diff --git a/src/coffee/controllers/item_page_controller.coffee b/src/coffee/controllers/item_page_controller.coffee
index 481c31f92..d896c8594 100644
--- a/src/coffee/controllers/item_page_controller.coffee
+++ b/src/coffee/controllers/item_page_controller.coffee
@@ -79,10 +79,11 @@ module.exports = class ItemPageController extends PageController
         @_usedToMakeController       = @addChild ItemGroupController, '.view__item_group.usedToMake', options
 
         @_descriptionController = @addChild MarkdownSectionController, '.section.description',
-            editable: true
-            modPack: @modPack
+            client:       @client
+            editable:     true
+            modPack:      @modPack
             beginEditing: => @_beginEditingDescription()
-            endEditing: => @_endEditingDescription()
+            endEditing:   => @_endEditingDescription()
 
         @$byline                  = @$('.byline')
         @$bylineLink              = @$('.byline a')
@@ -157,19 +158,22 @@ module.exports = class ItemPageController extends PageController
         @client.fetchFile path:GitHub.file.itemDescription modSlug:@_itemSlug.mod, itemSlug:@_itemSlug.item
             .then (response)=>
                 @_editingFile = response.json.data
+                @_editingFile.content = new Buffer(@_editingFile.content, 'base64').toString('utf8')
+
                 if @_editingFile.content.length > 0
                     @model.item.parse @_editingFile.content
                 else
                     @model.item.description = ''
 
                 @_descriptionController.model = @model.item.description
+                @_descriptionController.loadImages()
 
     _endEditingDescription: ->
         oldDescription = @model.item.description
         @model.item.description = @_descriptionController.model
 
         args =
-            content: @model.item.unparse()
+            content: new Buffer(@model.item.unparse(), 'utf8').toString('base64')
             message: "User-submitted text for #{@model.item.name}"
             path:    GitHub.file.itemDescription modSlug:@_itemSlug.mod, itemSlug:@_itemSlug.item
             sha:     @_editingFile.sha
diff --git a/src/coffee/controllers/markdown_image_controller.coffee b/src/coffee/controllers/markdown_image_controller.coffee
index 4109da59f..942df8c23 100644
--- a/src/coffee/controllers/markdown_image_controller.coffee
+++ b/src/coffee/controllers/markdown_image_controller.coffee
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ Copyright (c) 2015 by Redwood Labs
 All rights reserved.
 ###
 
+_              = require 'underscore'
 BaseController = require './base_controller'
 
 ########################################################################################################################
@@ -25,6 +26,8 @@ module.exports = class MarkdownImageController extends BaseController
         super
 
     refresh: ->
+        logger.debug "refreshing with model: #{@model.mimeType}, #{_.ellipsize(@model.encodedData)}"
+
         if @model.mimeType? and @model.encodedData?
             @$image.attr 'src', "data:#{@model.mimeType};base64,#{@model.encodedData}"
         else
diff --git a/src/coffee/controllers/markdown_image_list_controller.coffee b/src/coffee/controllers/markdown_image_list_controller.coffee
index 41f98ec63..4960cd8ca 100644
--- a/src/coffee/controllers/markdown_image_list_controller.coffee
+++ b/src/coffee/controllers/markdown_image_list_controller.coffee
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ All rights reserved.
 ###
 
 BaseController          = require './base_controller'
+{Event}                 = require '../constants'
 MarkdownImageController = require './markdown_image_controller'
 MarkdownImageList       = require '../models/markdown_image_list'
 
@@ -14,12 +15,30 @@ MarkdownImageList       = require '../models/markdown_image_list'
 module.exports = class MarkdownImageListController extends BaseController
 
     constructor: (options={})->
-        options.model ?= new MarkdownImageList
+        options.model ?= new MarkdownImageList {}, {client:options.client}
         options.templateName = 'markdown_image_list'
         super options
 
+        @imageBase = ''
+
+    # Public Methods ###############################################################################
+
+    loadImages: ->
+        @model.loadImages()
+
     # Property Methods #############################################################################
 
+    getImageBase: ->
+        return @_imageBase
+
+    setImageBase: (newImageBase)->
+        oldImageBase = @_imageBase
+        return unless oldImageBase isnt newImageBase
+
+        @_imageBase = newImageBase
+        @trigger Event.change + ':imageBase', this, oldImageBase, newImageBase
+        @trigger Event.change, this
+
     getMarkdownText: ->
         return @model.markdownText
 
@@ -27,6 +46,7 @@ module.exports = class MarkdownImageListController extends BaseController
         @model.markdownText = markdownText
 
     Object.defineProperties @prototype,
+        imageBase:    {get:@prototype.getImageBase,    set:@prototype.setImageBase}
         markdownText: {get:@prototype.getMarkdownText, set:@prototype.setMarkdownText}
 
     # BaseController Overrides #####################################################################
diff --git a/src/coffee/controllers/markdown_section_controller.coffee b/src/coffee/controllers/markdown_section_controller.coffee
index 56fe9aaab..b670bdae8 100644
--- a/src/coffee/controllers/markdown_section_controller.coffee
+++ b/src/coffee/controllers/markdown_section_controller.coffee
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@ module.exports = class MarkdownSectionController extends BaseController
         @on Event.animate.hide.finish, => @_updateStateVisibility()
         @on Event.animate.show.finish, => @_updateStateVisibility()
 
+        @client               = options.client
         @confirmactionMessage = options.confirmationMessage
         @confirmDuration      = options.confirmationDuration ?= 5000
         @imageBase            = options.imageBase            ?= ''
@@ -53,6 +54,9 @@ module.exports = class MarkdownSectionController extends BaseController
 
     # Public Methods ###############################################################################
 
+    loadImages: ->
+        @_imageListController.loadImages()
+
     resetToDefaultState: ->
         if @model?
             @state = State.viewing
@@ -114,6 +118,17 @@ module.exports = class MarkdownSectionController extends BaseController
     isEditable: ->
         return _.isFunction(@_beginEditing) and _.isFunction(@_endEditing)
 
+    getImageBase: ->
+        return @_imageBase
+
+    setImageBase: (newImageBase)->
+        oldImageBase = @_imageBase
+        return unless newImageBase isnt oldImageBase
+
+        @_imageBase = newImageBase
+        @trigger Event.change + ':imageBase', this, oldImageBase, newImageBase
+        @trigger Event.change, this
+
     getState: ->
         return @_state
 
@@ -127,13 +142,17 @@ module.exports = class MarkdownSectionController extends BaseController
         @_updateStateVisibility()
 
     Object.defineProperties @prototype,
-        editable: {get:@prototype.isEditable}
-        state:    {get:@prototype.getState, set:@prototype.setState}
+        editable:  {get:@prototype.isEditable}
+        imageBase: {get:@prototype.getImageBase, set:@prototype.setImageBase}
+        state:     {get:@prototype.getState,     set:@prototype.setState}
 
     # BaseController Overrides #####################################################################
 
     onDidRender: ->
-        @_imageListController = @addChild MarkdownImageListController, '.image_list'
+        @_imageListController = @addChild MarkdownImageListController, '.image_list',
+            client: @client
+            imageBase: @imageBase
+        @on Event.change + ':imageBase', => @_imageListController.model.imageBase = @imageBase
 
         @$errorText     = @$('.error p')
         @$markdownPanel = @$('.markdown')
diff --git a/src/coffee/models/markdown_image.coffee b/src/coffee/models/markdown_image.coffee
index e84cc3deb..8bb6c93fa 100644
--- a/src/coffee/models/markdown_image.coffee
+++ b/src/coffee/models/markdown_image.coffee
@@ -6,26 +6,39 @@ All rights reserved.
 ###
 
 BaseModel = require './base_model'
+_         = require 'underscore'
 {Event}   = require '../constants'
 
 ########################################################################################################################
 
 module.exports = class MarkdownImage extends BaseModel
 
-    @MIMETYPES = [
-        {patern:/\.png$/i, text:'image/png'}
-        {patern:/\.gif$/i, text:'image/gif'}
-        {patern:/\.jpg$/i, text:'image/jpeg'}
-        {patern:/\.jpeg$/i, text:'image/jpeg'}
+    @MimeTypes = MimeTypes = [
+        {pattern:/\.png$/i,  text:'image/png'}
+        {pattern:/\.gif$/i,  text:'image/gif'}
+        {pattern:/\.jpg$/i,  text:'image/jpeg'}
+        {pattern:/\.jpeg$/i, text:'image/jpeg'}
     ]
 
+    @Status = Status = {
+        'unknown':    'unknown'
+        'checking':   'checking'
+        'empty':      'empty'
+        'creatable':  'creatable'
+        'unchanged':  'unchanged'
+        'updateable': 'updatable'
+    }
+
     constructor: (attributes={}, options={})->
         attributes.encodedData ?= null
         attributes.fileName    ?= ''
         attributes.path        ?= ''
         attributes.sha         ?= null
+        attributes.status      ?= Status.unknown
         super
 
+        @client = options.client
+
         @on Event.change + ':fileName', => @_mimeType = null
 
     # Property Methods #############################################################################
@@ -35,7 +48,7 @@ module.exports = class MarkdownImage extends BaseModel
 
     getMimeType: ->
         if not @_mimeType?
-            for mimeType in MarkdownImage.MIMETYPES
+            for mimeType in MimeTypes
                 if mimeType.pattern.test @fileName
                     @_mimeType = mimeType.text
                     break
@@ -44,3 +57,19 @@ module.exports = class MarkdownImage extends BaseModel
 
     Object.defineProperties @prototype,
         fullPath: {get:@prototype.getFullPath}
+        mimeType: {get:@prototype.getMimeType}
+
+    # BaseModel Overrides ##########################################################################
+
+    fetch: ->
+        if not @client? then throw new Error 'MarkdownImage must be given a client to fetch with'
+
+        @status = Status.checking
+        @client.fetchFile path:@fullPath
+            .then (response)=>
+                data = response.json.data
+
+                if data.sha?
+                    @set encodedData:data.content, sha:data.sha, status:Status.unchanged
+                else
+                    @status = Status.empty
diff --git a/src/coffee/models/markdown_image_list.coffee b/src/coffee/models/markdown_image_list.coffee
index 21e3cf261..913c842cb 100644
--- a/src/coffee/models/markdown_image_list.coffee
+++ b/src/coffee/models/markdown_image_list.coffee
@@ -14,14 +14,27 @@ MarkdownImage = require './markdown_image'
 module.exports = class MarkdownImageList extends BaseModel
 
     constructor: (attributes={}, options={})->
+        attributes.imageBase    ?= ''
         attributes.markdownText ?= null
         super attributes, options
 
+        @client = options.client
         @_images = {}
 
+        @on Event.change + ':imageBase', =>
+            for fileName, image of @_images
+                image.path = @imageBase
+
         @on Event.change + ':markdownText', => @_analyzeMarkdownText()
         @_analyzeMarkdownText()
 
+    # Public Methods ###############################################################################
+
+    loadImages: ->
+        for fileName, image of @_images
+            if image.status is MarkdownImage.Status.unknown
+                image.fetch()
+
     # Property Methods #############################################################################
 
     getAll: ->
@@ -50,7 +63,7 @@ module.exports = class MarkdownImageList extends BaseModel
                 fileName = match[2]
                 image = @_images[fileName]
                 if not image?
-                    image = new MarkdownImage fileName:fileName
+                    image = new MarkdownImage {fileName:fileName, path:@imageBase}, {client:@client}
                     @trigger Event.add, this, image
                     changed = true
 
diff --git a/src/jade/templates/markdown_image.jade b/src/jade/templates/markdown_image.jade
index d8521e040..0d6288ed4 100644
--- a/src/jade/templates/markdown_image.jade
+++ b/src/jade/templates/markdown_image.jade
@@ -6,6 +6,6 @@
 //-
 
 .view__markdown_image
-    img
+    .thumbnail: img
     .fileName: p
     button
diff --git a/src/scss/templates/markdown_image.scss b/src/scss/templates/markdown_image.scss
index 0081b73cb..7b6c10302 100644
--- a/src/scss/templates/markdown_image.scss
+++ b/src/scss/templates/markdown_image.scss
@@ -9,11 +9,21 @@ All rights reserved.
     position: relative; min-width: 33em;
 
     display: inline-block;
-    margin-right: 2em;
+    margin: 1em 2em 0 0;
     vertical-align: top;
 
-    img {
+    .thumbnail {
         position: absolute; height: 10em; width: 10em;
+
+        background: $color-gray-faint;
+        border: 0.1em solid $color-gray-light;
+        border-radius: 1em;
+
+        img {
+            position: absolute; top: 50%; left: 50%;
+            @include transform(translate(-50%, -50%));
+            max-width: 90%; max-height: 90%;
+        }
     }
 
     .fileName {
diff --git a/test/markdown_image_list.test.coffee b/test/markdown_image_list.test.coffee
index ce67e3d89..871f98e5c 100644
--- a/test/markdown_image_list.test.coffee
+++ b/test/markdown_image_list.test.coffee
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ list = null
 describe 'markdown_image_list.coffee', ->
 
     beforeEach ->
-        list = new MarkdownImageList
+        list = new MarkdownImageList {}, client:{fetchFile:sinon.stub().returns(w.promise(->))}
 
     describe '_analyzeMarkdownText', ->
 
diff --git a/test/test_helper.coffee b/test/test_helper.coffee
index 34b5d74e9..d4b7bbd07 100644
--- a/test/test_helper.coffee
+++ b/test/test_helper.coffee
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ global.Backbone = require 'backbone'
 global.assert   = chai.assert
 global.expect   = chai.expect
 global.should   = chai.should()
+global.sinon    = require 'sinon'
 global.util     = require 'util'
 global.w        = require 'when'