diff --git a/lib/OpenLayers/Renderer/SVG.js b/lib/OpenLayers/Renderer/SVG.js
index 263aac0be0..4ca55b3768 100644
--- a/lib/OpenLayers/Renderer/SVG.js
+++ b/lib/OpenLayers/Renderer/SVG.js
@@ -735,6 +735,9 @@ OpenLayers.Renderer.SVG = OpenLayers.Class(OpenLayers.Renderer.Elements, {
                      vfactor = -.5;
                 }
                 tspan.setAttribute("dy", (vfactor*(numRows-1)) + "em");
+                if (OpenLayers.BROWSER_NAME === "msie") {
+                    tspan.setAttribute("dy", ".35em");
+                }
             } else {
                 tspan.setAttribute("dy", "1em");
             }
diff --git a/lib/OpenLayers/Util.js b/lib/OpenLayers/Util.js
index 8c3e37f5a1..d999a5c50b 100644
--- a/lib/OpenLayers/Util.js
+++ b/lib/OpenLayers/Util.js
@@ -1489,6 +1489,11 @@ OpenLayers.BROWSER_NAME = (function() {
             name = "mozilla";
         }
     }
+
+    // IE 11 can't be detected by searching "msie" from user agent string
+    if (window.ActiveXObject || "ActiveXObject" in window)
+        name = "msie";
+
     return name;
 })();