diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/templates/story_hover.jst.ejs b/app/assets/javascripts/templates/story_hover.jst.ejs
index c65faad2c..210c57386 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/templates/story_hover.jst.ejs
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/templates/story_hover.jst.ejs
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@
 </div>
 <% if (story.get('description')) { %>
   <h4 class="title"><%= story.humanAttributeName('description') %></h4>
-  <div class="description"><%= window.md.makeHtml(story.escape('description')) %></div>
+  <div class="description"><%= window.md.makeHtml(story.get('description')) %></div>
 <% } %>
 <% if (story.hasNotes()) { %>
   <h5 class="title"><%= I18n.t('notes') %></h5>
diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/views/story_view.js b/app/assets/javascripts/views/story_view.js
index d12412bfa..9f831a559 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/views/story_view.js
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/views/story_view.js
@@ -346,7 +346,7 @@ Fulcrum.StoryView = Fulcrum.FormView.extend({
             var description = this.make('div');
             $(description).addClass('description');
             $(description).html(
-              window.md.makeHtml(this.model.escape('description'))
+              window.md.makeHtml(this.model.get('description') || "")
             );
             $(div).append(description);
             $(description).after(
diff --git a/spec/features/stories_spec.rb b/spec/features/stories_spec.rb
index 30f2778b4..d95a6e6b1 100644
--- a/spec/features/stories_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/features/stories_spec.rb
@@ -118,6 +118,54 @@
     end
   end
 
+  describe 'formatting' do
+    let(:title) { 'My story' }
+    let!(:story) { FactoryGirl.create :story, title: title, description: description, project: project, requested_by: user }
+
+    before do
+      Capybara.ignore_hidden_elements = true
+      visit project_path project
+    end
+
+    describe 'description', js: true do
+      let(:expand_story) { find('.story-title', text: title).click }
+      let(:hover_story) { find('.popover-activate').hover }
+
+      describe '*italics*' do
+        let(:description) { 'Text with *italics*.' }
+
+        specify 'edit form' do
+          expand_story
+          page.should have_css :em, text: 'italics'
+        end
+      end
+
+      describe 'autolink URLs' do
+        let(:url) { 'http://www.google.com' }
+        let(:description) { "Text with a URL: #{url}" }
+
+        specify 'edit form' do
+          expand_story
+          page.should have_css "a[href='#{url}']", text: url
+        end
+
+        specify 'hover' do
+          hover_story
+          page.should have_css "a[href='#{url}']", text: url
+        end
+      end
+
+      describe 'handle blank correctly' do
+        let(:description) { nil }
+
+        specify 'edit form' do
+          expand_story
+          page.should have_css '.description'
+        end
+      end
+    end
+  end
+
   def story_selector(story)
     "#story-#{story.id}"
   end