diff --git a/js/plugins/reference_footnotes/dialogs/footnotes.js b/js/plugins/reference_footnotes/dialogs/footnotes.js
index dd91a43..a45674d 100644
--- a/js/plugins/reference_footnotes/dialogs/footnotes.js
+++ b/js/plugins/reference_footnotes/dialogs/footnotes.js
@@ -27,9 +27,9 @@
                             label: Drupal.t('Or add free-form footnote text :'),
                             setup: function (element) {
                                 if (isEdit) {
-                                  var text = element.getText();
+                                  var markup = element.getHtml();
 
-                                  this.setValue(text);
+                                  this.setValue(markup);
 
                                 }
                             }
diff --git a/js/plugins/reference_footnotes/plugin.js b/js/plugins/reference_footnotes/plugin.js
index f14aa11..2e25e4f 100644
--- a/js/plugins/reference_footnotes/plugin.js
+++ b/js/plugins/reference_footnotes/plugin.js
@@ -117,7 +117,7 @@ CKEDITOR.plugins.reference_footnotes = {
         }
 
         if (text && text.length > 0 ) {
-            realElement.setText(text);
+            realElement.setHtml(text);
         }
         realElement.setAttribute('value',value);
         if (page && page.length > 0) {