diff --git a/app/src/main/java/org/tasks/preferences/AppearancePreferences.java b/app/src/main/java/org/tasks/preferences/AppearancePreferences.java
index 66cba21d5..e439ecb3d 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/org/tasks/preferences/AppearancePreferences.java
+++ b/app/src/main/java/org/tasks/preferences/AppearancePreferences.java
@@ -49,6 +49,8 @@ public class AppearancePreferences extends InjectingPreferenceActivity
     setExtraOnChange(R.string.p_fontSize, EXTRA_RESTART);
     setExtraOnChange(R.string.p_rowPadding, EXTRA_RESTART);
     setExtraOnChange(R.string.p_fullTaskTitle, EXTRA_RESTART);
+    setExtraOnChange(R.string.p_show_description, EXTRA_RESTART);
+    setExtraOnChange(R.string.p_show_full_description, EXTRA_RESTART);
     setExtraOnChange(R.string.p_show_today_filter, EXTRA_FILTERS_CHANGED);
     setExtraOnChange(R.string.p_show_recently_modified_filter, EXTRA_FILTERS_CHANGED);
     setExtraOnChange(R.string.p_show_not_in_list_filter, EXTRA_FILTERS_CHANGED);
diff --git a/app/src/main/java/org/tasks/tasklist/ViewHolder.java b/app/src/main/java/org/tasks/tasklist/ViewHolder.java
index 63c7b72cb..5c96f5e65 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/org/tasks/tasklist/ViewHolder.java
+++ b/app/src/main/java/org/tasks/tasklist/ViewHolder.java
@@ -24,11 +24,13 @@ import com.todoroo.astrid.data.Task;
 import com.todoroo.astrid.ui.CheckableImageView;
 import java.util.List;
 import org.tasks.R;
+import org.tasks.preferences.Preferences;
 import org.tasks.ui.CheckBoxes;
 
 class ViewHolder extends RecyclerView.ViewHolder {
 
   private final Context context;
+  private final Preferences preferences;
   private final CheckBoxes checkBoxes;
   private final TagFormatter tagFormatter;
   private final int textColorSecondary;
@@ -53,6 +55,9 @@ class ViewHolder extends RecyclerView.ViewHolder {
   @BindView(R.id.title)
   TextView nameView;
 
+  @BindView(R.id.description)
+  TextView description;
+
   @BindView(R.id.completeBox)
   CheckableImageView completeBox;
 
@@ -66,7 +71,7 @@ class ViewHolder extends RecyclerView.ViewHolder {
   ViewHolder(
       Context context,
       ViewGroup view,
-      boolean showFullTaskTitle,
+      Preferences preferences,
       int fontSize,
       CheckBoxes checkBoxes,
       TagFormatter tagFormatter,
@@ -80,6 +85,7 @@ class ViewHolder extends RecyclerView.ViewHolder {
       int rowPadding) {
     super(view);
     this.context = context;
+    this.preferences = preferences;
     this.checkBoxes = checkBoxes;
     this.tagFormatter = tagFormatter;
     this.textColorOverdue = textColorOverdue;
@@ -91,12 +97,18 @@ class ViewHolder extends RecyclerView.ViewHolder {
     this.selectedColor = selectedColor;
     ButterKnife.bind(this, view);
 
-    if (showFullTaskTitle) {
+    if (preferences.getBoolean(R.string.p_fullTaskTitle, false)) {
       nameView.setMaxLines(Integer.MAX_VALUE);
       nameView.setSingleLine(false);
       nameView.setEllipsize(null);
     }
 
+    if (preferences.getBoolean(R.string.p_show_full_description, false)) {
+      description.setMaxLines(Integer.MAX_VALUE);
+      description.setSingleLine(false);
+      description.setEllipsize(null);
+    }
+
     if (atLeastKitKat()) {
       rowBody.setPadding(0, rowPadding, 0, rowPadding);
     } else {
@@ -166,11 +178,14 @@ class ViewHolder extends RecyclerView.ViewHolder {
   }
 
   void bindView(Task task) {
-    // TODO: see if this is a performance issue
     this.task = task;
 
     setFieldContentsAndVisibility();
     setTaskAppearance();
+    if (preferences.getBoolean(R.string.p_show_description, true)) {
+      description.setText(task.getNotes());
+      description.setVisibility(task.hasNotes() ? View.VISIBLE : View.GONE);
+    }
   }
 
   /** Helper method to set the contents and visibility of each field */
diff --git a/app/src/main/java/org/tasks/tasklist/ViewHolderFactory.java b/app/src/main/java/org/tasks/tasklist/ViewHolderFactory.java
index 195f4a15c..ad991ca2f 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/org/tasks/tasklist/ViewHolderFactory.java
+++ b/app/src/main/java/org/tasks/tasklist/ViewHolderFactory.java
@@ -23,13 +23,13 @@ public class ViewHolderFactory {
   private final Context context;
   private final CheckBoxes checkBoxes;
   private final TagFormatter tagFormatter;
-  private final boolean showFullTaskTitle;
   private final int fontSize;
   private final TaskDao taskDao;
   private final DisplayMetrics metrics;
   private final int background;
   private final int selectedColor;
   private final int rowPadding;
+  private final Preferences preferences;
 
   @Inject
   public ViewHolderFactory(
@@ -42,11 +42,11 @@ public class ViewHolderFactory {
     this.checkBoxes = checkBoxes;
     this.tagFormatter = tagFormatter;
     this.taskDao = taskDao;
+    this.preferences = preferences;
     textColorSecondary = getData(context, android.R.attr.textColorSecondary);
     textColorOverdue = getColor(context, R.color.overdue);
     background = getResourceId(context, R.attr.selectableItemBackground);
     selectedColor = getData(context, R.attr.colorControlHighlight);
-    showFullTaskTitle = preferences.getBoolean(R.string.p_fullTaskTitle, false);
     fontSize = preferences.getFontSize();
     metrics = context.getResources().getDisplayMetrics();
     rowPadding = convertDpToPixels(metrics, preferences.getInt(R.string.p_rowPadding, 16));
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ public class ViewHolderFactory {
         context,
         (ViewGroup)
             LayoutInflater.from(context).inflate(R.layout.task_adapter_row_simple, parent, false),
-        showFullTaskTitle,
+        preferences,
         fontSize,
         checkBoxes,
         tagFormatter,
diff --git a/app/src/main/res/layout/task_adapter_row_body.xml b/app/src/main/res/layout/task_adapter_row_body.xml
index 17d9d95cc..45fe72a2b 100644
--- a/app/src/main/res/layout/task_adapter_row_body.xml
+++ b/app/src/main/res/layout/task_adapter_row_body.xml
@@ -9,8 +9,6 @@
   android:focusable="true"
   android:orientation="vertical">
 
-  <!-- row 1 -->
-
   <RelativeLayout
     android:layout_width="match_parent"
     android:layout_height="wrap_content">
@@ -64,7 +62,17 @@
 
   </RelativeLayout>
 
-  <!-- row 2 -->
+  <TextView
+    android:id="@+id/description"
+    android:layout_width="match_parent"
+    android:layout_height="wrap_content"
+    android:paddingStart="@dimen/keyline_content_inset"
+    android:paddingEnd="@dimen/keyline_first"
+    android:paddingLeft="@dimen/keyline_content_inset"
+    android:paddingRight="@dimen/keyline_first"
+    android:ellipsize="end"
+    android:maxLines="2"
+    android:textColor="@color/text_secondary"/>
 
   <RelativeLayout
     android:layout_width="match_parent"
diff --git a/app/src/main/res/values/keys.xml b/app/src/main/res/values/keys.xml
index 0496f2dea..aea609d92 100644
--- a/app/src/main/res/values/keys.xml
+++ b/app/src/main/res/values/keys.xml
@@ -292,4 +292,6 @@
   <string name="p_purchases">purchases</string>
   <string name="p_sync_ongoing">sync_ongoing</string>
   <string name="p_last_backup">last_backup</string>
+  <string name="p_show_description">show_description</string>
+  <string name="p_show_full_description">show_full_description</string>
 </resources>
diff --git a/app/src/main/res/values/strings.xml b/app/src/main/res/values/strings.xml
index a2656254f..28120d8b5 100644
--- a/app/src/main/res/values/strings.xml
+++ b/app/src/main/res/values/strings.xml
@@ -874,4 +874,6 @@ File %1$s contained %2$s.\n\n
   <string name="cannot_access_account">Cannot access account</string>
   <string name="reinitialize_account">Reinitialize</string>
   <string name="action_create_new_task">Create new task</string>
+  <string name="show_description">Show description</string>
+  <string name="show_full_description">Show full description</string>
 </resources>
diff --git a/app/src/main/res/xml/preferences_appearance.xml b/app/src/main/res/xml/preferences_appearance.xml
index 54c7c3d63..88621db36 100644
--- a/app/src/main/res/xml/preferences_appearance.xml
+++ b/app/src/main/res/xml/preferences_appearance.xml
@@ -23,6 +23,17 @@
       android:key="@string/p_fullTaskTitle"
       android:title="@string/EPr_fullTask_title"/>
 
+    <CheckBoxPreference
+      android:defaultValue="true"
+      android:key="@string/p_show_description"
+      android:title="@string/show_description" />
+
+    <CheckBoxPreference
+      android:defaultValue="false"
+      android:key="@string/p_show_full_description"
+      android:dependency="@string/p_show_description"
+      android:title="@string/show_full_description" />
+
   </PreferenceCategory>
 
   <PreferenceCategory android:title="@string/EPr_edit_screen_options">