diff --git a/appview/pages/pages.go b/appview/pages/pages.go
index cc4f8288..c1fef41d 100644
--- a/appview/pages/pages.go
+++ b/appview/pages/pages.go
@@ -68,6 +68,10 @@ func (p *Pages) execute(name string, w io.Writer, params any) error {
 	return p.t[name].ExecuteTemplate(w, "layouts/base", params)
 }
 
+func (p *Pages) executeRepo(name string, w io.Writer, params any) error {
+	return p.t[name].ExecuteTemplate(w, "layouts/repoBase", params)
+}
+
 func (p *Pages) Login(w io.Writer, params LoginParams) error {
 	return p.execute("user/login", w, params)
 }
@@ -132,6 +136,7 @@ type RepoInfo struct {
 	Name        string
 	OwnerDid    string
 	OwnerHandle string
+	Description string
 }
 
 func (r RepoInfo) OwnerWithAt() string {
@@ -154,7 +159,7 @@ type RepoIndexParams struct {
 
 func (p *Pages) RepoIndexPage(w io.Writer, params RepoIndexParams) error {
 
-	return p.execute("repo/index", w, params)
+	return p.executeRepo("repo/index", w, params)
 }
 
 type RepoLogParams struct {
@@ -174,7 +179,7 @@ type RepoCommitParams struct {
 }
 
 func (p *Pages) RepoCommit(w io.Writer, params RepoCommitParams) error {
-	return p.execute("repo/commit", w, params)
+	return p.executeRepo("repo/commit", w, params)
 }
 
 type RepoTreeParams struct {
@@ -194,7 +199,7 @@ type RepoBranchesParams struct {
 }
 
 func (p *Pages) RepoBranches(w io.Writer, params RepoBranchesParams) error {
-	return p.execute("repo/branches", w, params)
+	return p.executeRepo("repo/branches", w, params)
 }
 
 type RepoTagsParams struct {
@@ -204,5 +209,5 @@ type RepoTagsParams struct {
 }
 
 func (p *Pages) RepoTags(w io.Writer, params RepoTagsParams) error {
-	return p.execute("repo/tags", w, params)
+	return p.executeRepo("repo/tags", w, params)
 }
diff --git a/appview/pages/templates/layouts/repoBase.html b/appview/pages/templates/layouts/repoBase.html
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..e18ddcf2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/appview/pages/templates/layouts/repoBase.html
@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+{{define "title"}} {{ .RepoInfo.FullName }} {{ end}}
+
+{{ define "content" }}
+
+<div id="repo-header">
+  <h1>{{ .RepoInfo.FullName }}</h1>
+  {{ if .RepoInfo.Description }}
+  <h3 class="desc">{{ .RepoInfo.Description }}</h3>
+  {{ else }}
+  <em>this repo has no description</em>
+</div>
+
+<div id="repo-links">
+  <nav>
+    <a href="/{{ .RepoInfo.FullName }}">summary</a>&nbsp;·
+    <a href="/{{ .RepoInfo.FullName }}/branches">branches</a>&nbsp;·
+    <a href="/{{ .RepoInfo.FullName }}/tags">tags</a>
+  </nav>
+<div>
+
+{{ end }}
+
+{{ block "repoContent" . }} {{ end }}
+
+{{ end }}
+
+{{ define "layouts/repoBase" }}
+
+{{ template "layouts/base" . }}
+
+{{ end }}
+
diff --git a/appview/pages/templates/repo/branches.html b/appview/pages/templates/repo/branches.html
index 545cfc6d..1ea6481e 100644
--- a/appview/pages/templates/repo/branches.html
+++ b/appview/pages/templates/repo/branches.html
@@ -1,8 +1,4 @@
-{{ define "title" }}
-    branches | {{ .RepoInfo.FullName }}
-{{ end }}
-
-{{ define "content" }}
+{{ define "repoContent" }}
     {{ $name := .RepoInfo.Name }}
     <h3>branches</h3>
     <div class="refs">
diff --git a/appview/pages/templates/repo/commit.html b/appview/pages/templates/repo/commit.html
index 8375788e..b00e2bc7 100644
--- a/appview/pages/templates/repo/commit.html
+++ b/appview/pages/templates/repo/commit.html
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {{ define "title" }} commit {{ .Diff.Commit.This }} {{ end }}
 
-{{ define "content" }}
+{{ define "repoContent" }}
 
 {{ $repo := .RepoInfo.FullName }}
 {{ $commit := .Diff.Commit }}
diff --git a/appview/pages/templates/repo/index.html b/appview/pages/templates/repo/index.html
index 22807492..c840c79a 100644
--- a/appview/pages/templates/repo/index.html
+++ b/appview/pages/templates/repo/index.html
@@ -1,40 +1,35 @@
-{{define "title"}} {{ .RepoInfo.FullName }} {{ end}}
+{{define "repoContent"}}
 
-{{define "content"}}
+<main>
+  {{- if .IsEmpty }}
+  this repo is empty
+  {{ else }}
+  <div class="log">
+    {{ range .Commits }}
+    <div>
+      <div><a href="/{{ $.RepoInfo.FullName }}/commit/{{ .Hash.String }}" class="commit-hash">{{ slice .Hash.String 0 8 }}</a></div>
+      <pre>{{ .Message }}</pre>
+    </div>
+    <div class="commit-info">
+      {{ .Author.Name }} <a href="mailto:{{ .Author.Email }}" class="commit-email">{{ .Author.Email }}</a>
+      <div>{{ .Author.When.Format "Mon, 02 Jan 2006 15:04:05 -0700" }}</div>
+    </div>
+    <hr />
+    {{ end }}
+  </div>
+  {{- if .Readme }}
+  <article class="readme">
+    {{- .Readme -}}
+  </article>
+  {{- end -}}
+  {{- end -}}
 
-<h1>
-{{ .RepoInfo.FullName }}
-</h1>
-    <main>
-{{- if .IsEmpty }}
-this repo is empty
-{{ else }}
-      <div class="log">
-        {{ range .Commits }}
-        <div>
-          <div><a href="/{{ $.RepoInfo.FullName }}/commit/{{ .Hash.String }}" class="commit-hash">{{ slice .Hash.String 0 8 }}</a></div>
-          <pre>{{ .Message }}</pre>
-        </div>
-        <div class="commit-info">
-          {{ .Author.Name }} <a href="mailto:{{ .Author.Email }}" class="commit-email">{{ .Author.Email }}</a>
-          <div>{{ .Author.When.Format "Mon, 02 Jan 2006 15:04:05 -0700" }}</div>
-        </div>
-        <hr />
-        {{ end }}
-      </div>
-{{- if .Readme }}
-      <article class="readme">
-        {{- .Readme -}}
-      </article>
-{{- end -}}
-{{- end -}}
-
-      <div class="clone-url">
-      <strong>clone</strong>
-        <pre>
+  <div class="clone-url">
+    <strong>clone</strong>
+    <pre>
 git clone https://tangled.sh/{{ .RepoInfo.OwnerWithAt }}/{{ .RepoInfo.Name }}
-        </pre>
-      </div>
-    </main>
+    </pre>
+  </div>
+</main>
 {{end}}
 
diff --git a/appview/pages/templates/repo/tags.html b/appview/pages/templates/repo/tags.html
index 3200dc7a..6aba6b76 100644
--- a/appview/pages/templates/repo/tags.html
+++ b/appview/pages/templates/repo/tags.html
@@ -1,9 +1,4 @@
-{{ define "title" }}
-    tags | {{ .RepoInfo.OwnerWithAt }} /
-    {{ .RepoInfo.Name }}
-{{ end }}
-
-{{ define "content" }}
+{{ define "repoContent" }}
     {{ $name := .RepoInfo.Name }}
     <h3>tags</h3>
     <div class="refs">
diff --git a/appview/state/repo.go b/appview/state/repo.go
index a6a77300..bfecd23f 100644
--- a/appview/state/repo.go
+++ b/appview/state/repo.go
@@ -48,6 +48,7 @@ func (s *State) RepoIndex(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 			OwnerDid:    id.DID.String(),
 			OwnerHandle: id.Handle.String(),
 			Name:        repoName,
+			Description: result.Description,
 		},
 		RepoIndexResponse: result,
 	})
@@ -88,6 +89,7 @@ func (s *State) RepoLog(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 			OwnerDid:    id.DID.String(),
 			OwnerHandle: id.Handle.String(),
 			Name:        repoName,
+			Description: result.Description,
 		},
 		RepoLogResponse: result,
 	})
@@ -169,6 +171,7 @@ func (s *State) RepoTree(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 			OwnerDid:    id.DID.String(),
 			OwnerHandle: id.Handle.String(),
 			Name:        repoName,
+			Description: result.Description,
 		},
 		RepoTreeResponse: result,
 	})