diff --git a/MANUAL.txt b/MANUAL.txt
index 529bbd6ff..fcccd7c6f 100644
--- a/MANUAL.txt
+++ b/MANUAL.txt
@@ -1508,6 +1508,21 @@ Variables for man pages
 `hyphenate`
 :   if `true` (the default), hyphenation will be used
 
+Variables for ms
+----------------
+
+`pointsize`
+:    point size (e.g. `10p`)
+
+`lineheight`
+:    line height (e.g. `12p`)
+
+`fontfamily`
+:    font family (e.g. `T` or `P`)
+
+`indent`
+:    paragraph indent (e.g. `2m`)
+
 Using variables in templates
 ----------------------------
 
diff --git a/data/templates/default.ms b/data/templates/default.ms
index e7e28b6d6..c13684372 100644
--- a/data/templates/default.ms
+++ b/data/templates/default.ms
@@ -27,13 +27,13 @@ $endif$
 .\" header/footer width
 .nr LT \n[LL]
 .\" point size
-.nr PS 10p
+.nr PS $if(pointsize)$$pointsize$$else$10p$endif$
 .\" line height
-.nr VS 12p
+.nr VS $if(lineheight)$$lineheight$$else$12p$endif$
 .\" font family: A, BM, H, HN, N, P, T, ZCM
-.fam T
+.fam $if(fontfamily)$$fontfamily$$else$T$endif$
 .\" paragraph indent
-.nr PI 2m
+.nr PI $if(indent)$$indent$$else$2m$endif$
 .\" interparagraph space
 .nr PD 0.33v
 .\" footnote width
diff --git a/src/Text/Pandoc/Writers/Ms.hs b/src/Text/Pandoc/Writers/Ms.hs
index aadbd208e..4118a7bfb 100644
--- a/src/Text/Pandoc/Writers/Ms.hs
+++ b/src/Text/Pandoc/Writers/Ms.hs
@@ -516,10 +516,9 @@ inlineToMs opts (Link _ txt (src, _)) = do
        doubleQuotes (text (escapeUri src)) <> text " -A " <>
        doubleQuotes (text "\\c") <> space <> text "\\") <> cr <>
        text " -- " <> doubleQuotes (nowrap contents) <> cr <> text "\\&"
-inlineToMs opts (Image attr alternate (source, tit)) = do
-  let alt = if null alternate then [Str "image"] else alternate
-  linkPart <- inlineToMs opts (Link attr alt (source, tit))
-  return $ char '[' <> text "IMAGE: " <> linkPart <> char ']'
+inlineToMs _ (Image _ alternate (_, _)) =
+  return $ char '[' <> text "IMAGE: " <>
+           text (escapeString (stringify alternate)) <> char ']'
 inlineToMs _ (Note contents) = do
   modify $ \st -> st{ stNotes = contents : stNotes st }
   return $ text "\\**"
diff --git a/test/writer.ms b/test/writer.ms
index 759bdba15..0a67a6312 100644
--- a/test/writer.ms
+++ b/test/writer.ms
@@ -17,15 +17,15 @@
 .\" left margin
 .nr PO 1.25i
 .\" top margin
-.nr HM 1.25in
+.nr HM 1.25i
 .\" bottom margin
-.nr FM 1.25in
+.nr FM 1.25i
 .\" header/footer width
 .nr LT \n[LL]
-.\" point size (pt x 1000)
-.nr PS 10000
-.\" line height (pt x 1000)
-.nr VS 12000
+.\" point size
+.nr PS 10p
+.\" line height
+.nr VS 12p
 .\" font family: A, BM, H, HN, N, P, T, ZCM
 .fam T
 .\" paragraph indent
@@ -969,15 +969,9 @@ Images
 .LP
 From \[lq]Voyage dans la Lune\[rq] by Georges Melies (1902):
 .PP
-[IMAGE: \c
-.pdfhref W -D "lalune.jpg" -A "\c" \
- -- "lalune"
-\&]
+[IMAGE: lalune]
 .PP
-Here is a movie [IMAGE: \c
-.pdfhref W -D "movie.jpg" -A "\c" \
- -- "movie"
-\&] icon.
+Here is a movie [IMAGE: movie] icon.
 .HLINE
 .SH 1
 Footnotes