diff --git a/lib/puppet/util/reference.rb b/lib/puppet/util/reference.rb
index 1ec5880af..ae5f2d44c 100644
--- a/lib/puppet/util/reference.rb
+++ b/lib/puppet/util/reference.rb
@@ -1,129 +1,139 @@
 require 'puppet/util/instance_loader'
 require 'fileutils'
 
 # Manage Reference Documentation.
 class Puppet::Util::Reference
   include Puppet::Util
   include Puppet::Util::Docs
 
   extend Puppet::Util::InstanceLoader
 
   instance_load(:reference, 'puppet/reference')
 
   def self.footer
     "\n\n----------------\n\n*This page autogenerated on #{Time.now}*\n"
   end
 
   def self.modes
     %w{pdf text}
   end
 
   def self.newreference(name, options = {}, &block)
     ref = self.new(name, options, &block)
     instance_hash(:reference)[symbolize(name)] = ref
 
     ref
   end
 
   def self.page(*sections)
     depth = 4
     # Use the minimum depth
     sections.each do |name|
       section = reference(name) or raise "Could not find section #{name}"
       depth = section.depth if section.depth < depth
     end
   end
 
   def self.pdf(text)
     puts "creating pdf"
     Puppet::Util.secure_open("/tmp/puppetdoc.txt", "w") do |f|
       f.puts text
     end
     rst2latex = which('rst2latex') || which('rst2latex.py') || raise("Could not find rst2latex")
     cmd = %{#{rst2latex} /tmp/puppetdoc.txt > /tmp/puppetdoc.tex}
     Puppet::Util.secure_open("/tmp/puppetdoc.tex","w") do |f|
       # If we get here without an error, /tmp/puppetdoc.tex isn't a tricky cracker's symlink
     end
     output = %x{#{cmd}}
     unless $CHILD_STATUS == 0
       $stderr.puts "rst2latex failed"
       $stderr.puts output
       exit(1)
     end
     $stderr.puts output
 
     # Now convert to pdf
     Dir.chdir("/tmp") do
       %x{texi2pdf puppetdoc.tex >/dev/null 2>/dev/null}
     end
 
   end
 
   def self.references
     instance_loader(:reference).loadall
     loaded_instances(:reference).sort { |a,b| a.to_s <=> b.to_s }
   end
 
   HEADER_LEVELS = [nil, "#", "##", "###", "####", "#####"]
 
   attr_accessor :page, :depth, :header, :title, :dynamic
   attr_writer :doc
 
   def doc
     if defined?(@doc)
       return "#{@name} - #{@doc}"
     else
       return @title
     end
   end
 
   def dynamic?
     self.dynamic
   end
 
   def markdown_header(name, level)
     "#{HEADER_LEVELS[level]} #{name}\n\n"
   end
 
+  def markdown_definitionlist(term, definition)
+    lines = definition.split("\n")
+    str = "#{term}\n: #{lines.shift}\n"
+    lines.each do |line|
+      str << "    " if line =~ /\S/
+      str << "#{line}\n"
+    end
+    str << "\n"
+  end
+
   def initialize(name, options = {}, &block)
     @name = name
     options.each do |option, value|
       send(option.to_s + "=", value)
     end
 
     meta_def(:generate, &block)
 
     # Now handle the defaults
     @title ||= "#{@name.to_s.capitalize} Reference"
     @page ||= @title.gsub(/\s+/, '')
     @depth ||= 2
     @header ||= ""
   end
 
   # Indent every line in the chunk except those which begin with '..'.
   def indent(text, tab)
     text.gsub(/(^|\A)/, tab).gsub(/^ +\.\./, "..")
   end
 
   def option(name, value)
     ":#{name.to_s.capitalize}: #{value}\n"
   end
 
   def text
     puts output
   end
 
   def to_markdown(withcontents = true)
     # First the header
     text = markdown_header(@title, 1)
     text << "\n\n**This page is autogenerated; any changes will get overwritten** *(last generated on #{Time.now.to_s})*\n\n"
 
     text << @header
 
     text << generate
 
     text << self.class.footer if withcontents
 
     text
   end
 end
diff --git a/spec/unit/util/reference_spec.rb b/spec/unit/util/reference_spec.rb
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..219a673ef
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spec/unit/util/reference_spec.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env rspec
+require 'spec_helper'
+require 'puppet/util/reference'
+
+describe Puppet::Util::Reference do
+  it "should create valid Markdown extension definition lists" do
+    my_fragment = nil
+    Puppet::Util::Reference.newreference :testreference, :doc => "A peer of the type and configuration references, but with no useful information" do
+      my_term = "A term"
+      my_definition = <<-EOT
+The definition of this term.
+We should be able to handle multi-line definitions.
+
+We should be able to handle multi-paragraph definitions.
+      EOT
+      my_fragment = markdown_definitionlist(my_term, my_definition)
+    end
+    Puppet::Util::Reference.reference(:testreference).send(:to_markdown, true)
+    my_fragment.should == <<-EOT
+A term
+: The definition of this term.
+    We should be able to handle multi-line definitions.
+
+    We should be able to handle multi-paragraph definitions.
+
+    EOT
+  end
+
+end
\ No newline at end of file