diff --git a/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/js/fixtures/problem-with-markdown.html b/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/js/fixtures/problem-with-markdown.html
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..be4fcd5ecc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/js/fixtures/problem-with-markdown.html
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+<section class="problem-editor editor">
+    <div class="row">
+        <textarea class="markdown-box">markdown</textarea>
+        <textarea class="xml-box" rows="8" cols="40">xml</textarea>
+    </div>
+</section>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/js/fixtures/problem-without-markdown.html b/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/js/fixtures/problem-without-markdown.html
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..06225e99b6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/js/fixtures/problem-without-markdown.html
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+<section class="problem-editor editor">
+    <div class="row">
+        <textarea class="xml-box" rows="8" cols="40">xml only</textarea>
+    </div>
+</section>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/js/spec/problem/edit_spec.coffee b/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/js/spec/problem/edit_spec.coffee
index 3289c5fe7d..01a129e284 100644
--- a/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/js/spec/problem/edit_spec.coffee
+++ b/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/js/spec/problem/edit_spec.coffee
@@ -1,4 +1,24 @@
 describe 'MarkdownEditingDescriptor', ->
+  describe 'save stores the correct data', ->
+    it 'saves markdown from markdown editor', ->
+      loadFixtures 'problem-with-markdown.html'
+      @descriptor = new MarkdownEditingDescriptor($('.problem-editor'))
+      saveResult = @descriptor.save()
+      expect(saveResult.metadata.markdown).toEqual('markdown')
+      expect(saveResult.data).toEqual('<problem>\n<p>markdown</p>\n</problem>')
+    it 'clears markdown when xml editor is selected', ->
+      loadFixtures 'problem-with-markdown.html'
+      @descriptor = new MarkdownEditingDescriptor($('.problem-editor'))
+      @descriptor.createXMLEditor('replace with markdown')
+      saveResult = @descriptor.save()
+      expect(saveResult.metadata.markdown).toEqual(null)
+      expect(saveResult.data).toEqual('replace with markdown')
+    it 'saves xml from the xml editor', ->
+      loadFixtures 'problem-without-markdown.html'
+      @descriptor = new MarkdownEditingDescriptor($('.problem-editor'))
+      saveResult = @descriptor.save()
+      expect(saveResult.metadata.markdown).toEqual(null)
+      expect(saveResult.data).toEqual('xml only')
 
   describe 'insertMultipleChoice', ->
     it 'inserts the template if selection is empty', ->