diff --git a/core/src/main/java/hudson/Functions.java b/core/src/main/java/hudson/Functions.java
index b5980a9d2e..1d186bf861 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/hudson/Functions.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/hudson/Functions.java
@@ -27,8 +27,8 @@ import javax.servlet.http.HttpServletRequest;
 import javax.servlet.http.HttpServletResponse;
 import java.io.File;
 import java.io.IOException;
-import java.io.StringWriter;
 import java.io.PrintWriter;
+import java.io.StringWriter;
 import java.lang.management.LockInfo;
 import java.lang.management.ManagementFactory;
 import java.lang.management.MonitorInfo;
@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@ import java.util.SortedMap;
 import java.util.TreeMap;
 import java.util.logging.LogRecord;
 import java.util.logging.SimpleFormatter;
+import java.util.regex.Pattern;
 
 /**
  * Utility functions used in views.
@@ -630,4 +631,15 @@ public class Functions {
         t.printStackTrace(new PrintWriter(sw));
         return sw.toString();
     }
+
+    /**
+     * Counts the number of rows needed for textarea to fit the content.
+     * Minimum 5 rows.
+     */
+    public static int determineRows(String s) {
+        if(s==null)     return 5;
+        return Math.max(5,LINE_END.split(s).length);
+    }
+
+    private static final Pattern LINE_END = Pattern.compile("\r?\n");
 }
diff --git a/core/src/main/resources/hudson/model/AbstractModelObject/descriptionForm.jelly b/core/src/main/resources/hudson/model/AbstractModelObject/descriptionForm.jelly
index 5ea06bfebd..97b0e92732 100644
--- a/core/src/main/resources/hudson/model/AbstractModelObject/descriptionForm.jelly
+++ b/core/src/main/resources/hudson/model/AbstractModelObject/descriptionForm.jelly
@@ -1,12 +1,13 @@
 <!--
   Used by editableDescription.jelly for loading the edit form.
 -->
-<j:jelly xmlns:j="jelly:core" xmlns:st="jelly:stapler" xmlns:d="jelly:define">
-  <st:contentType value="text/html;charset=UTF-8" />
-  <form action="submitDescription" method="post">
-    <textarea name="description" style="width:100%; height:10em;"><st:out value="${it.description}" xmlns:st="jelly:stapler"/></textarea>
-    <div align="right">
-      <input type="submit" value="Submit" />
-    </div>
-  </form>
+<j:jelly xmlns:j="jelly:core" xmlns:st="jelly:stapler" xmlns:d="jelly:define" xmlns:f="/lib/form" xmlns:l="/lib/layout">
+  <l:ajax>
+    <form action="submitDescription" method="post">
+      <f:textarea name="description" value="${it.description}" />
+      <div align="right">
+        <input type="submit" value="Submit" />
+      </div>
+    </form>
+  </l:ajax>
 </j:jelly>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/core/src/main/resources/hudson/model/AbstractModelObject/editDescription.jelly b/core/src/main/resources/hudson/model/AbstractModelObject/editDescription.jelly
index 0896aca740..48c66ea300 100644
--- a/core/src/main/resources/hudson/model/AbstractModelObject/editDescription.jelly
+++ b/core/src/main/resources/hudson/model/AbstractModelObject/editDescription.jelly
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
     <st:include page="sidepanel.jelly" />
     <l:main-panel>
       <form action="submitDescription" method="post">
-        <textarea name="description" style="width:100%; height:10em;"><st:out value="${it.description}" /></textarea>
+        <f:textarea name="description" value="${it.description}" />
         <input type="submit" value="Submit" />
       </form>
     </l:main-panel>
diff --git a/core/src/main/resources/hudson/model/Hudson/configure.jelly b/core/src/main/resources/hudson/model/Hudson/configure.jelly
index 8e76ba6440..cc3fa86ad7 100644
--- a/core/src/main/resources/hudson/model/Hudson/configure.jelly
+++ b/core/src/main/resources/hudson/model/Hudson/configure.jelly
@@ -10,8 +10,7 @@
         ${it.rootDir}
       </s:entry>
       <s:entry title="System Message" help="/help/system-config/systemMessage.html">
-        <textarea class="setting-input" name="system_message"
-          rows="5" style="width:100%">${it.systemMessage}</textarea>
+        <s:textarea name="system_message" value="${it.systemMessage}" />
       </s:entry>
       <s:entry title="# of executors" help="/help/system-config/numExecutors.html">
         <input type="text" name="numExecutors" class="setting-input number"
diff --git a/core/src/main/resources/hudson/model/Job/configure.jelly b/core/src/main/resources/hudson/model/Job/configure.jelly
index 7f8d387c3c..668c1d5522 100644
--- a/core/src/main/resources/hudson/model/Job/configure.jelly
+++ b/core/src/main/resources/hudson/model/Job/configure.jelly
@@ -12,8 +12,7 @@
           </f:entry>
         </j:if>
         <f:entry title="Description" help="/help/project-config/description.html">
-          <textarea class="setting-input" name="description"
-            rows="5" style="width:100%"><st:out value="${it.description}"/></textarea>
+          <f:textarea name="description" value="${it.description}"/>
         </f:entry>
 
         <j:if test="${it.supportsLogRotator()}">
diff --git a/core/src/main/resources/hudson/model/ListView/configure.jelly b/core/src/main/resources/hudson/model/ListView/configure.jelly
index 4978235133..0d91cad14e 100644
--- a/core/src/main/resources/hudson/model/ListView/configure.jelly
+++ b/core/src/main/resources/hudson/model/ListView/configure.jelly
@@ -10,8 +10,7 @@
           <f:textbox name="name" value="${it.viewName}" />
         </f:entry>
         <f:entry title="Description" help="/help/view-config/description.html">
-          <textarea class="setting-input" name="description"
-            rows="5" style="width:100%">${it.description}</textarea>
+          <f:textarea name="description" value="${it.description}"/>
         </f:entry>
         <f:entry title="Jobs">
           <j:forEach var="job" items="${app.items}">
diff --git a/core/src/main/resources/hudson/model/User/configure.jelly b/core/src/main/resources/hudson/model/User/configure.jelly
index 0058f7a395..c9a7c2cfb9 100644
--- a/core/src/main/resources/hudson/model/User/configure.jelly
+++ b/core/src/main/resources/hudson/model/User/configure.jelly
@@ -10,8 +10,7 @@
           <f:textbox name="fullName" value="${it.fullName}" />
         </f:entry>
         <f:entry title="Description" help="/help/user/description.html">
-          <textarea class="setting-input" name="description"
-            rows="5" style="width:100%">${it.description}</textarea>
+          <f:textarea name="description" value="${it.description}"/>
         </f:entry>
 
         <!-- user property configurations -->
diff --git a/core/src/main/resources/hudson/tasks/BatchFile/config.jelly b/core/src/main/resources/hudson/tasks/BatchFile/config.jelly
index 0d835c1282..38e7b7b097 100644
--- a/core/src/main/resources/hudson/tasks/BatchFile/config.jelly
+++ b/core/src/main/resources/hudson/tasks/BatchFile/config.jelly
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 <j:jelly xmlns:j="jelly:core" xmlns:st="jelly:stapler" xmlns:d="jelly:define" xmlns:l="/lib/layout" xmlns:t="/lib/hudson" xmlns:f="/lib/form">
   <f:entry title="Command"
            description="See &lt;a href='${rootURL}/env-vars.html' target=_new>the list of available environment variables&lt;/a>">
-    <textarea class="setting-input" name="batchFile"
-      rows="5" style="width:100%">${instance.command}</textarea>
+    <f:textarea name="batchFile" value="${instance.command}"/>
   </f:entry>
 </j:jelly>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/core/src/main/resources/hudson/tasks/Shell/config.jelly b/core/src/main/resources/hudson/tasks/Shell/config.jelly
index d310b957c8..fc3030a919 100644
--- a/core/src/main/resources/hudson/tasks/Shell/config.jelly
+++ b/core/src/main/resources/hudson/tasks/Shell/config.jelly
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 <j:jelly xmlns:j="jelly:core" xmlns:st="jelly:stapler" xmlns:d="jelly:define" xmlns:l="/lib/layout" xmlns:t="/lib/hudson" xmlns:f="/lib/form">
   <f:entry title="Command"
            description="See &lt;a href='${rootURL}/env-vars.html' target=_new>the list of available environment variables&lt;/a>">
-    <textarea class="setting-input" name="shell"
-      rows="5" style="width:100%">${instance.command}</textarea>
+    <f:textarea name="shell" value="${instance.command}" />
   </f:entry>
 </j:jelly>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/core/src/main/resources/hudson/triggers/SCMTrigger/config.jelly b/core/src/main/resources/hudson/triggers/SCMTrigger/config.jelly
index 5e4d50e941..107fc2183a 100644
--- a/core/src/main/resources/hudson/triggers/SCMTrigger/config.jelly
+++ b/core/src/main/resources/hudson/triggers/SCMTrigger/config.jelly
@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
 <j:jelly xmlns:j="jelly:core" xmlns:st="jelly:stapler" xmlns:d="jelly:define" xmlns:l="/lib/layout" xmlns:t="/lib/hudson" xmlns:f="/lib/form">
   <f:entry title="Schedule" help="/help/project-config/timer-format.html">
-    <textarea class="setting-input validated" name="scmpoll_spec"
-      rows="5" style="width:100%" checkUrl="'${rootURL}/trigger/TimerTrigger/check?value='+escape(this.value)">${instance.spec}</textarea>
+    <f:textarea name="scmpoll_spec" checkUrl="'${rootURL}/trigger/TimerTrigger/check?value='+escape(this.value)" value="${instance.spec}"/>
   </f:entry>
 </j:jelly>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/core/src/main/resources/hudson/triggers/TimerTrigger/config.jelly b/core/src/main/resources/hudson/triggers/TimerTrigger/config.jelly
index 8ba5979ed6..b730811449 100644
--- a/core/src/main/resources/hudson/triggers/TimerTrigger/config.jelly
+++ b/core/src/main/resources/hudson/triggers/TimerTrigger/config.jelly
@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
 <j:jelly xmlns:j="jelly:core" xmlns:st="jelly:stapler" xmlns:d="jelly:define" xmlns:l="/lib/layout" xmlns:t="/lib/hudson" xmlns:f="/lib/form">
   <f:entry title="Schedule" help="/help/project-config/timer-format.html">
-    <textarea class="setting-input validated" name="timer_spec"
-      rows="5" style="width:100%" checkUrl="'${rootURL}/trigger/TimerTrigger/check?value='+escape(this.value)">${instance.spec}</textarea>
+    <f:textarea name="timer_spec" checkUrl="'${rootURL}/trigger/TimerTrigger/check?value='+escape(this.value)" value="${instance.spec}"/>
   </f:entry>
 </j:jelly>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/core/src/main/resources/lib/form/expandableTextbox.jelly b/core/src/main/resources/lib/form/expandableTextbox.jelly
index 6d76efb59a..53e26f1cc0 100644
--- a/core/src/main/resources/lib/form/expandableTextbox.jelly
+++ b/core/src/main/resources/lib/form/expandableTextbox.jelly
@@ -6,11 +6,11 @@
 
   TODO: support @checkUrl
 -->
-<j:jelly xmlns:j="jelly:core" xmlns:d="jelly:define">
+<j:jelly xmlns:j="jelly:core" xmlns:d="jelly:define" xmlns:f="/lib/form">
   <j:choose>
     <j:when test="${h.isMultiline(attrs.value)}">
       <!-- multiline text area to begin with -->
-      <textarea rows="8" class='setting-input' name='${attrs.name}'>${attrs.value}</textarea>
+      <f:textarea name='${attrs.name}' value="${attrs.value}"/>
     </j:when>
     <j:otherwise>
       <!-- single line textbox with expand button -->
diff --git a/core/src/main/resources/lib/form/textarea.jelly b/core/src/main/resources/lib/form/textarea.jelly
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..b02c43224f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/core/src/main/resources/lib/form/textarea.jelly
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+<!--
+	<textarea> tag on steroid.
+
+	The textarea will be rendered to fit the content. It also gets the resize handle.
+-->
+<j:jelly xmlns:j="jelly:core" xmlns:st="jelly:stapler">
+  <textarea name="${attrs.name}" id="${attrs.id}" style="${attrs.style}"
+            class="setting-input ${h.ifThenElse(attrs.checkUrl!=null,'validated','')}"
+            checkUrl="${attrs.checkUrl}"
+            rows="${h.determineRows(attrs.value)}">
+    <st:out value="${attrs.value}" />
+  </textarea>
+  <!-- resize handle -->
+  <div class="textarea-handle"/>
+</j:jelly>
\ No newline at end of file