diff --git a/static/css/quay.css b/static/css/quay.css
index 663a25154..a5b115374 100644
--- a/static/css/quay.css
+++ b/static/css/quay.css
@@ -649,9 +649,8 @@ p.editable {
   display: inline-block;
 }
 
-p.editable .content:empty:after {
+p.editable .empty {
   display: inline-block;
-  content: "(Click to add)";
   color: #aaa;
 }
 
diff --git a/static/directives/markdown-input.html b/static/directives/markdown-input.html
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..010c2f90a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/static/directives/markdown-input.html
@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+<div class="markdown-input-container">
+  <p ng-class="'lead ' + (canWrite ? 'editable' : 'noteditable')" ng-click="editContent()">
+    <span class="markdown-view" content="content"></span>
+    <span class="empty" ng-show="!content && canWrite">(Click to set {{ fieldTitle }})</span>
+    <i class="fa fa-edit"></i>
+  </p>
+
+ <!-- Modal editor -->
+ <div class="modal fade">
+   <div class="modal-dialog">
+     <div class="modal-content">
+       <div class="modal-header">
+         <button type="button" class="close" data-dismiss="modal" aria-hidden="true">&times;</button>
+         <h4 class="modal-title">Edit {{ fieldTitle }}</h4>
+       </div>
+       <div class="modal-body">
+         <div class="wmd-panel">
+           <div id="wmd-button-bar-description-{{id}}"></div>	    
+           <textarea class="wmd-input" id="wmd-input-description-{{id}}" placeholder="Enter {{ fieldTitle }}">{{ content }}</textarea>
+         </div>
+         
+         <div id="wmd-preview-description-{{id}}" class="wmd-panel wmd-preview"></div>
+       </div>
+       <div class="modal-footer">
+         <button type="button" class="btn btn-default" data-dismiss="modal">Close</button>
+         <button type="button" class="btn btn-primary" ng-click="saveContent()">Save changes</button>
+       </div>
+     </div><!-- /.modal-content -->
+   </div><!-- /.modal-dialog -->
+ </div><!-- /.modal -->
+</div>
diff --git a/static/js/app.js b/static/js/app.js
index 333f0d047..ca32342a3 100644
--- a/static/js/app.js
+++ b/static/js/app.js
@@ -312,6 +312,54 @@ quayApp.directive('organizationHeader', function () {
 });
 
 
+quayApp.directive('markdownInput', function () {
+  var counter = 0;
+
+  var directiveDefinitionObject = {
+    priority: 0,
+    templateUrl: '/static/directives/markdown-input.html',
+    replace: false,
+    transclude: false,
+    restrict: 'C',
+    scope: {
+      'content': '=content',
+      'canWrite': '=canWrite',
+      'contentChanged': '=contentChanged',
+      'fieldTitle': '=fieldTitle'
+    },
+    controller: function($scope, $element) {
+      var elm = $element[0];
+
+      $scope.id = (counter++);
+
+      $scope.editContent = function() {
+        if (!$scope.canWrite) { return; }
+
+        if (!$scope.markdownDescriptionEditor) {
+          var converter = Markdown.getSanitizingConverter();
+          var editor = new Markdown.Editor(converter, '-description-' + $scope.id);
+          editor.run();
+          $scope.markdownDescriptionEditor = editor;
+        }
+
+        $('#wmd-input-description-' + $scope.id)[0].value = $scope.content;
+        $(elm).find('.modal').modal({});
+      };
+
+      $scope.saveContent = function() {
+        $scope.content = $('#wmd-input-description-' + $scope.id)[0].value;
+        $(elm).find('.modal').modal('hide');
+
+        if ($scope.contentChanged) {
+          $scope.contentChanged($scope.content);
+        }
+      };
+    }
+  };
+  return directiveDefinitionObject;
+});
+
+
 quayApp.directive('entitySearch', function () {
   var number = 0;
   var directiveDefinitionObject = {
diff --git a/static/js/controllers.js b/static/js/controllers.js
index 55d277f75..1faffb0ca 100644
--- a/static/js/controllers.js
+++ b/static/js/controllers.js
@@ -248,23 +248,8 @@ function RepoCtrl($scope, Restangular, $routeParams, $rootScope, $location, $tim
     $scope.setTag($location.search().tag, false);
   });
 
-  $scope.editDescription = function() {
-    if (!$scope.repo.can_write) { return; }
-
-    if (!$scope.markdownDescriptionEditor) {
-      var converter = Markdown.getSanitizingConverter();
-      var editor = new Markdown.Editor(converter, '-description');
-      editor.run();
-      $scope.markdownDescriptionEditor = editor;
-    }
-
-    $('#wmd-input-description')[0].value = $scope.repo.description;
-    $('#editModal').modal({});
-  };
-
-  $scope.saveDescription = function() {
-    $('#editModal').modal('hide');
-    $scope.repo.description = $('#wmd-input-description')[0].value;
+  $scope.updateForDescription = function(content) {
+    $scope.repo.description = content;
     $scope.repo.put();
   };
 
@@ -1003,23 +988,6 @@ function NewRepoCtrl($scope, $location, $http, $timeout, UserService, Restangula
     });
   };
 
-  $scope.editDescription = function() {
-    if (!$scope.markdownDescriptionEditor) {
-      var converter = Markdown.getSanitizingConverter();
-      var editor = new Markdown.Editor(converter, '-description');
-      editor.run();
-      $scope.markdownDescriptionEditor = editor;
-    }
-
-    $('#wmd-input-description')[0].value = $scope.repo.description;
-    $('#editModal').modal({});
-  };
-
-  $scope.saveDescription = function() {
-    $('#editModal').modal('hide');
-    $scope.repo.description = $('#wmd-input-description')[0].value;  
-  };
-
   $scope.createNewRepo = function() {
     $('#repoName').popover('hide');
 
diff --git a/static/partials/new-repo.html b/static/partials/new-repo.html
index 70effd42a..a8ab2cba5 100644
--- a/static/partials/new-repo.html
+++ b/static/partials/new-repo.html
@@ -39,10 +39,8 @@
       
       <div class="section">
         <strong>Description:</strong><br>
-        <p class="description lead editable" ng-click="editDescription()">
-          <span class="markdown-view content" content="repo.description"></span>
-          <i class="fa fa-edit"></i>
-        </p>
+        <div class="description markdown-input" content="repo.description" can-write="true"
+             field-title="'repository description'"></div>
       </div>
     </div>
   </div>
diff --git a/static/partials/view-repo.html b/static/partials/view-repo.html
index bcbc789ab..84eb76919 100644
--- a/static/partials/view-repo.html
+++ b/static/partials/view-repo.html
@@ -52,12 +52,8 @@
   </div>
 
   <!-- Description -->
-  <div class="description">
-    <p ng-class="'lead ' + (repo.can_write ? 'editable' : 'noteditable')" ng-click="editDescription()">
-      <span class="markdown-view content" content="repo.description"></span>
-      <i class="fa fa-edit"></i>
-    </p>
-  </div>
+  <div class="description markdown-input" content="repo.description" can-write="repo.can_write"
+       content-changed="updateForDescription" field-title="'repository description'"></div>
 
   <!-- Empty message -->
   <div class="repo-content" ng-show="!currentTag.image && !repo.is_building">
@@ -183,29 +179,4 @@
       </div>
     </div>
   </div>
-
-  <!-- Modal edit for the description -->
-  <div class="modal fade" id="editModal">
-    <div class="modal-dialog">
-      <div class="modal-content">
-        <div class="modal-header">
-          <button type="button" class="close" data-dismiss="modal" aria-hidden="true">&times;</button>
-          <h4 class="modal-title">Edit Repository Description</h4>
-        </div>
-        <div class="modal-body">
-          <div class="wmd-panel">
-            <div id="wmd-button-bar-description"></div>	    
-            <textarea class="wmd-input" id="wmd-input-description" placeholder="Enter description">{{ repo.description }}</textarea>
-          </div>
-
-          <div id="wmd-preview-description" class="wmd-panel wmd-preview"></div>
-        </div>
-        <div class="modal-footer">
-          <button type="button" class="btn btn-default" data-dismiss="modal">Close</button>
-          <button type="button" class="btn btn-primary" ng-click="saveDescription()">Save changes</button>
-        </div>
-      </div><!-- /.modal-content -->
-    </div><!-- /.modal-dialog -->
-  </div><!-- /.modal -->
-  
 </div>