diff --git a/doc/release-notes/11397-support-html-in-file-level-description.md b/doc/release-notes/11397-support-html-in-file-level-description.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..c0d6b597ce3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/doc/release-notes/11397-support-html-in-file-level-description.md
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+## Feature Request
+File metadata description will now support html in JSF UI. Is already supported in SPA.
diff --git a/src/main/webapp/file-info-fragment.xhtml b/src/main/webapp/file-info-fragment.xhtml
index 3eefce7cafa..110020e8b66 100644
--- a/src/main/webapp/file-info-fragment.xhtml
+++ b/src/main/webapp/file-info-fragment.xhtml
@@ -122,7 +122,7 @@
                 </div>
             </div>
             <div class="fileDescription small" jsf:rendered="#{hasDescription}">
-                <h:outputText id="fileDescNonEmpty" value="#{fileMetadata.description}"/>
+                <h:outputText id="fileDescNonEmpty" value="#{MarkupChecker:sanitizeBasicHTML(fileMetadata.description)}" escape="false"/>
             </div>
             <div class="file-tags-block" jsf:rendered="#{hasCategories or hasTags}">
                 <ui:repeat value="#{fileMetadata.categories}" var="cat">
diff --git a/src/main/webapp/file.xhtml b/src/main/webapp/file.xhtml
index 885a116ec58..e2ab5dd13ac 100644
--- a/src/main/webapp/file.xhtml
+++ b/src/main/webapp/file.xhtml
@@ -624,7 +624,7 @@
                                                         <th scope="row">
                                                             #{bundle['file.metadataTab.fileMetadata.description.label']}
                                                         </th>
-                                                        <td>#{FilePage.fileMetadata.description}</td>
+                                                        <td><h:outputFormat value="#{MarkupChecker:sanitizeBasicHTML(FilePage.fileMetadata.description)}" escape="false"></h:outputFormat></td>
                                                     </tr>
                                                 </tbody>
                                             </table>