diff --git a/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/features/html-editor.feature b/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/features/html-editor.feature
index 309416196c..93446e29fb 100644
--- a/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/features/html-editor.feature
+++ b/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/features/html-editor.feature
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ Feature: CMS.HTML Editor
     And I save the page
     Then the page has text:
       """
+      <p>&nbsp;</p>
       <p class="title">pages</p>
       <style><!--
       .title { color: red; }
diff --git a/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/js/src/html/edit.coffee b/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/js/src/html/edit.coffee
index 0738fc6723..1e6104eb34 100644
--- a/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/js/src/html/edit.coffee
+++ b/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/js/src/html/edit.coffee
@@ -48,10 +48,6 @@ class @HTMLEditingDescriptor
       statusbar: false,
       # Necessary to avoid stripping of style tags.
       valid_children : "+body[style]",
-      # Prevent TinyMCE from adding extra <p>&nbsp;</p> in code.
-      forced_root_block : "",
-      force_br_newlines : true,
-      force_p_newlines : false,
       setup: @setupTinyMCE,
       # Cannot get access to tinyMCE Editor instance (for focusing) until after it is rendered.
       # The tinyMCE callback passes in the editor as a paramter.