diff --git a/app/views/forums/show.html.haml b/app/views/forums/show.html.haml
index 6cd636e19..681588352 100644
--- a/app/views/forums/show.html.haml
+++ b/app/views/forums/show.html.haml
@@ -3,7 +3,8 @@
 %p#notice= notice
 
 %p
-  = @forum.description
+  :markdown
+    #{ strip_tags(@forum.description) }
 %p
   This forum is run by
   = link_to @forum.owner, @forum.owner
diff --git a/spec/views/forums/index.html.haml_spec.rb b/spec/views/forums/index.html.haml_spec.rb
index 273fad99f..266033693 100644
--- a/spec/views/forums/index.html.haml_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/views/forums/index.html.haml_spec.rb
@@ -10,4 +10,8 @@ describe "forums/index" do
   it "renders a list of forums" do
     assert_select "h2", :text => @forum1.name, :count => 2
   end
+
+  it "parses markdown description into html" do
+    assert_select "em", "Everything"
+  end
 end
diff --git a/spec/views/forums/show.html.haml_spec.rb b/spec/views/forums/show.html.haml_spec.rb
index c5b62f69b..0861753be 100644
--- a/spec/views/forums/show.html.haml_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/views/forums/show.html.haml_spec.rb
@@ -7,10 +7,14 @@ describe "forums/show" do
   end
 
   it "renders attributes" do
-    rendered.should contain @forum.description
+    rendered.should contain "Everything about permaculture"
     rendered.should contain @forum.owner.to_s
   end
 
+  it "parses markdown description into html" do
+    assert_select "em", "Everything"
+  end
+
   it 'links to new post with the forum id' do
     assert_select "a[href=#{new_post_path(:forum_id => @forum.id)}]"
   end