diff --git a/src/app/installed-packages-config-panel.coffee b/src/app/installed-packages-config-panel.coffee
index d9c5607e4..7d8f34d14 100644
--- a/src/app/installed-packages-config-panel.coffee
+++ b/src/app/installed-packages-config-panel.coffee
@@ -3,14 +3,20 @@ _ = require 'underscore'
 Package = require 'package'
 ConfigPanel = require 'config-panel'
 PackageConfigView = require 'package-config-view'
+packageManager = require 'package-manager'
 
 ### Internal ###
 
 module.exports =
 class InstalledPackagesConfigPanel extends ConfigPanel
   @content: ->
-    @div class: 'installed-packages'
+    @div class: 'installed-packages', =>
+      @div outlet: 'loadingArea', class: 'alert alert-info loading-area', =>
+        @span 'Loading installed packages\u2026'
 
   initialize: ->
-    for metadata in _.sortBy(atom.getAvailablePackageMetadata(), 'name')
-      @append(new PackageConfigView(metadata))
+    packages = _.sortBy(atom.getAvailablePackageMetadata(), 'name')
+    packageManager.renderMarkdownInMetadata packages, =>
+      @loadingArea.hide()
+      @append(new PackageConfigView(pack)) for pack in packages
+      @trigger 'installed-packages-loaded', [packages]
diff --git a/src/app/package-config-panel.coffee b/src/app/package-config-panel.coffee
index e5aa949b4..39fead24f 100644
--- a/src/app/package-config-panel.coffee
+++ b/src/app/package-config-panel.coffee
@@ -34,6 +34,8 @@ class PackageConfigPanel extends ConfigPanel
       @availableLink.addClass('active')
       @available.show()
 
-    @installedCount.text(atom.getAvailablePackageNames().length)
+    @installed.on 'installed-packages-loaded', (event, packages) =>
+      @installedCount.text(packages.length)
+
     @available.on 'available-packages-loaded', (event, packages) =>
       @availableCount.text(packages.length)
diff --git a/src/app/package-manager.coffee b/src/app/package-manager.coffee
index fb486a685..870c938a6 100644
--- a/src/app/package-manager.coffee
+++ b/src/app/package-manager.coffee
@@ -4,57 +4,68 @@ async = require 'async'
 
 ### Internal ###
 
-module.exports =
-  getAvailable: (callback) ->
-    apm = require.resolve '.bin/apm'
-    apmProcess = spawn(apm, ['available', '--json'])
-    chunks = []
-    apmProcess.stdout.on 'data', (chunk) -> chunks.push(chunk)
-    apmProcess.on 'close', (code) ->
-      if code is 0
-        try
-          packages = JSON.parse(Buffer.concat(chunks).toString()) ? []
-        catch error
-          callback(error)
-          return
+renderMarkdownInMetadata = (packages, callback) ->
+  queue = async.queue (pack, callback) ->
+    operations = []
+    if pack.description
+      operations.push (callback) ->
+        roaster pack.description, {}, (error, html) ->
+          pack.descriptionHtml = html
+          callback()
+    if pack.readme
+      operations.push (callback) ->
+        roaster pack.readme, {}, (error, html) ->
+          pack.readmeHtml = html
+          callback()
+    async.waterfall(operations, callback)
+  queue.push(pack) for pack in packages
+  queue.drain = callback
 
-        if packages.length > 0
-          queue = async.queue (pack, callback) ->
-            roaster pack.description, {}, (error, html) ->
-              pack.descriptionHtml = html
-              roaster pack.readme, {}, (error, html) ->
-                pack.readmeHtml = html
-                callback()
-          queue.push(pack) for pack in packages
-          queue.drain = -> callback(null, packages)
-        else
-          callback(null, packages)
+getAvailable = (callback) ->
+  apm = require.resolve '.bin/apm'
+  apmProcess = spawn(apm, ['available', '--json'])
+  chunks = []
+  apmProcess.stdout.on 'data', (chunk) -> chunks.push(chunk)
+  apmProcess.on 'close', (code) ->
+    if code is 0
+      try
+        packages = JSON.parse(Buffer.concat(chunks).toString()) ? []
+      catch error
+        callback(error)
+        return
+
+      if packages.length > 0
+        renderMarkdownInMetadata packages, -> callback(null, packages)
       else
-        callback(new Error("apm failed with code: #{code}"))
+        callback(null, packages)
+    else
+      callback(new Error("apm failed with code: #{code}"))
 
-  install: ({name, version}, callback) ->
-    activateOnSuccess = !atom.isPackageDisabled(name)
-    activateOnFailure = atom.isPackageActive(name)
-    atom.deactivatePackage(name) if atom.isPackageActive(name)
+install = ({name, version}, callback) ->
+  activateOnSuccess = !atom.isPackageDisabled(name)
+  activateOnFailure = atom.isPackageActive(name)
+  atom.deactivatePackage(name) if atom.isPackageActive(name)
 
-    apm = require.resolve '.bin/apm'
-    apmProcess = spawn(apm, ['install', "#{name}@#{version}"])
-    apmProcess.on 'close', (code) =>
-      if code is 0
-        atom.activatePackage(name) if activateOnSuccess
-        callback()
-      else
-        actom.activatePackage(name) if activateOnFailure
-        callback(new Error("Installing '#{name}' failed."))
+  apm = require.resolve '.bin/apm'
+  apmProcess = spawn(apm, ['install', "#{name}@#{version}"])
+  apmProcess.on 'close', (code) =>
+    if code is 0
+      atom.activatePackage(name) if activateOnSuccess
+      callback()
+    else
+      actom.activatePackage(name) if activateOnFailure
+      callback(new Error("Installing '#{name}' failed."))
 
-  uninstall: ({name}, callback) ->
-    atom.deactivatePackage(name) if atom.isPackageActive(name)
+uninstall = ({name}, callback) ->
+  atom.deactivatePackage(name) if atom.isPackageActive(name)
 
-    apm = require.resolve '.bin/apm'
-    apmProcess = spawn(apm, ['uninstall', name])
-    apmProcess.on 'close', (code) =>
-      if code is 0
-        atom.unloadPackage(name)
-        callback()
-      else
-        callback(new Error("Uninstalling '#{name}' failed."))
+  apm = require.resolve '.bin/apm'
+  apmProcess = spawn(apm, ['uninstall', name])
+  apmProcess.on 'close', (code) =>
+    if code is 0
+      atom.unloadPackage(name)
+      callback()
+    else
+      callback(new Error("Uninstalling '#{name}' failed."))
+
+module.exports = {renderMarkdownInMetadata, install, uninstall, getAvailable}