diff --git a/src/webapp/libdjango.py b/src/webapp/libdjango.py
index e8c216628..d9ab20e75 100644
--- a/src/webapp/libdjango.py
+++ b/src/webapp/libdjango.py
@@ -295,15 +295,22 @@ class DjangoInterface(object):
                 citation_list, note_list, media_list, attribute_list,
                 change, private)
 
-    def get_note(self, note):
-        styled_text = [note.text, []]
+    def get_note_markup(self, note):
+        retval = []
         markups = models.Markup.objects.filter(note=note).order_by("order")
         for markup in markups:
-            value = markup.string
+            # FIXME: not all of these are strings; bummer
+            if markup.string and markup.string.isdigit():
+                value = int(markup.string)
+            else:
+                value = markup.string 
             start_stop_list  = markup.start_stop_list
             ss_list = eval(start_stop_list)
-            styled_text[1] += [(tuple(markup.markup_type), 
-                                value, ss_list)]
+            retval += [(tuple(markup.markup_type), value, ss_list)]
+        return retval
+
+    def get_note(self, note):
+        styled_text = [note.text, self.get_note_markup(note)]
         changed = totime(note.last_changed)
         return (str(note.handle), 
                 note.gramps_id, 
@@ -1243,6 +1250,20 @@ class DjangoInterface(object):
         Dummy method for consistency with other two-pass adds.
         """
         pass
+
+    def save_note_markup(self, note, markup_list):
+        # delete any prexisting markup:
+        models.Markup.objects.filter(note=note).delete()
+        count = 1
+        for markup in markup_list:
+            markup_code, value, start_stop_list = markup
+            m = models.Markup(note=note, order=count, 
+                   markup_type=models.get_type(models.MarkupType,
+                                               markup_code, 
+                                               get_or_create=True),
+                              string=value,
+                              start_stop_list=str(start_stop_list))
+            m.save()
     
     def add_note(self, data):
         # Unpack from the BSDDB:
@@ -1258,16 +1279,7 @@ class DjangoInterface(object):
                         note_type=models.get_type(models.NoteType, note_type))
         #n.cache = base64.encodestring(cPickle.dumps(data))
         n.save()
-        count = 1
-        for markup in markup_list:
-            markup_code, value, start_stop_list = markup
-            m = models.Markup(note=n, order=count, 
-                   markup_type=models.get_type(models.MarkupType,
-                                               markup_code, 
-                                               get_or_create=True),
-                              string=value,
-                              start_stop_list=str(start_stop_list))
-            m.save()
+        self.save_note_markup(n, markup_list)
     
     def add_family(self, data):
         # Unpack from the BSDDB:
diff --git a/src/webapp/shell.py b/src/webapp/shell.py
index 984cdfcd2..06ae4dae1 100644
--- a/src/webapp/shell.py
+++ b/src/webapp/shell.py
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 #### This sets up Django so you can interact with it via the Python
 #### command line.
 #### Start with something like:
-####    $ PYTHONPATH=.. python -i shell.py 
+####    $ PYTHONPATH=..:../plugins/lib python -i shell.py 
 ####    >>> Person.objects.all()
 
 from django.conf import settings
@@ -30,8 +30,11 @@ dp = parser.parse
 #            "/home/dblank/gramps/trunk/example/gramps/data.gramps", 
 #            cli.user.User())
 
-#from webapp.utils import StyledNoteFormatter
-#snf = StyledNoteFormatter(db)
-#for n in Note.objects.all():
-#    note = db.get_note_from_handle(n.handle)
-#    print snf.get_note_format(note)
+from webapp.utils import StyledNoteFormatter
+snf = StyledNoteFormatter(db)
+for n in Note.objects.all():
+    note = db.get_note_from_handle(n.handle)
+    print snf.get_note_format(note)
+
+#note = Note.objects.get(handle="aef30789d3d2090abe2")
+#st = gen.lib.StyledText(note.text, dji.get_note_markup(note))
diff --git a/src/webapp/utils.py b/src/webapp/utils.py
index c949cce69..e66461274 100644
--- a/src/webapp/utils.py
+++ b/src/webapp/utils.py
@@ -733,13 +733,31 @@ register_plugins()
 
 # works after registering plugins:
 import HtmlDoc 
-from libhtmlbackend import HtmlBackend, process_spaces
+from libhtmlbackend import HtmlBackend, DocBackend, process_spaces
 from libhtml import Html
 
+class WebAppBackend(HtmlBackend):
+    SUPPORTED_MARKUP = [
+            DocBackend.BOLD,
+            DocBackend.ITALIC,
+            DocBackend.UNDERLINE,
+            DocBackend.FONTFACE,
+            DocBackend.FONTSIZE,
+            DocBackend.FONTCOLOR,
+            DocBackend.LINK,
+            ]
+
+    STYLETAG_MARKUP = {
+        DocBackend.BOLD        : ("<b>", "</b>"),
+        DocBackend.ITALIC      : ("<i>", "</i>"),
+        DocBackend.UNDERLINE   : ('<u>', '</u>'),
+    }
+
+### Taken from Narrated Web Report
 class StyledNoteFormatter(object):
     def __init__(self, database):
         self.database = database
-        self._backend = HtmlBackend()
+        self._backend = WebAppBackend()
         self._backend.build_link = self.build_link
         #self.report = report
 
@@ -770,7 +788,7 @@ class StyledNoteFormatter(object):
         s_tags = styledtext.get_tags()
         markuptext = self._backend.add_markup_from_styled(text, s_tags,
                                                           split='\n')
-        htmllist = Html("div", class_="grampsstylednote")
+        htmllist = [] # Html("p") #"div", class_="grampsstylednote")
         if contains_html:
             htmllist += text
         else:
@@ -799,7 +817,7 @@ class StyledNoteFormatter(object):
             if sigcount == 0:
                 linelist = ["&nbsp;"]
                 htmllist.extend(Html('p') + linelist)
-        return htmllist
+        return "".join(htmllist)
 
     def build_link(self, prop, handle, obj_class):
         """