diff --git a/helix-term/src/ui/editor.rs b/helix-term/src/ui/editor.rs
index 55911a458705..7f407b1aac44 100644
--- a/helix-term/src/ui/editor.rs
+++ b/helix-term/src/ui/editor.rs
@@ -8,9 +8,10 @@ use crate::{
     keymap::{KeymapResult, Keymaps},
     ui::{
         document::{render_document, LinePos, TextRenderer},
+        markdown::StyledText,
         statusline,
         text_decorations::{self, Decoration, DecorationManager, InlineDiagnostics},
-        Completion, Markdown, Popup, ProgressSpinners,
+        Completion, Popup, ProgressSpinners,
     },
 };
 
@@ -1601,8 +1602,8 @@ impl Component for EditorView {
                     let call: job::Callback = Callback::EditorCompositor(Box::new(
                         move |editor: &mut Editor, compositor: &mut Compositor| {
                             if let Some((contents, _)) = &editor.status_msg {
-                                let contents =
-                                    Markdown::new(contents.to_string(), editor.syn_loader.clone());
+                                let contents = StyledText::new(contents.to_string(), style);
+
                                 let popup = Popup::new("hover", contents).auto_close(true);
                                 compositor.replace_or_push("hover", popup);
                             }
diff --git a/helix-term/src/ui/markdown.rs b/helix-term/src/ui/markdown.rs
index 96614443fb75..0e6d43f4bb79 100644
--- a/helix-term/src/ui/markdown.rs
+++ b/helix-term/src/ui/markdown.rs
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ use tui::{
     text::{Span, Spans, Text},
 };
 
-use std::sync::Arc;
+use std::{borrow::Cow, sync::Arc};
 
 use pulldown_cmark::{CodeBlockKind, Event, HeadingLevel, Options, Parser, Tag, TagEnd};
 
@@ -126,6 +126,45 @@ pub struct Markdown {
     config_loader: Arc<ArcSwap<syntax::Loader>>,
 }
 
+pub struct StyledText {
+    text: tui::text::Text<'static>,
+}
+
+impl StyledText {
+    pub fn new(contents: String, style: Style) -> Self {
+        let spans: Vec<Spans<'static>> = contents
+            .lines()
+            .map(|line| Spans::from(vec![Span::styled(Cow::Owned(line.to_string()), style)]))
+            .collect();
+
+        let text = Text::from(spans);
+
+        Self { text }
+    }
+}
+
+impl Component for StyledText {
+    fn render(&mut self, area: Rect, surface: &mut Surface, cx: &mut Context) {
+        use tui::widgets::{Paragraph, Widget, Wrap};
+
+        let par = Paragraph::new(&self.text)
+            .wrap(Wrap { trim: false })
+            .scroll((cx.scroll.unwrap_or_default() as u16, 0));
+
+        let margin = Margin::all(1);
+        par.render(area.inner(margin), surface);
+    }
+
+    fn required_size(&mut self, viewport: (u16, u16)) -> Option<(u16, u16)> {
+        let padding = 2;
+
+        let max_text_width = (viewport.0.saturating_sub(padding)).min(120);
+        let (width, height) = crate::ui::text::required_size(&self.text, max_text_width);
+
+        Some((width + padding, height + padding))
+    }
+}
+
 // TODO: pre-render and self reference via Pin
 // better yet, just use Tendril + subtendril for references