diff --git a/notebook/static/base/js/markdown.js b/notebook/static/base/js/markdown.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..94b885014
--- /dev/null
+++ b/notebook/static/base/js/markdown.js
@@ -0,0 +1,117 @@
+// Copyright (c) Jupyter Development Team.
+// Distributed under the terms of the Modified BSD License.
+
+define([
+    'jquery',
+    'base/js/utils',
+    'base/js/mathjaxutils',
+    'base/js/security',
+    'components/marked/lib/marked',
+    'codemirror/lib/codemirror',
+], function($, utils, mathjaxutils, security, marked, CodeMirror){
+    "use strict";
+
+    marked.setOptions({
+        gfm : true,
+        tables: true,
+        langPrefix: "cm-s-ipython language-",
+        highlight: function(code, lang, callback) {
+            if (!lang) {
+                // no language, no highlight
+                if (callback) {
+                    callback(null, code);
+                    return;
+                } else {
+                    return code;
+                }
+            }
+            utils.requireCodeMirrorMode(lang, function (spec) {
+                var el = document.createElement("div");
+                var mode = CodeMirror.getMode({}, spec);
+                if (!mode) {
+                    console.log("No CodeMirror mode: " + lang);
+                    callback(null, code);
+                    return;
+                }
+                try {
+                    CodeMirror.runMode(code, spec, el);
+                    callback(null, el.innerHTML);
+                } catch (err) {
+                    console.log("Failed to highlight " + lang + " code", err);
+                    callback(err, code);
+                }
+            }, function (err) {
+                console.log("No CodeMirror mode: " + lang);
+                console.log("Require CodeMirror mode error: " + err);
+                callback(null, code);
+            });
+        }
+    });
+
+    var mathjax_init_done = false;
+    function ensure_mathjax_init() {
+        if(!mathjax_init_done) {
+            mathjax_init_done = true;
+            mathjaxutils.init();
+        }
+    }
+
+    function render(markdown, options, callback) {
+        /**
+         * Find a readme in the current directory. Look for files with
+         * a name like 'readme.md' (case insensitive) or similar and
+         * mimetype 'text/markdown'.
+         * 
+         * @param markdown: the markdown text to parse
+         * @param options
+         *  Object with parameters:
+         *      with_math: the markdown can contain mathematics
+         *      clean_tables: prevent default inline styles for table cells
+         *      sanitize: remove dangerous html (like <script>)
+         * @param callback
+         *  A function with two arguments (err, html)
+         *      err: null or the error if there was one
+         *      html: the rendered html string, or if {sanitize: true} was used
+        *             a sanitized jQuery object
+         */
+        options = $.extend({
+            // Apply mathjax transformation
+            with_math: false,
+            // Prevent marked from returning inline styles for table cells
+            clean_tables: false,
+            // Apply sanitation, this will return a jQuery object.
+            sanitize: false,
+        }, options);
+        var renderer = new marked.Renderer();
+        if(options.clean_tables) {
+            renderer.tablecell = function (content, flags) {
+            var type = flags.header ? 'th' : 'td';
+            var style = flags.align == null ? '': ' style="text-align: ' + flags.align + '"';
+            var start_tag = '<' + type + style + '>';
+            var end_tag = '</' + type + '>\n';
+            return start_tag + content + end_tag;
+            };
+        }
+        var text = markdown;
+        var math = null;
+        if(options.with_math) {
+            ensure_mathjax_init();
+            var text_and_math = mathjaxutils.remove_math(markdown);
+            text = text_and_math[0];
+            math = text_and_math[1];
+        }
+        marked(text, { renderer: renderer }, function (err, html) {
+            if(!err) {
+                if(options.with_math) {
+                    html = mathjaxutils.replace_math(html, math);
+                }
+                if(options.sanitize) {
+                    html = $(security.sanitize_html_and_parse(html));
+                }
+            }
+            callback(err, html);
+        });
+    }
+
+    return {'render': render};
+});
diff --git a/notebook/static/notebook/js/mathjaxutils.js b/notebook/static/base/js/mathjaxutils.js
similarity index 100%
rename from notebook/static/notebook/js/mathjaxutils.js
rename to notebook/static/base/js/mathjaxutils.js
diff --git a/notebook/static/base/js/namespace.js b/notebook/static/base/js/namespace.js
index d82ff7b56..73ecef6a0 100644
--- a/notebook/static/base/js/namespace.js
+++ b/notebook/static/base/js/namespace.js
@@ -32,13 +32,13 @@ define(function(){
     // expose modules
     
     jprop('utils','base/js/utils')
+    jprop('mathjaxutils','base/js/mathjaxutils');
     
     //Jupyter.load_extensions = Jupyter.utils.load_extensions;
     // 
     jprop('security','base/js/security');
     jprop('keyboard','base/js/keyboard');
     jprop('dialog','base/js/dialog');
-    jprop('mathjaxutils','notebook/js/mathjaxutils');
 
 
     //// exposed constructors
diff --git a/notebook/static/notebook/js/notebook.js b/notebook/static/notebook/js/notebook.js
index ba037c431..6a4310b0a 100644
--- a/notebook/static/notebook/js/notebook.js
+++ b/notebook/static/notebook/js/notebook.js
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ define([
     'base/js/utils',
     'base/js/i18n',
     'base/js/dialog',
+    'base/js/markdown',
     './cell',
     './textcell',
     './codecell',
@@ -19,10 +20,9 @@ define([
     'services/config',
     'services/sessions/session',
     './celltoolbar',
-    'components/marked/lib/marked',
     'codemirror/lib/codemirror',
     'codemirror/addon/runmode/runmode',
-    './mathjaxutils',
+    'base/js/mathjaxutils',
     'base/js/keyboard',
     './tooltip',
     './celltoolbarpresets/default',
@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@ define([
     utils,
     i18n,
     dialog,
+    markdown,
     cellmod,
     textcell,
     codecell,
@@ -47,7 +48,6 @@ define([
     configmod,
     session,
     celltoolbar,
-    marked,
     CodeMirror,
     runMode,
     mathjaxutils,
@@ -116,46 +116,6 @@ define([
         
         mathjaxutils.init();
 
-        if (marked) {
-            marked.setOptions({
-                gfm : true,
-                tables: true,
-                // FIXME: probably want central config for CodeMirror theme when we have js config
-                langPrefix: "cm-s-ipython language-",
-                highlight: function(code, lang, callback) {
-                    if (!lang) {
-                        // no language, no highlight
-                        if (callback) {
-                            callback(null, code);
-                            return;
-                        } else {
-                            return code;
-                        }
-                    }
-                    utils.requireCodeMirrorMode(lang, function (spec) {
-                        var el = document.createElement("div");
-                        var mode = CodeMirror.getMode({}, spec);
-                        if (!mode) {
-                            console.log("No CodeMirror mode: " + lang);
-                            callback(null, code);
-                            return;
-                        }
-                        try {
-                            CodeMirror.runMode(code, spec, el);
-                            callback(null, el.innerHTML);
-                        } catch (err) {
-                            console.log("Failed to highlight " + lang + " code", err);
-                            callback(err, code);
-                        }
-                    }, function (err) {
-                        console.log("No CodeMirror mode: " + lang);
-                        console.log("Require CodeMirror mode error: " + err);
-                        callback(null, code);
-                    });
-                }
-            });
-        }
-
         this.element = $(selector);
         this.element.scroll();
         this.element.data("notebook", this);
diff --git a/notebook/static/notebook/js/outputarea.js b/notebook/static/notebook/js/outputarea.js
index 5b874a6d5..0355f2b11 100644
--- a/notebook/static/notebook/js/outputarea.js
+++ b/notebook/static/notebook/js/outputarea.js
@@ -7,10 +7,9 @@ define([
     'base/js/i18n',
     'base/js/security',
     'base/js/keyboard',
+    'base/js/markdown',
     'services/config',
-    'notebook/js/mathjaxutils',
-    'components/marked/lib/marked',
-], function($, utils, i18n, security, keyboard, configmod, mathjaxutils, marked) {
+], function($, utils, i18n, security, keyboard, markdown, configmod) {
     "use strict";
 
     /**
@@ -728,23 +727,13 @@ define([
     };
 
 
-    var append_markdown = function(markdown, md, element) {
+    var append_markdown = function(text, md, element) {
         var type = MIME_MARKDOWN;
         var toinsert = this.create_output_subarea(md, "output_markdown rendered_html", type);
-        var text_and_math = mathjaxutils.remove_math(markdown);
-        var text = text_and_math[0];
-        var math = text_and_math[1];
-        // Prevent marked from returning inline styles for table cells
-        var renderer = new marked.Renderer();
-        renderer.tablecell = function (content, flags) {
-          var type = flags.header ? 'th' : 'td';
-          var style = flags.align == null ? '': ' style="text-align: ' + flags.align + '"';
-          var start_tag = '<' + type + style + '>';
-          var end_tag = '</' + type + '>\n';
-          return start_tag + content + end_tag;
-        };
-        marked(text, { renderer: renderer }, function (err, html) {
-            html = mathjaxutils.replace_math(html, math);
+        markdown.render(text, {
+            with_math: true,
+            clean_tables: true
+        }, function (err, html) {
             toinsert.append(html);
         });
         dblclick_to_reset_size(toinsert.find('img'));
diff --git a/notebook/static/notebook/js/textcell.js b/notebook/static/notebook/js/textcell.js
index 24f0216d0..ff97c6692 100644
--- a/notebook/static/notebook/js/textcell.js
+++ b/notebook/static/notebook/js/textcell.js
@@ -6,11 +6,9 @@ define([
     'base/js/utils',
     'base/js/i18n',
     'notebook/js/cell',
-    'base/js/security',
+    'base/js/markdown',
     'services/config',
-    'notebook/js/mathjaxutils',
     'notebook/js/celltoolbar',
-    'components/marked/lib/marked',
     'codemirror/lib/codemirror',
     'codemirror/mode/gfm/gfm',
     'notebook/js/codemirror-ipythongfm',
@@ -20,11 +18,9 @@ define([
     utils,
     i18n,
     cell,
-    security,
+    markdown,
     configmod,
-    mathjaxutils,
     celltoolbar,
-    marked,
     CodeMirror,
     gfm,
     ipgfm,
@@ -119,7 +115,6 @@ define([
                     events: this.events}]);
 
         this.cell_type = this.cell_type || 'text';
-        mathjaxutils = mathjaxutils;
         this.rendered = false;
     };
 
@@ -301,8 +296,9 @@ define([
                 // can reference an image in markdown (using []() or a
                 // HTML <img>)
                 var text = this.get_text();
-                marked(text, function (err, html) {
-                    html = $(security.sanitize_html_and_parse(html));
+                markdown.render(text, {
+                    sanitize: true,
+                }, function (err, html) {
                     html.find('img[src^="attachment:"]').each(function (i, h) {
                         h = $(h);
                         var key = h.attr('src').replace(/^attachment:/, '');
@@ -461,21 +457,11 @@ define([
             var text = this.get_text();
             var math = null;
             if (text === "") { text = this.placeholder; }
-            var text_and_math = mathjaxutils.remove_math(text);
-            text = text_and_math[0];
-            math = text_and_math[1];
-            // Prevent marked from returning inline styles for table cells
-            var renderer = new marked.Renderer();
-            renderer.tablecell = function (content, flags) {
-              var type = flags.header ? 'th' : 'td';
-              var style = flags.align == null ? '': ' style="text-align: ' + flags.align + '"';
-              var start_tag = '<' + type + style + '>';
-              var end_tag = '</' + type + '>\n';
-              return start_tag + content + end_tag;
-            };
-            marked(text, { renderer: renderer }, function (err, html) {
-                html = mathjaxutils.replace_math(html, math);
-                html = $(security.sanitize_html_and_parse(html));
+            markdown.render(text, {
+                with_math: true,
+                clean_tables: true,
+                sanitize: true,
+            }, function (err, html) {
                 // add anchors to headings
                 html.find(":header").addBack(":header").each(function (i, h) {
                     h = $(h);
diff --git a/notebook/tests/notebook/markdown.js b/notebook/tests/notebook/markdown.js
index f26250a64..377b26ef5 100644
--- a/notebook/tests/notebook/markdown.js
+++ b/notebook/tests/notebook/markdown.js
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ casper.notebook_test(function () {
     function mathjax_render_test(input_string, result, message){
       casper.thenEvaluate(function (text){
         window._test_result = null;
-        require(['notebook/js/mathjaxutils'],function(mathjaxutils){
+        require(['base/js/mathjaxutils'],function(mathjaxutils){
           window._test_result = mathjaxutils.remove_math(text);
         });
       }, {text: input_string});