diff --git a/changelog.html b/changelog.html
index 1b8c3e0966709cb061ea1732f4b78d4eaffeee13..87b407b719397f4a7776e1044bc594cb284bd940 100644
--- a/changelog.html
+++ b/changelog.html
@@ -70,6 +70,9 @@ Upcoming changes</a>
   <li class=rfe>
     Managed windows slaves can be now run as a specific user account
     (<a href="https://github.com/jenkinsci/jenkins/pull/289">pull #289</a>) 
+  <li class=rfe>
+    Description field now has the preview button to test it inline.
+    (<a href="https://github.com/jenkinsci/jenkins/pull/243">pull #243</a>) 
   <li class=rfe>
     Maven mojo records can be now sorted
 </ul>
diff --git a/core/src/main/java/hudson/markup/MarkupFormatter.java b/core/src/main/java/hudson/markup/MarkupFormatter.java
index a1b3a594e57449611dc8a613e2cc08748b676ffc..4ed37c2297d1bd0be34d6ea713063f5ea6971d23 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/hudson/markup/MarkupFormatter.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/hudson/markup/MarkupFormatter.java
@@ -25,7 +25,14 @@ package hudson.markup;
 
 import hudson.ExtensionPoint;
 import hudson.model.AbstractDescribableImpl;
+import hudson.util.HttpResponses;
+import jenkins.model.Jenkins;
+import org.kohsuke.stapler.HttpResponse;
+import org.kohsuke.stapler.QueryParameter;
+import org.kohsuke.stapler.StaplerRequest;
+import org.kohsuke.stapler.StaplerResponse;
 
+import javax.servlet.ServletException;
 import java.io.IOException;
 import java.io.StringWriter;
 import java.io.Writer;
@@ -91,4 +98,14 @@ public abstract class MarkupFormatter extends AbstractDescribableImpl<MarkupForm
     public MarkupFormatterDescriptor getDescriptor() {
         return (MarkupFormatterDescriptor)super.getDescriptor();
     }
+
+    /**
+     * Generate HTML for preview, using markup formatter.
+     * Can be called from other views.
+     */
+    public HttpResponse doPreviewDescription(@QueryParameter String text) throws IOException {
+        StringWriter w = new StringWriter();
+        translate(text, w);
+        return HttpResponses.html(w.toString());
+    }
 }
diff --git a/core/src/main/resources/hudson/model/AbstractModelObject/descriptionForm.jelly b/core/src/main/resources/hudson/model/AbstractModelObject/descriptionForm.jelly
index 9a27babe2b1fd11a39ef63c11c76d6f33df2ba22..d4bcdae590e5f6e3536f97205a3b1f11b072b0e6 100644
--- a/core/src/main/resources/hudson/model/AbstractModelObject/descriptionForm.jelly
+++ b/core/src/main/resources/hudson/model/AbstractModelObject/descriptionForm.jelly
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ THE SOFTWARE.
       <table>
         <f:entry help="${app.markupFormatter.helpUrl}">
           <f:textarea name="description" value="${it.description}"
-                      codemirror-mode="${app.markupFormatter.codeMirrorMode}" codemirror-config="${app.markupFormatter.codeMirrorConfig}"/>
+                      codemirror-mode="${app.markupFormatter.codeMirrorMode}" codemirror-config="${app.markupFormatter.codeMirrorConfig}" previewEndpoint="/markupFormatter/previewDescription"/>
         </f:entry>
       </table>
       <div align="right">
diff --git a/core/src/main/resources/hudson/model/AbstractModelObject/editDescription.jelly b/core/src/main/resources/hudson/model/AbstractModelObject/editDescription.jelly
index a450bc6bc2e49e48e682b59e45efc3a0aee713a4..2e211b6221287f49c065d8e7d40d580dc588c55c 100644
--- a/core/src/main/resources/hudson/model/AbstractModelObject/editDescription.jelly
+++ b/core/src/main/resources/hudson/model/AbstractModelObject/editDescription.jelly
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ THE SOFTWARE.
         <table>
           <f:entry help="${app.markupFormatter.helpUrl}">
             <f:textarea name="description" value="${it.description}"
-                        codemirror-mode="${app.markupFormatter.codeMirrorMode}" codemirror-config="${app.markupFormatter.codeMirrorConfig}"/>
+                        codemirror-mode="${app.markupFormatter.codeMirrorMode}" codemirror-config="${app.markupFormatter.codeMirrorConfig}" previewEndpoint="/markupFormatter/previewDescription"/>
           </f:entry>
         </table>
         <f:submit value="${%Submit}" />
diff --git a/core/src/main/resources/hudson/model/Job/configure.jelly b/core/src/main/resources/hudson/model/Job/configure.jelly
index 3000b57320e2606b1635954efe3ad256ae540406..dcfc7ee5dde4f14b3b0f471536b0a2196a8d40ea 100644
--- a/core/src/main/resources/hudson/model/Job/configure.jelly
+++ b/core/src/main/resources/hudson/model/Job/configure.jelly
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ THE SOFTWARE.
           </f:entry>
         </j:if>
         <f:entry title="${%Description}" help="${app.markupFormatter.helpUrl}">
-          <f:textarea name="description" value="${it.description}" codemirror-mode="${app.markupFormatter.codeMirrorMode}" codemirror-config="${app.markupFormatter.codeMirrorConfig}"/>
+          <f:textarea name="description" value="${it.description}" codemirror-mode="${app.markupFormatter.codeMirrorMode}" codemirror-config="${app.markupFormatter.codeMirrorConfig}" previewEndpoint="/markupFormatter/previewDescription"/>
         </f:entry>
 
         <j:if test="${it.supportsLogRotator()}">
diff --git a/core/src/main/resources/hudson/model/Run/configure.jelly b/core/src/main/resources/hudson/model/Run/configure.jelly
index c71262878db967182fbb52e2b4aebc1e5a718bfa..52c9ff41426a11e152887fb30002e1817296bc9a 100644
--- a/core/src/main/resources/hudson/model/Run/configure.jelly
+++ b/core/src/main/resources/hudson/model/Run/configure.jelly
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ THE SOFTWARE.
           <f:textbox name="displayName" value="${it.hasCustomDisplayName()?it.displayName:''}"/>
         </f:entry>
         <f:entry title="${%Description}" help="/help/run-config/description.html">
-          <f:textarea name="description" value="${it.description}" codemirror-mode="${app.markupFormatter.codeMirrorMode}" codemirror-config="${app.markupFormatter.codeMirrorConfig}"/>
+          <f:textarea name="description" value="${it.description}" codemirror-mode="${app.markupFormatter.codeMirrorMode}" codemirror-config="${app.markupFormatter.codeMirrorConfig}" previewEndpoint="/markupFormatter/previewDescription"/>
         </f:entry>
 
         <j:if test="${h.hasPermission(it,it.UPDATE)}">
diff --git a/core/src/main/resources/hudson/model/View/configure.jelly b/core/src/main/resources/hudson/model/View/configure.jelly
index 5253f0272ac5c3e462a412e54400c267ba1f3645..e8817cc5452ce36664f2925e30feb83f8c187bb6 100644
--- a/core/src/main/resources/hudson/model/View/configure.jelly
+++ b/core/src/main/resources/hudson/model/View/configure.jelly
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ THE SOFTWARE.
           <f:textbox name="name" value="${it.viewName}" />
         </f:entry>
         <f:entry title="${%Description}" help="/help/view-config/description.html">
-          <f:textarea name="description" field="description" codemirror-mode="${app.markupFormatter.codeMirrorMode}" codemirror-config="${app.markupFormatter.codeMirrorConfig}"/>
+          <f:textarea name="description" field="description" codemirror-mode="${app.markupFormatter.codeMirrorMode}" codemirror-config="${app.markupFormatter.codeMirrorConfig}" previewEndpoint="/markupFormatter/previewDescription"/>
         </f:entry>
         <f:entry title="${%Filter build queue}" help="/help/view-config/filter-queue.html">
         	<f:checkbox name="filterQueue" field="filterQueue"/>
diff --git a/core/src/main/resources/jenkins/model/Jenkins/configure.jelly b/core/src/main/resources/jenkins/model/Jenkins/configure.jelly
index c4ba3f6a358da952debb56698d7d6ebbce31cb2b..5bee9554029da4eefec341c99c4defdc7d645a05 100644
--- a/core/src/main/resources/jenkins/model/Jenkins/configure.jelly
+++ b/core/src/main/resources/jenkins/model/Jenkins/configure.jelly
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ THE SOFTWARE.
       </f:advanced>
       <f:entry title="${%System Message}" help="/help/system-config/systemMessage.html">
         <f:textarea name="system_message" value="${it.systemMessage}"
-                    codemirror-mode="${app.markupFormatter.codeMirrorMode}" codemirror-config="${app.markupFormatter.codeMirrorConfig}"/>
+                    codemirror-mode="${app.markupFormatter.codeMirrorMode}" codemirror-config="${app.markupFormatter.codeMirrorConfig}" previewEndpoint="/markupFormatter/previewDescription"/>
       </f:entry>
 
       <!-- global configuration from everyone -->
diff --git a/core/src/main/resources/lib/form/textarea.jelly b/core/src/main/resources/lib/form/textarea.jelly
index 0a940dfd542d4faf01294fcab5721e7dd93998f2..a75866117795735ea318f97e6fe43630f41af6df 100644
--- a/core/src/main/resources/lib/form/textarea.jelly
+++ b/core/src/main/resources/lib/form/textarea.jelly
@@ -60,6 +60,10 @@ THE SOFTWARE.
       Specifies additional key/value pairs in the JSON format (except the start and end bracket)
       to be passed as CodeMirror option object.
     </st:attribute>
+    <st:attribute name="previewEndpoint">
+      If specified, this text area has preview feature.
+      The previewEndpoint is used to obtain formatted html.
+    </st:attribute>
   </st:documentation>
 
   <f:prepareDatabinding />
@@ -80,4 +84,14 @@ THE SOFTWARE.
   </textarea>
   <!-- resize handle -->
   <div class="textarea-handle"/>
+  <j:if test="${attrs.previewEndpoint!=null}">
+    <div class="textarea-preview-container">
+      <a href="#" class="textarea-show-preview" previewEndpoint="${attrs.previewEndpoint}">${%Preview}</a>
+      <st:nbsp/>
+      <a href="#" class="textarea-hide-preview">${%Hide preview}</a>
+      <div class="textarea-preview">
+        <!-- div for preview -->
+      </div>
+    </div>
+  </j:if>
 </j:jelly>
diff --git a/war/src/main/webapp/css/style.css b/war/src/main/webapp/css/style.css
index eb88fdde1897aba8fe94a29f7d1cc12e4d36c02d..c8ab78010b1bd020433e5a20ee9075c243bb43b5 100644
--- a/war/src/main/webapp/css/style.css
+++ b/war/src/main/webapp/css/style.css
@@ -1003,3 +1003,13 @@ table.progress-bar.red td.progress-bar-done {
 .tag7 { font-size: 1.70em; }
 .tag8 { font-size: 1.80em; }
 .tag9 { font-size: 1.90em; }
+
+/* ========================= textarea.jelly ================== */
+
+.textarea-preview-container {
+    text-align:left;
+}
+.textarea-preview {
+    background-color: #F0F0F0;
+    padding: 0.5em;
+}
diff --git a/war/src/main/webapp/scripts/hudson-behavior.js b/war/src/main/webapp/scripts/hudson-behavior.js
index a71d00b9f2f81623ea49413e2b1b2248ca9859d8..bf2bc6d1becf5073b8dbc4a743095cc959a89eb4 100644
--- a/war/src/main/webapp/scripts/hudson-behavior.js
+++ b/war/src/main/webapp/scripts/hudson-behavior.js
@@ -1194,6 +1194,45 @@ var hudsonRules = {
 
     ".button-with-dropdown" : function (e) {
         new YAHOO.widget.Button(e, { type: "menu", menu: e.nextSibling });
+    },
+
+    "DIV.textarea-preview-container" : function (e) {
+        var previewDiv = findElementsBySelector(e,".textarea-preview")[0];
+        var showPreview = findElementsBySelector(e,".textarea-show-preview")[0];
+        var hidePreview = findElementsBySelector(e,".textarea-hide-preview")[0];
+        $(hidePreview).hide();
+        $(previewDiv).hide();
+
+        showPreview.onclick = function() {
+            // Several TEXTAREAs may exist if CodeMirror is enabled. The first one has reference to the CodeMirror object.
+            var textarea = e.parentNode.getElementsByTagName("TEXTAREA")[0];
+            var text = textarea.codemirrorObject ? textarea.codemirrorObject.getValue() : textarea.value;
+            var render = function(txt) {
+                $(hidePreview).show();
+                $(previewDiv).show();
+                previewDiv.innerHTML = txt;
+            };
+
+            new Ajax.Request(rootURL + showPreview.getAttribute("previewEndpoint"), {
+                method: "POST",
+                requestHeaders: "Content-Type: application/x-www-form-urlencoded",
+                parameters: {
+                    text: text
+                },
+                onSuccess: function(obj) {
+                    render(obj.responseText)
+                },
+                onFailure: function(obj) {
+                    render(obj.status + " " + obj.statusText + "<HR/>" + obj.responseText)
+                }
+            });
+            return false;
+        }
+
+        hidePreview.onclick = function() {
+            $(hidePreview).hide();
+            $(previewDiv).hide();
+        };
     }
 };
 
@@ -2357,4 +2396,3 @@ function createComboBox(idOrField,valueFunction) {
 Ajax.Request.prototype.dispatchException = function(e) {
     throw e;
 }
-