diff --git a/Gemfile b/Gemfile
index 60fc118c..fc040ce0 100644
--- a/Gemfile
+++ b/Gemfile
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ gem "pygments.rb", "0.2.3"
 gem "thin"
 gem "git"
 gem "acts_as_list"
+gem 'rdiscount'
 
 group :assets do
   gem 'sass-rails', "  ~> 3.1.0"
@@ -26,7 +27,7 @@ group :assets do
   gem 'uglifier'
 end
 
-group :development do 
+group :development do
   gem 'rails-footnotes', '>= 3.7.5.rc4'
   gem 'annotate', :git => 'git://github.com/ctran/annotate_models.git'
 end
diff --git a/Gemfile.lock b/Gemfile.lock
index 83ccebd8..83df35b5 100644
--- a/Gemfile.lock
+++ b/Gemfile.lock
@@ -161,6 +161,7 @@ GEM
       rdoc (~> 3.4)
       thor (~> 0.14.6)
     rake (0.9.2)
+    rdiscount (1.6.8)
     rdoc (3.9.4)
     rspec (2.6.0)
       rspec-core (~> 2.6.0)
@@ -264,6 +265,7 @@ DEPENDENCIES
   pygments.rb (= 0.2.3)
   rails (= 3.1.0)
   rails-footnotes (>= 3.7.5.rc4)
+  rdiscount
   rspec-rails
   ruby-debug19
   sass-rails (~> 3.1.0)
diff --git a/app/helpers/application_helper.rb b/app/helpers/application_helper.rb
index 599d1e5c..fbca5ea5 100644
--- a/app/helpers/application_helper.rb
+++ b/app/helpers/application_helper.rb
@@ -30,6 +30,10 @@ module ApplicationHelper
     end
   end
 
+  def markdown(text)
+    RDiscount.new(text, :autolink, :no_pseudo_protocols, :safelink, :smart, :filter_html).to_html.html_safe
+  end
+
   def search_autocomplete_source
     projects = current_user.projects.map{ |p| { :label => p.name, :url => project_path(p) } }
     default_nav = [
diff --git a/app/views/notes/_show.html.haml b/app/views/notes/_show.html.haml
index ee9f9ffa..187d0a3c 100644
--- a/app/views/notes/_show.html.haml
+++ b/app/views/notes/_show.html.haml
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
   %div.note_author
     = image_tag gravatar_icon(note.author.email), :class => "left", :width => 40, :style => "padding-right:5px;"
   %div.note_content.left
-    = simple_format(html_escape(note.note))
+    = markdown(note.note)
     - if note.attachment.url
       Attachment:
       = link_to note.attachment_identifier, note.attachment.url, :target => "_blank"
diff --git a/app/views/projects/_recent_messages.html.haml b/app/views/projects/_recent_messages.html.haml
index 67f3449b..b38ba483 100644
--- a/app/views/projects/_recent_messages.html.haml
+++ b/app/views/projects/_recent_messages.html.haml
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@
       %p{:style => "margin-bottom: 3px;"}
         %span.author
           = note.author.name
-        = link_to truncate(note.note, :length => 200), link_to_item + "#note_#{note.id}"
+        = link_to truncate(markdown(note.note), :length => 200), link_to_item + "#note_#{note.id}"
         - if note.attachment.url
           %br
           Attachment: