diff --git a/ChangeLog b/ChangeLog
index 3488c1625..0935372f7 100644
--- a/ChangeLog
+++ b/ChangeLog
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 2007-01-20  Don Allingham  <don@gramps-project.org>
+	* src/BaseDoc.py: save/load paragraph description (#850)
 	* src/QuestionDialog.py: close window before calling callback
 	* src/DataViews/_PersonView.py (PersonView.change_db): apply
 	dirty flag to initial build to prevent forcing of build on load
diff --git a/src/BaseDoc.py b/src/BaseDoc.py
index 1e65f1b65..4ca70f1cb 100644
--- a/src/BaseDoc.py
+++ b/src/BaseDoc.py
@@ -890,6 +890,7 @@ class StyleSheetList:
                 tmargin = float(para.get_top_margin())
                 bmargin = float(para.get_bottom_margin())
                 padding = float(para.get_padding())
+                xml_file.write('description="%s" ' % para.get_description())
                 xml_file.write('rmargin="%s" ' % Utils.gformat(rmargin))
                 xml_file.write('lmargin="%s" ' % Utils.gformat(lmargin))
                 xml_file.write('first="%s" ' % Utils.gformat(findent))
@@ -1027,6 +1028,9 @@ class SheetParser(handler.ContentHandler):
             self.f.set_underline(int(attrs['underline']))
             self.f.set_color(cnv2color(attrs['color']))
         elif tag == "para":
+            if attrs.has_key('description'):
+                self.p.set_description(attrs['description'])
+            self.p.set_right_margin(Utils.gfloat(attrs['rmargin']))
             self.p.set_right_margin(Utils.gfloat(attrs['rmargin']))
             self.p.set_left_margin(Utils.gfloat(attrs['lmargin']))
             self.p.set_first_indent(Utils.gfloat(attrs['first']))