string =
     'Links with images and text content, the alt attribute should be unique to the text content or empty.';
 const SAME_HREF_SAME_TEXT_FAILURE_STRING: string =
@@ -117,7 +125,7 @@ class ReactA11yAnchorsRuleWalker extends ErrorTolerantWalker {
                 this.addFailure(this.createFailure(anchorInfo.start, anchorInfo.width, NO_HASH_FAILURE_STRING));
             }
 
-            if (!anchorInfo.text || anchorInfo.text.length < 4) {
+            if (this.imageRole(openingElement) === 'link' && (!anchorInfo.text || anchorInfo.text.length < 4)) {
                 this.addFailure(this.createFailure(anchorInfo.start, anchorInfo.width, LINK_TEXT_TOO_SHORT_FAILURE_STRING));
             }
 
@@ -202,6 +210,14 @@ class ReactA11yAnchorsRuleWalker extends ErrorTolerantWalker {
 
         return altText;
     }
+
+    private imageRole(root: ts.Node): string {
+        const attributesInElement: { [propName: string]: ts.JsxAttribute } = getJsxAttributesFromJsxElement(root);
+        const roleProp: ts.JsxAttribute = attributesInElement[ROLE_STRING];
+
+        // If role attribute is specified, get the role value. Otherwise get the implicit role from tag name.
+        return roleProp ? getStringLiteral(roleProp) : getImplicitRole(root);
+    }
 }
 
 class AnchorInfo {
diff --git a/src/tests/ReactA11yAnchorsRuleTests.ts b/src/tests/ReactA11yAnchorsRuleTests.ts
index e1d8681ee..def995138 100644
--- a/src/tests/ReactA11yAnchorsRuleTests.ts
+++ b/src/tests/ReactA11yAnchorsRuleTests.ts
@@ -35,7 +35,8 @@ describe('reactA11yAnchorsRule', () : void => {
 
         TestHelper.assertViolations(ruleName, script, [
             {
-                "failure": "Link text should be at least 4 characters long.",
+                "failure": 'Link text should be at least 4 characters long. If you are not using <a> ' +
+                    'element as anchor, please specify explicit role, e.g. role=\'button\'',
                 "name": "file.tsx",
                 "ruleName": "react-a11y-anchors",
                 "startPosition": { "character": 28, "line": 3 }
@@ -73,7 +74,8 @@ describe('reactA11yAnchorsRule', () : void => {
                 "startPosition": { "character": 28, "line": 3 }
             },
             {
-                "failure": "Link text should be at least 4 characters long.",
+                "failure": 'Link text should be at least 4 characters long. If you are not using <a> ' +
+                    'element as anchor, please specify explicit role, e.g. role=\'button\'',
                 "name": "file.tsx",
                 "ruleName": "react-a11y-anchors",
                 "startPosition": { "character": 28, "line": 3 }
@@ -93,6 +95,18 @@ describe('reactA11yAnchorsRule', () : void => {
             TestHelper.assertViolations(ruleName, script, []);
         });
 
+        it('should pass when role is not link and length of text less than 4', () => {
+            // Anchor without 'href' attribute has no corresponding role.
+            const script: string = `
+                import React = require('react');
+                const anchor1 = <a role='button'>add</a>;
+                const anchor2 = <a role='button'><span className='iconClass'></span></a>;
+                const anchor3 = <a><img src='someURL' alt='someAlt' /></a>;
+            `;
+
+            TestHelper.assertNoViolation(ruleName, script);
+        });
+
         it('should fail when length of text less than 4', (): void => {
             const script: string = `
                 import React = require('react');
@@ -102,13 +116,15 @@ describe('reactA11yAnchorsRule', () : void => {
 
             TestHelper.assertViolations(ruleName, script, [
                 {
-                    "failure": "Link text should be at least 4 characters long.",
+                    "failure": 'Link text should be at least 4 characters long. If you are not using <a> ' +
+                        'element as anchor, please specify explicit role, e.g. role=\'button\'',
                     "name": "file.tsx",
                     "ruleName": "react-a11y-anchors",
                     "startPosition": { "character": 33, "line": 3 }
                 },
                 {
-                    "failure": "Link text should be at least 4 characters long.",
+                    "failure": 'Link text should be at least 4 characters long. If you are not using <a> ' +
+                        'element as anchor, please specify explicit role, e.g. role=\'button\'',
                     "name": "file.tsx",
                     "ruleName": "react-a11y-anchors",
                     "startPosition": { "character": 33, "line": 4 }