diff --git a/common/lib/capa/capa/responsetypes.py b/common/lib/capa/capa/responsetypes.py
index 698ec41a0a..6b57895013 100644
--- a/common/lib/capa/capa/responsetypes.py
+++ b/common/lib/capa/capa/responsetypes.py
@@ -199,19 +199,7 @@ class LoncapaResponse(object):
 
         # Add a <div> for the message at the end of the response
         if response_msg:
-            response_msg_div = etree.SubElement(tree, 'div')
-            response_msg_div.set("class", "response_message")
-
-            # If the response message can be represented as an XHTML tree,
-            # create the tree and append it to the message <div>
-            try:
-                response_tree = etree.XML(response_msg)
-                response_msg_div.append(response_tree)
-
-            # Otherwise, assume that the message is text (not XHTML)
-            # and insert it as the text of the message <div>
-            except:
-                response_msg_div.text = response_msg
+            tree.append(self._render_response_msg_html(response_msg))
 
         return tree
 
@@ -337,6 +325,29 @@ class LoncapaResponse(object):
     def __unicode__(self):
         return u'LoncapaProblem Response %s' % self.xml.tag
 
+    def _render_response_msg_html(self, response_msg):
+        """ Render a <div> for a message that applies to the entire response.
+
+        *response_msg* is a string, which may contain XHTML markup
+        
+        Returns an etree element representing the response message <div> """
+        # First try wrapping the text in a <div> and parsing
+        # it as an XHTML tree
+        try:
+            response_msg_div = etree.XML('<div>%s</div>' % str(response_msg))
+
+        # If we can't do that, create the <div> and set the message
+        # as the text of the <div>
+        except:
+            response_msg_div = etree.Element('div')
+            response_msg_div.text = str(response_msg)
+
+
+        # Set the css class of the message <div>
+        response_msg_div.set("class", "response_message")
+
+        return response_msg_div
+
 
 #-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
diff --git a/common/lib/capa/capa/tests/test_html_render.py b/common/lib/capa/capa/tests/test_html_render.py
index 257e63b611..64f031ea59 100644
--- a/common/lib/capa/capa/tests/test_html_render.py
+++ b/common/lib/capa/capa/tests/test_html_render.py
@@ -135,7 +135,8 @@ class CapaHtmlRenderTest(unittest.TestCase):
         # CustomResponse script that sets an overall_message
         script=textwrap.dedent("""
             def check_func(*args):
-                return {'overall_message': '<p>Test message</p>',
+                msg = '<p>Test message 1<br /></p><p>Test message 2</p>'
+                return {'overall_message': msg,
                         'input_list': [ {'ok': True, 'msg': '' } ] }
         """)
 
@@ -160,9 +161,12 @@ class CapaHtmlRenderTest(unittest.TestCase):
         self.assertEqual(msg_div_element.get('class'), "response_message")
 
         # Expect that the <div> contains our message (as part of the XML tree)
-        msg_p_element = msg_div_element.find('p')
-        self.assertEqual(msg_p_element.tag, "p")
-        self.assertEqual(msg_p_element.text, "Test message")
+        msg_p_elements = msg_div_element.findall('p')
+        self.assertEqual(msg_p_elements[0].tag, "p")
+        self.assertEqual(msg_p_elements[0].text, "Test message 1")
+
+        self.assertEqual(msg_p_elements[1].tag, "p")
+        self.assertEqual(msg_p_elements[1].text, "Test message 2")
 
 
     def test_substitute_python_vars(self):