diff --git a/appview/pages/pages.go b/appview/pages/pages.go
index eb19450..772f08d 100644
--- a/appview/pages/pages.go
+++ b/appview/pages/pages.go
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ import (
 	chromahtml "github.com/alecthomas/chroma/v2/formatters/html"
 	"github.com/alecthomas/chroma/v2/lexers"
 	"github.com/alecthomas/chroma/v2/styles"
+	"github.com/microcosm-cc/bluemonday"
 	"github.com/sotangled/tangled/appview/auth"
 	"github.com/sotangled/tangled/appview/db"
 	"github.com/sotangled/tangled/types"
@@ -198,6 +199,8 @@ type RepoIndexParams struct {
 	Active       string
 	TagMap       map[string][]string
 	types.RepoIndexResponse
+	HTMLReadme template.HTML
+	Raw        bool
 }
 
 func (p *Pages) RepoIndexPage(w io.Writer, params RepoIndexParams) error {
@@ -205,6 +208,20 @@ func (p *Pages) RepoIndexPage(w io.Writer, params RepoIndexParams) error {
 	if params.IsEmpty {
 		return p.executeRepo("repo/empty", w, params)
 	}
+
+	if params.ReadmeFileName != "" {
+		var htmlString string
+		ext := filepath.Ext(params.ReadmeFileName)
+		switch ext {
+		case ".md", ".markdown", ".mdown", ".mkdn", ".mkd":
+			htmlString = renderMarkdown(params.Readme)
+		default:
+			htmlString = string(params.Readme)
+			params.Raw = true
+		}
+		params.HTMLReadme = template.HTML(bluemonday.NewPolicy().Sanitize(htmlString))
+	}
+
 	return p.executeRepo("repo/index", w, params)
 }
 
diff --git a/appview/pages/templates/repo/index.html b/appview/pages/templates/repo/index.html
index b977f33..f3d3145 100644
--- a/appview/pages/templates/repo/index.html
+++ b/appview/pages/templates/repo/index.html
@@ -114,7 +114,7 @@
 {{ end }}
 
 
-{{ define "commitLog" }} 
+{{ define "commitLog" }}
 <div id="commit-log" class="hidden md:block md:col-span-1">
     {{ range .Commits }}
           <div class="relative px-2 pb-8">
@@ -191,10 +191,14 @@
 
 
 {{ define "repoAfter" }}
-    {{- if .Readme }}
-        <section class="mt-4 p-6 rounded bg-white w-full mx-auto overflow-auto prose">
-            <article class="readme">
-                {{- .Readme -}}
+    {{- if .HTMLReadme }}
+        <section class="mt-4 p-6 rounded bg-white w-full mx-auto overflow-auto {{ if not .Raw }} prose {{ end }}">
+            <article class="{{ if .Raw }}whitespace-pre{{end}}">
+                {{ if .Raw }}
+                    <pre>{{ .HTMLReadme }}</pre>
+                {{ else }}
+                    {{ .HTMLReadme }}
+                {{ end }}
             </article>
         </section>
     {{- end -}}
diff --git a/appview/pages/templates/repo/issues/new.html b/appview/pages/templates/repo/issues/new.html
index fcc84e7..3c17384 100644
--- a/appview/pages/templates/repo/issues/new.html
+++ b/appview/pages/templates/repo/issues/new.html
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@
                     id="body"
                     rows="6"
                     class="w-full resize-y"
-                    placeholder="Describe your issue."
+                    placeholder="Describe your issue. Markdown is supported."
                 ></textarea>
             </div>
             <div>
diff --git a/knotserver/routes.go b/knotserver/routes.go
index 3b7a053..039d767 100644
--- a/knotserver/routes.go
+++ b/knotserver/routes.go
@@ -8,7 +8,6 @@ import (
 	"encoding/json"
 	"errors"
 	"fmt"
-	"html/template"
 	"log"
 	"net/http"
 	"path/filepath"
@@ -21,7 +20,6 @@ import (
 	gogit "github.com/go-git/go-git/v5"
 	"github.com/go-git/go-git/v5/plumbing"
 	"github.com/go-git/go-git/v5/plumbing/object"
-	"github.com/russross/blackfriday/v2"
 	"github.com/sotangled/tangled/knotserver/db"
 	"github.com/sotangled/tangled/knotserver/git"
 	"github.com/sotangled/tangled/types"
@@ -102,33 +100,16 @@ func (h *Handle) RepoIndex(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 		rtags = append(rtags, &tr)
 	}
 
-	var readmeContent template.HTML
+	var readmeContent string
+	var readmeFile string
 	for _, readme := range h.c.Repo.Readme {
-		ext := filepath.Ext(readme)
 		content, _ := gr.FileContent(readme)
 		if len(content) > 0 {
-			switch ext {
-			case ".md", ".mkd", ".markdown":
-				unsafe := blackfriday.Run(
-					[]byte(content),
-					blackfriday.WithExtensions(blackfriday.CommonExtensions),
-				)
-				html := sanitize(unsafe)
-				readmeContent = template.HTML(html)
-			default:
-				safe := sanitize([]byte(content))
-				readmeContent = template.HTML(
-					fmt.Sprintf(`<pre>%s</pre>`, safe),
-				)
-			}
-			break
+			readmeContent = string(content)
+			readmeFile = readme
 		}
 	}
 
-	if readmeContent == "" {
-		l.Warn("no readme found")
-	}
-
 	files, err := gr.FileTree("")
 	if err != nil {
 		writeError(w, err.Error(), http.StatusInternalServerError)
@@ -147,15 +128,16 @@ func (h *Handle) RepoIndex(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 	}
 
 	resp := types.RepoIndexResponse{
-		IsEmpty:      false,
-		Ref:          ref,
-		Commits:      commits,
-		Description:  getDescription(path),
-		Readme:       readmeContent,
-		Files:        files,
-		Branches:     bs,
-		Tags:         rtags,
-		TotalCommits: total,
+		IsEmpty:        false,
+		Ref:            ref,
+		Commits:        commits,
+		Description:    getDescription(path),
+		Readme:         readmeContent,
+		ReadmeFileName: readmeFile,
+		Files:          files,
+		Branches:       bs,
+		Tags:           rtags,
+		TotalCommits:   total,
 	}
 
 	writeJSON(w, resp)
diff --git a/readme.md b/readme.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d32a190
--- /dev/null
+++ b/readme.md
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+# tangled
+> git collaboration platform built on atproto
diff --git a/types/repo.go b/types/repo.go
index fe6358a..01d0f73 100644
--- a/types/repo.go
+++ b/types/repo.go
@@ -1,21 +1,20 @@
 package types
 
 import (
-	"html/template"
-
 	"github.com/go-git/go-git/v5/plumbing/object"
 )
 
 type RepoIndexResponse struct {
-	IsEmpty      bool             `json:"is_empty"`
-	Ref          string           `json:"ref,omitempty"`
-	Readme       template.HTML    `json:"readme,omitempty"`
-	Commits      []*object.Commit `json:"commits,omitempty"`
-	Description  string           `json:"description,omitempty"`
-	Files        []NiceTree       `json:"files,omitempty"`
-	Branches     []Branch         `json:"branches,omitempty"`
-	Tags         []*TagReference  `json:"tags,omitempty"`
-	TotalCommits int              `json:"total_commits,omitempty"`
+	IsEmpty        bool             `json:"is_empty"`
+	Ref            string           `json:"ref,omitempty"`
+	Readme         string           `json:"readme,omitempty"`
+	ReadmeFileName string           `json:"readme_file_name,omitempty"`
+	Commits        []*object.Commit `json:"commits,omitempty"`
+	Description    string           `json:"description,omitempty"`
+	Files          []NiceTree       `json:"files,omitempty"`
+	Branches       []Branch         `json:"branches,omitempty"`
+	Tags           []*TagReference  `json:"tags,omitempty"`
+	TotalCommits   int              `json:"total_commits,omitempty"`
 }
 
 type RepoLogResponse struct {