diff --git a/services/web/app/coffee/Features/Project/ProjectDetailsHandler.coffee b/services/web/app/coffee/Features/Project/ProjectDetailsHandler.coffee
index 500823cd03..7c7cd8ada3 100644
--- a/services/web/app/coffee/Features/Project/ProjectDetailsHandler.coffee
+++ b/services/web/app/coffee/Features/Project/ProjectDetailsHandler.coffee
@@ -22,6 +22,9 @@ module.exports =
 				logger.log project_id:project_id, details:details, "getting project details"
 				callback(err, details)
 
+	getProjectDescription: (project_id, callback)->
+		Project.find _id:project_id, "description", callback
+
 	setProjectDescription: (project_id, description, callback)->
 		conditions = _id:project_id
 		update = description:description
diff --git a/services/web/app/coffee/Features/Templates/TemplatesController.coffee b/services/web/app/coffee/Features/Templates/TemplatesController.coffee
index d71b93d74e..11a78cdb12 100644
--- a/services/web/app/coffee/Features/Templates/TemplatesController.coffee
+++ b/services/web/app/coffee/Features/Templates/TemplatesController.coffee
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 path = require('path')
 ProjectUploadManager = require('../Uploads/ProjectUploadManager')
 ProjectOptionsHandler = require("../Project/ProjectOptionsHandler")
+ProjectDetailsHandler = require('../Project/ProjectDetailsHandler')
 TemplatesPublisher = require("./TemplatesPublisher")
 settings = require('settings-sharelatex')
 fs = require('fs')
@@ -46,7 +47,10 @@ module.exports =
 		TemplatesPublisher.getTemplateDetails user_id, project_id, (err, details)->
 			if err?
 				logger.err err:err, user_id:user_id, project_id:project_id, "something went wrong getting template details"
-			callback(err, details)
+				return callback(err)
+			ProjectDetailsHandler.getProjectDescription project_id, (err, description)->
+				details.description = description
+				callback(err, details)
 
 
 setCompiler = (project_id, compiler, callback)->
diff --git a/services/web/test/UnitTests/coffee/Project/ProjectDetailsHandlerTests.coffee b/services/web/test/UnitTests/coffee/Project/ProjectDetailsHandlerTests.coffee
index 986be9d629..22e61b32e6 100644
--- a/services/web/test/UnitTests/coffee/Project/ProjectDetailsHandlerTests.coffee
+++ b/services/web/test/UnitTests/coffee/Project/ProjectDetailsHandlerTests.coffee
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ describe 'Project details handler', ->
 			getProject: sinon.stub().callsArgWith(2, null, @project)
 		@ProjectModel =
 			update: sinon.stub()
+			find: sinon.stub()
 		@UserGetter =
 			getUser: sinon.stub().callsArgWith(1, null, @user)
 		@tpdsUpdateSender =
@@ -54,6 +55,23 @@ describe 'Project details handler', ->
 				err.should.equal error
 				done()
 
+	describe "getProjectDescription", ->
+
+		it "should make a call to mongo just for the description", (done)->
+			@ProjectModel.find.callsArgWith(2)
+			@handler.getProjectDescription @project_id, (err, description)=>
+				@ProjectModel.find.calledWith({_id:@project_id}, "description").should.equal true
+				done()
+
+		it "should return what the mongo call returns", (done)->
+			err = "error"
+			description = "cool project"
+			@ProjectModel.find.callsArgWith(2, err, description)
+			@handler.getProjectDescription @project_id, (returnedErr, returnedDescription)=>
+				err.should.equal returnedErr
+				description.should.equal returnedDescription
+				done()	
+
 	describe "setProjectDescription", ->
 
 		beforeEach ->
@@ -65,6 +83,8 @@ describe 'Project details handler', ->
 				@ProjectModel.update.calledWith({_id:@project_id}, {description:@description}).should.equal true
 				done()
 
+
+
 	describe "renameProject", ->
 		beforeEach ->
 			@ProjectModel.update.callsArgWith(2)
diff --git a/services/web/test/UnitTests/coffee/Templates/TemplatesControllerTests.coffee b/services/web/test/UnitTests/coffee/Templates/TemplatesControllerTests.coffee
index a3c8233382..f147f6a824 100644
--- a/services/web/test/UnitTests/coffee/Templates/TemplatesControllerTests.coffee
+++ b/services/web/test/UnitTests/coffee/Templates/TemplatesControllerTests.coffee
@@ -25,9 +25,12 @@ describe 'TemplatesController', ->
 			publish: sinon.stub()
 			unpublish:sinon.stub()
 			getTemplateDetails: sinon.stub()
+		@ProjectDetailsHandler =
+			getProjectDescription:sinon.stub()
 		@controller = SandboxedModule.require modulePath, requires:
 			'../Uploads/ProjectUploadManager':@ProjectUploadManager
 			'../Project/ProjectOptionsHandler':@ProjectOptionsHandler
+			'../Project/ProjectDetailsHandler':@ProjectDetailsHandler
 			'./TemplatesPublisher':@TemplatesPublisher
 			"logger-sharelatex": 
 				log:->
@@ -138,6 +141,9 @@ describe 'TemplatesController', ->
 
 
 	describe 'getTemplateDetails', ->
+		beforeEach ->
+			@description = "this project is nice"
+			@ProjectDetailsHandler.getProjectDescription.callsArgWith(1, null, @description)
 
 		it "should return an error the templatePublisher", (done)->
 			error = "error"
@@ -152,3 +158,10 @@ describe 'TemplatesController', ->
 			@controller.getTemplateDetails @user_id, @project_id, (err, passedDetails)=>
 				details.should.equal passedDetails
 				done()
+
+		it "should get the template description", (done)->
+			@TemplatesPublisher.getTemplateDetails.callsArgWith(2, null, {})
+			@controller.getTemplateDetails @user_id, @project_id, (err, passedDetails)=>
+				passedDetails.description.should.equal @description
+				done()
+