diff --git a/common/djangoapps/util/markup.py b/common/djangoapps/util/markup.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..304533de32
--- /dev/null
+++ b/common/djangoapps/util/markup.py
@@ -0,0 +1,51 @@
+"""
+Utilities for use in Mako markup.
+"""
+
+from django.utils.translation import ugettext as django_ugettext
+from django.utils.translation import ungettext as django_ungettext
+import markupsafe
+
+
+# So that we can use escape() imported from here.
+escape = markupsafe.escape                      # pylint: disable=invalid-name
+
+
+def ugettext(text):
+    """Translate a string, and escape it as plain text.
+
+    Use like this in Mako::
+
+        <% from util.markup import ugettext as _ %>
+        <p>${_("Hello, world!")}</p>
+
+    Or with formatting::
+
+        <% from util.markup import HTML, ugettext as _ %>
+        ${_("Write & send {start}email{end}").format(
+            start=HTML("<a href='mailto:ned@edx.org'>"),
+            end=HTML("</a>"),
+           )}
+
+    """
+    return markupsafe.escape(django_ugettext(text))
+
+
+def ungettext(text1, text2, num):
+    """Translate a number-sensitive string, and escape it as plain text."""
+    return markupsafe.escape(django_ungettext(text1, text2, num))
+
+
+def HTML(html):                                 # pylint: disable=invalid-name
+    """Mark a string as already HTML, so that it won't be escaped before output.
+
+    Use this when formatting HTML into other strings::
+
+        <% from util.markup import HTML, ugettext as _ %>
+        ${_("Write & send {start}email{end}").format(
+            start=HTML("<a href='mailto:ned@edx.org'>"),
+            end=HTML("</a>"),
+           )}
+
+    """
+    return markupsafe.Markup(html)
diff --git a/common/djangoapps/util/tests/test_markup.py b/common/djangoapps/util/tests/test_markup.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..d700df57f8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/common/djangoapps/util/tests/test_markup.py
@@ -0,0 +1,68 @@
+# -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
+"""
+Tests for util.markup
+"""
+
+import unittest
+
+import ddt
+
+from edxmako.template import Template
+from util.markup import escape, HTML, ugettext as _, ungettext
+
+
+@ddt.ddt
+class FormatHtmlTest(unittest.TestCase):
+    """Test that we can format plain strings and HTML into them properly."""
+
+    @ddt.data(
+        (u"hello", u"hello"),
+        (u"<hello>", u"&lt;hello&gt;"),
+        (u"It's cool", u"It&#39;s cool"),
+        (u'"cool," she said.', u'&#34;cool,&#34; she said.'),
+        (u"Stop & Shop", u"Stop &amp; Shop"),
+        (u"<a>нтмℓ-єѕ¢αρє∂</a>", u"&lt;a&gt;нтмℓ-єѕ¢αρє∂&lt;/a&gt;"),
+    )
+    def test_simple(self, (before, after)):
+        self.assertEqual(unicode(_(before)), after)  # pylint: disable=translation-of-non-string
+        self.assertEqual(unicode(escape(before)), after)
+
+    def test_formatting(self):
+        # The whole point of this function is to make sure this works:
+        out = _(u"Point & click {start}here{end}!").format(
+            start=HTML("<a href='http://edx.org'>"),
+            end=HTML("</a>"),
+        )
+        self.assertEqual(
+            unicode(out),
+            u"Point &amp; click <a href='http://edx.org'>here</a>!",
+        )
+
+    def test_nested_formatting(self):
+        # Sometimes, you have plain text, with html inserted, and the html has
+        # plain text inserted.  It gets twisty...
+        out = _(u"Send {start}email{end}").format(
+            start=HTML("<a href='mailto:{email}'>").format(email="A&B"),
+            end=HTML("</a>"),
+        )
+        self.assertEqual(
+            unicode(out),
+            u"Send <a href='mailto:A&amp;B'>email</a>",
+        )
+
+    def test_mako(self):
+        # The default_filters used here have to match the ones in edxmako.
+        template = Template(
+            """
+                <%! from util.markup import HTML, ugettext as _ %>
+                ${_(u"A & {BC}").format(BC=HTML("B & C"))}
+            """,
+            default_filters=['decode.utf8', 'h'],
+        )
+        out = template.render({})
+        self.assertEqual(out.strip(), u"A &amp; B & C")
+
+    def test_ungettext(self):
+        for i in [1, 2]:
+            out = ungettext("1 & {}", "2 & {}", i).format(HTML("<>"))
+            self.assertEqual(out, "{} &amp; <>".format(i))