diff --git a/ckan/lib/helpers.py b/ckan/lib/helpers.py
index a8b0ffa0429..acbd6fb7144 100644
--- a/ckan/lib/helpers.py
+++ b/ckan/lib/helpers.py
@@ -552,6 +552,34 @@ def dump_json(obj):
     import json
     return json.dumps(obj)
 
+def markdown_editor(fieldname, value, id='', placeholder=None):
+    from pylons.i18n import _
+    from string import Template
+    if not placeholder:
+        placeholder = _('Start with a summary sentence ...')
+    if not value: 
+        value = ''
+    template = Template('''
+    <div class="markdown-editor">
+      <ul class="button-row">
+        <li><button class="btn js-markdown-edit depressed">Edit</button></li>
+        <li><button class="btn js-markdown-preview">Preview</button></li>
+      </ul>
+      <div>
+        <textarea class="markdown-input" name="${fieldname}" id="${id}'" placeholder="${placeholder}">${value}</textarea>
+      </div>
+      <div class="markdown-preview" style="display: none;"></div>
+      <span class="hints">You can use <a href="http://daringfireball.net/projects/markdown/syntax" target="_blank">Markdown formatting</a> here.</span>
+    </div>
+    ''')
+    return literal(template.substitute({
+        'fieldname':fieldname, 
+        'placeholder':placeholder,
+        'id':id,
+        'value':value
+    }))
+
+
 def auto_log_message(context):
     from pylons.i18n import _
     if (context.action=='new') :
diff --git a/ckan/public/css/style.css b/ckan/public/css/style.css
index e4c22aa3c17..8e7e7e77c3d 100644
--- a/ckan/public/css/style.css
+++ b/ckan/public/css/style.css
@@ -834,11 +834,11 @@ ul.datasets .openness li {
   overflow: auto;
 }
 .markdown-editor textarea.markdown-input {
+  display: block;
   width: 360px;
   height: 70px;
-  margin-bottom: 5px;
+  margin: 0 0 5px 0;
   padding: 5px;
-  display: block;
 }
 
 
diff --git a/ckan/public/scripts/templates.js b/ckan/public/scripts/templates.js
index 9cc70c25526..b1c376f12a3 100644
--- a/ckan/public/scripts/templates.js
+++ b/ckan/public/scripts/templates.js
@@ -58,6 +58,7 @@ CKAN.Templates.resourceEntry = ' \
     </a>\
   </li>';
 
+// TODO it would be nice to unify this with the markdown editor specified in helpers.py
 CKAN.Templates.resourceDetails = ' \
   <div style="display: none;" class="resource-details"> \
     <div class="flash-messages"> \
@@ -77,7 +78,9 @@ CKAN.Templates.resourceDetails = ' \
             <li><button class="btn js-markdown-edit depressed">Edit</button></li> \
             <li><button class="btn js-markdown-preview">Preview</button></li> \
           </ul> \
-          <textarea class="js-resource-edit-description markdown-input" name="resources__${num}__description">${resource.description}</textarea> \
+          <div> \
+            <textarea class="js-resource-edit-description markdown-input" name="resources__${num}__description">${resource.description}</textarea> \
+          </div> \
           <div class="markdown-preview" style="display: none;"></div> \
           <span class="hints">You can use <a href="http://daringfireball.net/projects/markdown/syntax" target="_blank">Markdown formatting</a> here.</span> \
         </div> \
diff --git a/ckan/templates/group/new_group_form.html b/ckan/templates/group/new_group_form.html
index 9fb953f3728..32d20e9d6f8 100644
--- a/ckan/templates/group/new_group_form.html
+++ b/ckan/templates/group/new_group_form.html
@@ -38,15 +38,7 @@ <h2>Errors in form</h2>
   <div class="control-group">
     <label for="" class="control-label">Description</label>
     <div class="controls">
-      <div class="markdown-editor">
-        <ul class="button-row">
-          <li><button class="btn js-markdown-edit depressed">Edit</button></li>
-          <li><button class="btn js-markdown-preview">Preview</button></li>
-        </ul>
-        <textarea class="markdown-input" name="description" id="notes" placeholder="${_('Start with a summary sentence ...')}">${data.get('description','')}</textarea>
-        <div class="markdown-preview" style="display: none;"></div>
-        <span class="hints">You can use <a href="http://daringfireball.net/projects/markdown/syntax" target="_blank">Markdown formatting</a> here.</span>
-      </div>
+      ${h.markdown_editor('notes',data.get('description',''),id='notes')}
     </div>
   </div>
   <div class="state-field control-group" py:if="c.is_sysadmin or c.auth_for_change_state">
diff --git a/ckan/templates/package/new_package_form.html b/ckan/templates/package/new_package_form.html
index 6096dc7054a..b1d65d2c64e 100644
--- a/ckan/templates/package/new_package_form.html
+++ b/ckan/templates/package/new_package_form.html
@@ -82,15 +82,7 @@ <h2>Errors in form</h2>
   <div class="control-group description-field">
     <label class="control-label" for="notes">Description</label>
     <div class="controls">
-      <div class="markdown-editor">
-        <ul class="button-row">
-          <li><button class="btn js-markdown-edit depressed">Edit</button></li>
-          <li><button class="btn js-markdown-preview">Preview</button></li>
-        </ul>
-        <textarea class="markdown-input" name="notes" id="notes" placeholder="${_('Start with a summary sentence ...')}">${data.get('notes','')}</textarea>
-        <div class="markdown-preview" style="display: none;"></div>
-        <span class="hints">You can use <a href="http://daringfireball.net/projects/markdown/syntax" target="_blank">Markdown formatting</a> here.</span>
-      </div>
+      ${h.markdown_editor('notes', data.get('notes'), id='notes')}
     </div>
   </div>
 
diff --git a/ckan/templates/user/edit_user_form.html b/ckan/templates/user/edit_user_form.html
index d9e5782a370..cea1fbba0ef 100644
--- a/ckan/templates/user/edit_user_form.html
+++ b/ckan/templates/user/edit_user_form.html
@@ -36,15 +36,7 @@ <h2>Errors in form</h2>
     <div class="control-group">
       <label for="about" class="control-label">About</label>
       <div class="controls">
-        <div class="markdown-editor">
-          <ul class="button-row">
-            <li><button class="btn js-markdown-edit depressed">Edit</button></li>
-            <li><button class="btn js-markdown-preview">Preview</button></li>
-          </ul>
-          <textarea class="markdown-input" tabindex="3" name="about" id="about" placeholder="${_('A little about you...')}">${data.get('about','')}</textarea>
-          <div class="markdown-preview" style="display: none;"></div>
-          <span class="hints">You can use <a href="http://daringfireball.net/projects/markdown/syntax">Markdown formatting</a> here.</span>
-        </div>
+        ${h.markdown_editor('about',data.get('about',''),id='about',placeholder=_('A little about you...'))}
       </div>
     </div>
   </fieldset>