diff --git a/news/changelog-1.7.md b/news/changelog-1.7.md
index 8912205b900..7f34964260a 100644
--- a/news/changelog-1.7.md
+++ b/news/changelog-1.7.md
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ All changes included in 1.7:
 ## YAML validation
 
 - ([#11654](https://github.com/quarto-dev/quarto-cli/issues/11654)): Allow `page-inset` as value in `column` key for code cells.
+- ([#10251](https://github.com/quarto-dev/quarto-cli/issues/10251)): EJS template for website now uses proper object to get alt text for logo in sidebar.
 
 ## Website projects
 
diff --git a/src/resources/projects/website/templates/sidebar.ejs b/src/resources/projects/website/templates/sidebar.ejs
index 11059e02f64..7a5b0163d6f 100644
--- a/src/resources/projects/website/templates/sidebar.ejs
+++ b/src/resources/projects/website/templates/sidebar.ejs
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@
     <div class="pt-lg-2 mt-2 <%= alignCss %> sidebar-header<%= sidebar.logo && sidebar.title ? ' sidebar-header-stacked' : '' %>">
     <% if (sidebar.logo) { %>
       <a href="<%- sidebar['logo-href'] || '/index.html' %>" class="sidebar-logo-link">
-      <img src="<%- sidebar.logo %>" alt="<%- navbar['logo-alt'] || '' %>" class="sidebar-logo py-0 d-lg-inline d-none"/>
+      <img src="<%- sidebar.logo %>" alt="<%- sidebar['logo-alt'] || '' %>" class="sidebar-logo py-0 d-lg-inline d-none"/>
       </a>
     <% } %>
     <% if (needsTools && toolsLocation === "logo") { %>
@@ -92,4 +92,4 @@
   <% } %>
 
 </nav>
-<div id="quarto-sidebar-glass" class="quarto-sidebar-collapse-item" data-bs-toggle="collapse" data-bs-target=".quarto-sidebar-collapse-item" ></div>
\ No newline at end of file
+<div id="quarto-sidebar-glass" class="quarto-sidebar-collapse-item" data-bs-toggle="collapse" data-bs-target=".quarto-sidebar-collapse-item" ></div>
diff --git a/tests/docs/smoke-all/2024/07/09/issue-10251/_quarto.yml b/tests/docs/smoke-all/2024/07/09/issue-10251/_quarto.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..8c12db453d3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/docs/smoke-all/2024/07/09/issue-10251/_quarto.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+project:
+  type: website
+
+website:
+  title: "issue-10251"
+  navbar:
+    logo: "https://quarto.org/quarto.png"
+    logo-alt: "this is the alt text that for the logo in the navbar"
+    left:
+      - href: index.qmd
+        text: Home
+  sidebar: 
+    logo: "https://quarto.org/quarto.png"
+    logo-alt: "this is the alt text that for the logo in the sidebar"
+
+format:
+  html:
+    theme: cosmo
+    toc: true
diff --git a/tests/docs/smoke-all/2024/07/09/issue-10251/index.qmd b/tests/docs/smoke-all/2024/07/09/issue-10251/index.qmd
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..a55e013f67b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/docs/smoke-all/2024/07/09/issue-10251/index.qmd
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+---
+title: "issue-10251"
+_quarto:
+  tests:
+    html:
+      ensureFileRegexMatches:
+        - [
+            '<img src="https://quarto.org/quarto.png" alt="this is the alt text that for the logo in the sidebar" class="sidebar-logo py-0 d-lg-inline d-none">',
+            '<img src="https://quarto.org/quarto.png" alt="this is the alt text that for the logo in the navbar" class="navbar-logo">'
+          ]
+---
+
+This is a Quarto website.
+
+To learn more about Quarto websites visit <https://quarto.org/docs/websites>.