Ternary Ni-W-P alloy coating was deposited directly on AZ91D magnesium alloy by using an alkaline-citrate-based baths. Nickel sulfate and sodium tungstate were used as metal ion sources, respectively, and sodium hypophosphite was used as a reducing agent. The pH value of the electroless bath was tailored for magnesium alloy. The coating was characterized for its structure, morphology, microhardness and the corrosion properties. SEM observation showed the presence of dense and coarse nodules in the ternary coating. EDS analysis showed that the content of tungsten in the Ni-W-P alloy was 4.5 wt.%. Both the electrochemical analysis and the immersion test in 10% HCl solution revealed that the ternary Ni-W-P coating exhibited good corrosion resistance properties in protecting the AZ91D magnesium alloy. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.