diff --git a/tailbone/templates/batch/view.mako b/tailbone/templates/batch/view.mako
index d1a640ed..36b9b633 100644
--- a/tailbone/templates/batch/view.mako
+++ b/tailbone/templates/batch/view.mako
@@ -69,6 +69,10 @@
         white-space: nowrap;
     }
 
+    .markdown p {
+        margin-bottom: 1.5rem;
+    }
+
   </style>
   % else:
   <style type="text/css">
@@ -203,6 +207,7 @@
                     ${execute_title}
                   </b-button>
 
+                  % if execute_enabled:
                   <b-modal has-modal-card
                            :active.sync="showExecutionDialog">
                     <div class="modal-card">
@@ -215,10 +220,11 @@
                         <p class="block has-text-weight-bold">
                           What will happen when this batch is executed?
                         </p>
-                        <p class="block">
-                          ${handler.describe_execution(batch) or "TODO: handler does not provide a description for this batch"}
-                        </p>
-                        <${execute_form.component} ref="executeBatchForm"></${execute_form.component}>
+                        <div class="markdown">
+                          ${execution_described|n}
+                        </div>
+                        <${execute_form.component} ref="executeBatchForm">
+                        </${execute_form.component}>
                       </section>
 
                       <footer class="modal-card-foot">
@@ -234,6 +240,7 @@
 
                     </div>
                   </b-modal>
+                  % endif
 
               % else:
                   ## no buefy, do legacy thing
diff --git a/tailbone/views/batch/core.py b/tailbone/views/batch/core.py
index 3a07f0a8..d178d60a 100644
--- a/tailbone/views/batch/core.py
+++ b/tailbone/views/batch/core.py
@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@ from six import StringIO
 
 import json
 import six
+import markdown
 import sqlalchemy as sa
 from sqlalchemy import orm
 
@@ -175,6 +176,10 @@ class BatchMasterView(MasterView):
         if kwargs['execute_enabled']:
             url = self.get_action_url('execute', batch)
             kwargs['execute_form'] = self.make_execute_form(batch, action_url=url)
+            description = (self.handler.describe_execution(batch)
+                           or "TODO: handler does not provide a description for this batch")
+            kwargs['execution_described'] = markdown.markdown(
+                description, extensions=['fenced_code', 'codehilite'])
         else:
             kwargs['why_not_execute'] = self.handler.why_not_execute(batch)