diff --git a/lib/WebGUI/Form/Textarea.pm b/lib/WebGUI/Form/Textarea.pm
index 5d250c632..88db88d73 100644
--- a/lib/WebGUI/Form/Textarea.pm
+++ b/lib/WebGUI/Form/Textarea.pm
@@ -193,8 +193,7 @@ sub toHtml {
 sub getValueAsHtml {
     my $self = shift;
     my $value = $self->SUPER::getValueAsHtml(@_);
-    $value = WebGUI::HTML::filter($value, 'text');
-    $value =~ s/\n/<br>/sg;
+    $value = WebGUI::HTML::format($value, 'text');
     return $value;
 }
 
diff --git a/t/Form/Textarea.t b/t/Form/Textarea.t
index 6d6399228..1aa97a92b 100644
--- a/t/Form/Textarea.t
+++ b/t/Form/Textarea.t
@@ -111,7 +111,7 @@ is($session->form->textarea(undef,"some \ntest \r\nhere"), "some \ntest \r\nhere
 ###################################################################
 
 $txt = WebGUI::Form::Textarea->new($session, { value => "line1\nline2\nline3", });
-is($txt->getValueAsHtml, 'line1<br>line2<br>line3', 'getValueAsHtml translates newlines into break tags');
+is($txt->getValueAsHtml, "line1<br />\nline2<br />\nline3", 'getValueAsHtml translates newlines into break tags');
 
 
 __END__