diff --git a/src/main/webapp/scripts/xnat/ui/panel.js b/src/main/webapp/scripts/xnat/ui/panel.js
index 74d8ba1bf722ecd275e94acb1cdaeb62bfd38a44..5ab08dfcb07899330c7f21e0f9749da5441e4772 100644
--- a/src/main/webapp/scripts/xnat/ui/panel.js
+++ b/src/main/webapp/scripts/xnat/ui/panel.js
@@ -144,14 +144,14 @@ var XNAT = getObject(XNAT || {});
             ],
 
             // TODO: use opts.element for the panel itself
-            _formPanel = spawn('form.xnat-form-panel.panel.panel-default', {
+            _formPanel = spawn('form.xnat-form-panel.panel.panel-default', extend(true, {
                 id: toDashed(opts.id || opts.element.id || opts.name) + '-panel',
                 name: opts.name,
                 method: opts.method || 'POST',
                 action: opts.action ? XNAT.url.rootUrl(opts.action) : '#!',
                 addClass: opts.classes || '',
                 data: opts.data
-            }, [
+            }, opts.element), [
 
                 (hideHeader ? ['div.hidden'] : ['div.panel-heading', [
                     ['h3.panel-title', opts.title]
diff --git a/src/main/webapp/scripts/xnat/ui/templates.js b/src/main/webapp/scripts/xnat/ui/templates.js
index 831c9fa69cf7291a51804d298ca80db0c3d66c13..6cb46e87f83322d3a42b396cf357da8d3d0c75ca 100644
--- a/src/main/webapp/scripts/xnat/ui/templates.js
+++ b/src/main/webapp/scripts/xnat/ui/templates.js
@@ -149,7 +149,7 @@ var XNAT = getObject(XNAT);
 
                 (opts.afterElement ? opts.afterElement : []),
 
-                ['div.description', opts.description||'']
+                spawn('div.description', opts.description||'')
 
             )]
         ]);
@@ -288,7 +288,7 @@ var XNAT = getObject(XNAT);
         }
 
         // add the description after the input
-        inner.push(['div.description', opts.description||opts.body||opts.html]);
+        inner.push(spawn('div.description', opts.description||opts.body||opts.html));
 
         return template.panelElement(opts, [
             ['label.element-label|for='+element.id||opts.id, opts.label],