diff --git a/common/lib/capa/capa/capa_problem.py b/common/lib/capa/capa/capa_problem.py
index ca78f635e3..d868e66ec5 100644
--- a/common/lib/capa/capa/capa_problem.py
+++ b/common/lib/capa/capa/capa_problem.py
@@ -56,7 +56,8 @@ entry_types = ['textline',
                'checkboxgroup',
                'filesubmission',
                'javascriptinput',
-               'chemicalequationinput']
+               'crystallography',
+               'chemicalequationinput',]
 
 # extra things displayed after "show answers" is pressed
 solution_types = ['solution']
diff --git a/common/lib/capa/capa/inputtypes.py b/common/lib/capa/capa/inputtypes.py
index 297350be03..0e993c1366 100644
--- a/common/lib/capa/capa/inputtypes.py
+++ b/common/lib/capa/capa/inputtypes.py
@@ -707,6 +707,50 @@ def imageinput(element, value, status, render_template, msg=''):
 
 _reg(imageinput)
 
+#-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+def crystallography(element, value, status, render_template, msg=''):
+    eid = element.get('id')
+    if eid is None:
+        msg = 'cryst has no id: it probably appears outside of a known response type'
+        msg += "\nSee problem XML source line %s" % getattr(element, 'sourceline', '<unavailable>')
+        raise Exception(msg)
+    height = element.get('height')
+    width = element.get('width')
+    display_file = element.get('display_file')
+
+    count = int(eid.split('_')[-2]) - 1  # HACK
+    size = element.get('size')
+    # if specified, then textline is hidden and id is stored in div of name given by hidden
+    hidden = element.get('hidden', '')
+    # Escape answers with quotes, so they don't crash the system!
+    escapedict = {'"': '&quot;'}
+    value = saxutils.escape(value, escapedict)
+
+    context = {'id': eid,
+               'value': value,
+               'state': status,
+               'count': count,
+               'size': size,
+               'msg': msg,
+               'hidden': hidden,
+               'inline': element.get('inline', ''),
+               'width': width,
+               'height': height,
+               'display_file': display_file,
+               }
+
+    html = render_template("crystallography.html", context)
+    try:
+        xhtml = etree.XML(html)
+    except Exception as err:
+        # TODO: needs to be self.system.DEBUG - but can't access system
+        if True:
+            log.debug('[inputtypes.textline] failed to parse XML for:\n%s' % html)
+            raise
+    return xhtml
+
+_reg(crystallography)
+
 
 #--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
diff --git a/common/lib/capa/capa/responsetypes.py b/common/lib/capa/capa/responsetypes.py
index eb739c9b72..269b4a5e79 100644
--- a/common/lib/capa/capa/responsetypes.py
+++ b/common/lib/capa/capa/responsetypes.py
@@ -867,7 +867,7 @@ def sympy_check2():
   </customresponse>"""}]
 
     response_tag = 'customresponse'
-    allowed_inputfields = ['textline', 'textbox', 'chemicalequationinput']
+    allowed_inputfields = ['textline', 'textbox', 'crystallography', 'chemicalequationinput']
 
     def setup_response(self):
         xml = self.xml
diff --git a/common/lib/capa/capa/templates/crystallography.html b/common/lib/capa/capa/templates/crystallography.html
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..1fc638b356
--- /dev/null
+++ b/common/lib/capa/capa/templates/crystallography.html
@@ -0,0 +1,51 @@
+<% doinline = "inline" if inline else "" %>
+
+<section id="textinput_${id}" class="textinput ${doinline}" >
+     <div id="holder" style="width:${width};height:${height}"></div>
+    <div class="script_placeholder" data-src="/static/js/raphael.js"></div><div class="script_placeholder" data-src="/static/js/sylvester.js"></div><div class="script_placeholder" data-src="/static/js/underscore-min.js"></div>
+    <div class="script_placeholder" data-src="/static/js/crystallography.js"></div>
+
+
+    % if state == 'unsubmitted':
+    <div class="unanswered ${doinline}" id="status_${id}">
+    % elif state == 'correct':
+    <div class="correct ${doinline}" id="status_${id}">
+    % elif state == 'incorrect':
+    <div class="incorrect ${doinline}" id="status_${id}">
+    % elif state == 'incomplete':
+    <div class="incorrect ${doinline}" id="status_${id}">
+    % endif
+    % if hidden:
+      <div style="display:none;" name="${hidden}" inputid="input_${id}" />
+    % endif
+
+  <input type="text" name="input_${id}" id="input_${id}" value="${value}"
+   % if size:
+   size="${size}"
+   % endif
+   % if hidden:
+    style="display:none;"
+   % endif
+   />
+
+      <p class="status">
+        % if state == 'unsubmitted':
+        unanswered
+        % elif state == 'correct':
+        correct
+        % elif state == 'incorrect':
+        incorrect
+        % elif state == 'incomplete':
+        incomplete
+        % endif
+      </p>
+
+  <p id="answer_${id}" class="answer"></p>
+
+  % if msg:
+      <span class="message">${msg|n}</span>
+  % endif
+% if state in ['unsubmitted', 'correct', 'incorrect', 'incomplete'] or hidden:
+</div>
+% endif
+</section>