diff --git a/src/calibre/gui2/comments_editor.py b/src/calibre/gui2/comments_editor.py
index 013d13f9e7..04bc5284ed 100644
--- a/src/calibre/gui2/comments_editor.py
+++ b/src/calibre/gui2/comments_editor.py
@@ -593,6 +593,11 @@ class Editor(QWidget): # {{{
     def code_dirtied(self, *args):
         self.source_dirty = True
 
+    def hide_toolbars(self):
+        self.toolbar1.setVisible(False)
+        self.toolbar2.setVisible(False)
+        self.toolbar3.setVisible(False)
+
 # }}}
 
 if __name__ == '__main__':
diff --git a/src/calibre/gui2/convert/metadata.py b/src/calibre/gui2/convert/metadata.py
index 5f39202e26..23cac74cf8 100644
--- a/src/calibre/gui2/convert/metadata.py
+++ b/src/calibre/gui2/convert/metadata.py
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ from calibre.ebooks.metadata.opf2 import metadata_to_opf
 from calibre.ptempfile import PersistentTemporaryFile
 from calibre.gui2.convert import Widget
 from calibre.utils.icu import sort_key
+from calibre.library.comments import comments_to_html
 
 def create_opf_file(db, book_id):
     mi = db.get_metadata(book_id, index_is_id=True)
@@ -57,6 +58,7 @@ class MetadataWidget(Widget, Ui_Form):
             self.initialize_metadata_options()
         self.initialize_options(get_option, get_help, db, book_id)
         self.connect(self.cover_button, SIGNAL("clicked()"), self.select_cover)
+        self.comment.hide_toolbars()
 
     def deduce_author_sort(self, *args):
         au = unicode(self.author.currentText())
@@ -79,7 +81,7 @@ class MetadataWidget(Widget, Ui_Form):
         self.author_sort.setText(mi.author_sort if mi.author_sort else '')
         self.tags.setText(', '.join(mi.tags if mi.tags else []))
         self.tags.update_items_cache(self.db.all_tags())
-        self.comment.setPlainText(mi.comments if mi.comments else '')
+        self.comment.html = comments_to_html(mi.comments) if mi.comments else ''
         if mi.series:
             self.series.setCurrentIndex(self.series.findText(mi.series))
         if mi.series_index is not None:
@@ -154,7 +156,7 @@ class MetadataWidget(Widget, Ui_Form):
         author_sort = unicode(self.author_sort.text()).strip()
         if author_sort:
             mi.author_sort = author_sort
-        comments = unicode(self.comment.toPlainText()).strip()
+        comments = self.comment.html
         if comments:
             mi.comments = comments
         mi.series_index = float(self.series_index.value())
diff --git a/src/calibre/gui2/convert/metadata.ui b/src/calibre/gui2/convert/metadata.ui
index 8db4cfa2a1..61c27594c4 100644
--- a/src/calibre/gui2/convert/metadata.ui
+++ b/src/calibre/gui2/convert/metadata.ui
@@ -20,30 +20,6 @@
       <string>Book Cover</string>
      </property>
      <layout class="QGridLayout" name="_2">
-      <item row="0" column="0">
-       <layout class="QHBoxLayout" name="_3">
-        <item>
-         <widget class="ImageView" name="cover" native="true">
-          <property name="sizePolicy">
-           <sizepolicy hsizetype="Expanding" vsizetype="Expanding">
-            <horstretch>0</horstretch>
-            <verstretch>0</verstretch>
-           </sizepolicy>
-          </property>
-         </widget>
-        </item>
-       </layout>
-      </item>
-      <item row="2" column="0">
-       <widget class="QCheckBox" name="opt_prefer_metadata_cover">
-        <property name="text">
-         <string>Use cover from &amp;source file</string>
-        </property>
-        <property name="checked">
-         <bool>true</bool>
-        </property>
-       </widget>
-      </item>
       <item row="1" column="0">
        <layout class="QVBoxLayout" name="_4">
         <property name="spacing">
@@ -95,6 +71,30 @@
         </item>
        </layout>
       </item>
+      <item row="2" column="0">
+       <widget class="QCheckBox" name="opt_prefer_metadata_cover">
+        <property name="text">
+         <string>Use cover from &amp;source file</string>
+        </property>
+        <property name="checked">
+         <bool>true</bool>
+        </property>
+       </widget>
+      </item>
+      <item row="0" column="0">
+       <layout class="QHBoxLayout" name="_3">
+        <item>
+         <widget class="ImageView" name="cover" native="true">
+          <property name="sizePolicy">
+           <sizepolicy hsizetype="Expanding" vsizetype="Expanding">
+            <horstretch>0</horstretch>
+            <verstretch>0</verstretch>
+           </sizepolicy>
+          </property>
+         </widget>
+        </item>
+       </layout>
+      </item>
      </layout>
      <zorder>opt_prefer_metadata_cover</zorder>
      <zorder></zorder>
@@ -264,35 +264,7 @@
       </layout>
      </item>
      <item>
-      <widget class="QGroupBox" name="groupBox_2">
-       <property name="sizePolicy">
-        <sizepolicy hsizetype="Minimum" vsizetype="Minimum">
-         <horstretch>0</horstretch>
-         <verstretch>0</verstretch>
-        </sizepolicy>
-       </property>
-       <property name="maximumSize">
-        <size>
-         <width>16777215</width>
-         <height>200</height>
-        </size>
-       </property>
-       <property name="title">
-        <string>Comments</string>
-       </property>
-       <layout class="QGridLayout" name="_8">
-        <item row="0" column="0">
-         <widget class="QTextEdit" name="comment">
-          <property name="maximumSize">
-           <size>
-            <width>16777215</width>
-            <height>180</height>
-           </size>
-          </property>
-         </widget>
-        </item>
-       </layout>
-      </widget>
+      <widget class="Editor" name="comment" native="true"/>
      </item>
     </layout>
    </item>
@@ -325,6 +297,12 @@
    <header>calibre/gui2/widgets.h</header>
    <container>1</container>
   </customwidget>
+  <customwidget>
+   <class>Editor</class>
+   <extends>QWidget</extends>
+   <header>calibre/gui2/comments_editor.h</header>
+   <container>1</container>
+  </customwidget>
  </customwidgets>
  <tabstops>
   <tabstop>title</tabstop>
@@ -334,7 +312,6 @@
   <tabstop>tags</tabstop>
   <tabstop>series</tabstop>
   <tabstop>series_index</tabstop>
-  <tabstop>comment</tabstop>
   <tabstop>cover_path</tabstop>
   <tabstop>cover_button</tabstop>
   <tabstop>opt_prefer_metadata_cover</tabstop>