diff --git a/bookwyrm/templates/directory/user_card.html b/bookwyrm/templates/directory/user_card.html
index ca180dbce..34059fa6c 100644
--- a/bookwyrm/templates/directory/user_card.html
+++ b/bookwyrm/templates/directory/user_card.html
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@
             </div>
         </div>
 
-        <div>
+        <div class="preserve-whitespace">
         {% if user.summary %}
             {{ user.summary|to_markdown|safe|truncatechars_html:81 }}
         {% else %}&nbsp;{% endif %}
diff --git a/bookwyrm/templates/user/layout.html b/bookwyrm/templates/user/layout.html
index 69455806e..3897983b7 100644
--- a/bookwyrm/templates/user/layout.html
+++ b/bookwyrm/templates/user/layout.html
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@
         </div>
 
         {% if user.summary %}
-        <div class="column box has-background-white-bis content">
+        <div class="column box has-background-white-bis content preserve-whitespace">
             {{ user.summary|to_markdown|safe }}
         </div>
         {% endif %}