diff --git a/core/modules/forum/forum-list.tpl.php b/core/modules/forum/forum-list.tpl.php
index 257cea9..a51f450 100644
--- a/core/modules/forum/forum-list.tpl.php
+++ b/core/modules/forum/forum-list.tpl.php
@@ -19,7 +19,6 @@
  * - $forum->icon_title: Text alternative for the forum icon.
  * - $forum->name: The name of the forum.
  * - $forum->link: The URL to link to this forum.
- * - $forum->description: The description of this forum.
  * - $forum->new_topics: True if the forum contains unread posts.
  * - $forum->new_url: A URL to the forum's unread posts.
  * - $forum->new_text: Text for the above URL which tells how many new posts.
@@ -54,9 +53,6 @@
             <span class="element-invisible"><?php print $forum->icon_title; ?></span>
           </div>
           <div class="name"><a href="<?php print $forum->link; ?>"><?php print $forum->name; ?></a></div>
-          <?php if ($forum->description): ?>
-            <div class="description"><?php print $forum->description; ?></div>
-          <?php endif; ?>
         <?php print str_repeat('</div>', $forum->depth); ?>
       </td>
       <?php if (!$forum->is_container): ?>
diff --git a/core/modules/forum/forum.test b/core/modules/forum/forum.test
index 4561092..d5d41b8 100644
--- a/core/modules/forum/forum.test
+++ b/core/modules/forum/forum.test
@@ -294,13 +294,11 @@ class ForumTestCase extends WebTestBase {
     $vid = variable_get('forum_nav_vocabulary', '');
     $original_settings = taxonomy_vocabulary_load($vid);
 
-    // Generate a random name/description.
+    // Generate a random name.
     $title = $this->randomName(10);
-    $description = $this->randomName(100);
 
     $edit = array(
       'name' => $title,
-      'description' => $description,
       'machine_name' => drupal_strtolower(drupal_substr($this->randomName(), 3, 9)),
     );
 
@@ -315,7 +313,6 @@ class ForumTestCase extends WebTestBase {
 
     // Make sure we actually edited the vocabulary properly.
     $this->assertEqual($current_settings->name, $title, t('The name was updated'));
-    $this->assertEqual($current_settings->description, $description, t('The description was updated'));
 
     // Restore the original vocabulary.
     taxonomy_vocabulary_save($original_settings);
@@ -336,13 +333,11 @@ class ForumTestCase extends WebTestBase {
    *   taxonomy_term_data created.
    */
   function createForum($type, $parent = 0) {
-    // Generate a random name/description.
+    // Generate a random name.
     $name = $this->randomName(10);
-    $description = $this->randomName(100);
 
     $edit = array(
       'name' => $name,
-      'description' => $description,
       'parent[0]' => $parent,
       'weight' => '0',
     );
@@ -354,7 +349,7 @@ class ForumTestCase extends WebTestBase {
     $this->assertRaw(t('Created new @type %term.', array('%term' => $name, '@type' => t($type))), t(ucfirst($type) . ' was created'));
 
     // Verify forum.
-    $term = db_query("SELECT * FROM {taxonomy_term_data} t WHERE t.vid = :vid AND t.name = :name AND t.description = :desc", array(':vid' => variable_get('forum_nav_vocabulary', ''), ':name' => $name, ':desc' => $description))->fetchAssoc();
+    $term = db_query("SELECT * FROM {taxonomy_term_data} t WHERE t.vid = :vid AND t.name = :name", array(':vid' => variable_get('forum_nav_vocabulary', ''), ':name' => $name))->fetchAssoc();
     $this->assertTrue(!empty($term), 'The ' . $type . ' exists in the database');
 
     // Verify forum hierarchy.
diff --git a/core/modules/path/path.test b/core/modules/path/path.test
index c742ad5..4f53982 100644
--- a/core/modules/path/path.test
+++ b/core/modules/path/path.test
@@ -261,16 +261,15 @@ class PathTaxonomyTermTestCase extends PathTestCase {
   function testTermAlias() {
     // Create a term in the default 'Tags' vocabulary with URL alias.
     $vocabulary = taxonomy_vocabulary_load(1);
-    $description = $this->randomName();;
     $edit = array();
-    $edit['name'] = $this->randomName();
-    $edit['description[value]'] = $description;
+    $name = $this->randomName();
+    $edit['name'] = $name;
     $edit['path[alias]'] = $this->randomName();
     $this->drupalPost('admin/structure/taxonomy/' . $vocabulary->machine_name . '/add', $edit, t('Save'));
 
     // Confirm that the alias works.
     $this->drupalGet($edit['path[alias]']);
-    $this->assertText($description, 'Term can be accessed on URL alias.');
+    $this->assertText($name, 'Term can be accessed on URL alias.');
 
     // Change the term's URL alias.
     $tid = db_query("SELECT tid FROM {taxonomy_term_data} WHERE name = :name", array(':name' => $edit['name']))->fetchField();
@@ -280,11 +279,11 @@ class PathTaxonomyTermTestCase extends PathTestCase {
 
     // Confirm that the changed alias works.
     $this->drupalGet($edit2['path[alias]']);
-    $this->assertText($description, 'Term can be accessed on changed URL alias.');
+    $this->assertText($name, 'Term can be accessed on changed URL alias.');
 
     // Confirm that the old alias no longer works.
     $this->drupalGet($edit['path[alias]']);
-    $this->assertNoText($description, 'Old URL alias has been removed after altering.');
+    $this->assertNoText($name, 'Old URL alias has been removed after altering.');
     $this->assertResponse(404, 'Old URL alias returns 404.');
 
     // Remove the term's URL alias.
@@ -294,7 +293,7 @@ class PathTaxonomyTermTestCase extends PathTestCase {
 
     // Confirm that the alias no longer works.
     $this->drupalGet($edit2['path[alias]']);
-    $this->assertNoText($description, 'Old URL alias has been removed after altering.');
+    $this->assertNoText($name, 'Old URL alias has been removed after altering.');
     $this->assertResponse(404, 'Old URL alias returns 404.');
   }
 }
diff --git a/core/modules/taxonomy/taxonomy-term.tpl.php b/core/modules/taxonomy/taxonomy-term.tpl.php
index b1ff20e..2084de5 100644
--- a/core/modules/taxonomy/taxonomy-term.tpl.php
+++ b/core/modules/taxonomy/taxonomy-term.tpl.php
@@ -6,11 +6,10 @@
  *
  * Available variables:
  * - $name: the (sanitized) name of the term.
- * - $content: An array of items for the content of the term (fields and
- *   description). Use render($content) to print them all, or print a subset
- *   such as render($content['field_example']). Use
- *   hide($content['field_example']) to temporarily suppress the printing of a
- *   given element.
+ * - $content: An array of items for the content of the term (fields). Use
+ *   render($content) to print them all, or print a subset such as
+ *   render($content['field_example']). Use hide($content['field_example'])
+ *   to temporarily suppress the printing of a given element.
  * - $term_url: Direct url of the current term.
  * - $term_name: Name of the current term.
  * - $classes: String of classes that can be used to style contextually through
diff --git a/core/modules/taxonomy/taxonomy.admin.inc b/core/modules/taxonomy/taxonomy.admin.inc
index db83d84..22b5ba6 100644
--- a/core/modules/taxonomy/taxonomy.admin.inc
+++ b/core/modules/taxonomy/taxonomy.admin.inc
@@ -697,13 +697,6 @@ function taxonomy_form_term($form, &$form_state, Term $term = NULL, Vocabulary $
     '#required' => TRUE,
     '#weight' => -5,
   );
-  $form['description'] = array(
-    '#type' => 'text_format',
-    '#title' => t('Description'),
-    '#default_value' => $term->description,
-    '#format' => $term->format,
-    '#weight' => 0,
-  );
 
   $form['vocabulary_machine_name'] = array(
     '#type' => 'value',
@@ -863,10 +856,6 @@ function taxonomy_form_term_submit_build_taxonomy_term($form, &$form_state) {
   // Prevent leading and trailing spaces in term names.
   $term->name = trim($term->name);
 
-  // Convert text_format field into values expected by taxonomy_term_save().
-  $description = $form_state['values']['description'];
-  $term->description = $description['value'];
-  $term->format = $description['format'];
   return $term;
 }
 
diff --git a/core/modules/taxonomy/taxonomy.css b/core/modules/taxonomy/taxonomy.css
index 433b3d6..77465df 100644
--- a/core/modules/taxonomy/taxonomy.css
+++ b/core/modules/taxonomy/taxonomy.css
@@ -8,6 +8,3 @@ tr.taxonomy-term-divider-top {
 tr.taxonomy-term-divider-bottom {
   border-top: 1px dotted #ccc;
 }
-.taxonomy-term-description {
-  margin: 5px 0 20px;
-}
diff --git a/core/modules/taxonomy/taxonomy.install b/core/modules/taxonomy/taxonomy.install
index 14b6956..93e0052 100644
--- a/core/modules/taxonomy/taxonomy.install
+++ b/core/modules/taxonomy/taxonomy.install
@@ -54,19 +54,6 @@ function taxonomy_schema() {
         'description' => 'The term name.',
         'translatable' => TRUE,
       ),
-      'description' => array(
-        'type' => 'text',
-        'not null' => FALSE,
-        'size' => 'big',
-        'description' => 'A description of the term.',
-        'translatable' => TRUE,
-      ),
-      'format' => array(
-        'type' => 'varchar',
-        'length' => 255,
-        'not null' => FALSE,
-        'description' => 'The {filter_format}.format of the description.',
-      ),
       'weight' => array(
         'type' => 'int',
         'not null' => TRUE,
@@ -300,3 +287,86 @@ function taxonomy_update_8001() {
     }
   }
 }
+
+/**
+ * Create new field for term descriptions.
+ */
+function taxonomy_update_8002() {
+  $vocabularies = db_query("SELECT machine_name FROM {taxonomy_vocabulary}")->fetchCol();
+  if (count($vocabularies)) {
+    // Create a new term description field.
+    $field = array(
+      'field_name' => 'taxonomy_term_description',
+      'type' => 'text_long',
+      'entity_types' => array('taxonomy_term'),
+    );
+    _update_7000_field_create_field($field);
+
+    // Create instances for existing vocabularies.
+    foreach ($vocabularies as $vocabulary) {
+      // Attaches the description field to each bundle.
+      $instance = array(
+        'field_name' => 'taxonomy_term_description',
+        'label' => 'Description',
+        'entity_type' => 'taxonomy_term',
+        'bundle' => $vocabulary,
+        'settings' => array('text_processing' => 1),
+        'display' => array(
+          'default' => array(
+            'label' => 'hidden',
+            'type' => 'text_default',
+            'weight' => 0,
+          ),
+        ),
+      );
+      _update_7000_field_create_instance($instance);
+    }
+  }
+}
+
+/**
+ * Move term descriptions in {term_data}.description into new field.
+ */
+function taxonomy_update_8003(&$sandbox) {
+  if (!isset($sandbox['progress'])) {
+    $sandbox['progress'] = 0;
+    $sandbox['current_tid'] = 0;
+    $sandbox['max'] = db_query('SELECT COUNT(DISTINCT tid) FROM {taxonomy_term_data}')->fetchField();
+  }
+
+  $terms = db_select('taxonomy_term_data', 't')
+    ->join('v', 'taxonomy_vocabulary', 't.vid = v.vid')
+    ->fields('t', array('tid', 'description', 'format'))
+    ->fields('v', array('machine_name'))
+    ->condition('tid', $sandbox['current_tid'], '>')
+    ->range(0, 100)
+    ->orderBy('tid', 'ASC')
+    ->execute();
+
+  foreach ($terms as $term) {
+    db_insert('field_data_taxonomy_term_description')
+      ->fields(array(
+        'entity_type' => 'taxonomy_term',
+        'bundle' => $term->machine_name,
+        'entity_id' => $term->tid,
+        'revision_id' => $term->tid,
+        'langcode' => LANGUAGE_NOT_SPECIFIED,
+        'delta' => 0,
+        'field_taxonomy_term_description_value' => $term->description,
+        'field_taxonomy_term_description_format' => $term->format,
+      ))
+      ->execute();
+    $sandbox['progress']++;
+    $sandbox['current_tid'] = $term->tid;
+  }
+
+  $sandbox['#finished'] = empty($sandbox['max']) ? 1 : ($sandbox['progress'] / $sandbox['max']);
+}
+
+/**
+ * Remove {term_data}.description and {term_data}.format.
+ */
+function taxonomy_update_8004() {
+  db_drop_field('taxonomy_term_data', 'description');
+  db_drop_field('taxonomy_term_data', 'format');
+}
diff --git a/core/modules/taxonomy/taxonomy.module b/core/modules/taxonomy/taxonomy.module
index 7fdb8a2..912c449 100644
--- a/core/modules/taxonomy/taxonomy.module
+++ b/core/modules/taxonomy/taxonomy.module
@@ -183,18 +183,6 @@ function taxonomy_field_extra_fields() {
           'description' => t('Term name textfield'),
           'weight' => -5,
         ),
-        'description' => array(
-          'label' => t('Description'),
-          'description' => t('Term description textarea'),
-          'weight' => 0,
-        ),
-      ),
-      'display' => array(
-        'description' => array(
-          'label' => t('Description'),
-          'description' => t('Term description'),
-          'weight' => 0,
-        ),
       ),
     );
   }
@@ -599,16 +587,6 @@ function taxonomy_term_view(Term $term, $view_mode = 'full', $langcode = NULL) {
 
   $build += field_attach_view('taxonomy_term', $term, $view_mode, $langcode);
 
-  // Add term description if the term has one.
-  if (!empty($term->description)) {
-    $build['description'] = array(
-      '#markup' => check_markup($term->description, $term->format, '', TRUE),
-      '#weight' => 0,
-      '#prefix' => '<div class="taxonomy-term-description">',
-      '#suffix' => '</div>',
-    );
-  }
-
   $build['#attached']['css'][] = drupal_get_path('module', 'taxonomy') . '/taxonomy.css';
 
   // Allow modules to modify the structured term.
diff --git a/core/modules/taxonomy/taxonomy.pages.inc b/core/modules/taxonomy/taxonomy.pages.inc
index c84a6bd..da487da 100644
--- a/core/modules/taxonomy/taxonomy.pages.inc
+++ b/core/modules/taxonomy/taxonomy.pages.inc
@@ -69,9 +69,6 @@ function taxonomy_term_page(Term $term) {
 function taxonomy_term_feed(Term $term) {
   $channel['link'] = url('taxonomy/term/' . $term->tid, array('absolute' => TRUE));
   $channel['title'] = variable_get('site_name', 'Drupal') . ' - ' . $term->name;
-  // Only display the description if we have a single term, to avoid clutter and confusion.
-  // HTML will be removed from feed description.
-  $channel['description'] = check_markup($term->description, $term->format, '', TRUE);
   $nids = taxonomy_select_nodes($term->tid, FALSE, config('system.rss-publishing')->get('feed_default_items'));
 
   node_feed($nids, $channel);
diff --git a/core/modules/taxonomy/taxonomy.test b/core/modules/taxonomy/taxonomy.test
index 55b30fa..0e27e88 100644
--- a/core/modules/taxonomy/taxonomy.test
+++ b/core/modules/taxonomy/taxonomy.test
@@ -52,9 +52,6 @@ class TaxonomyWebTestCase extends WebTestBase {
   function createTerm($vocabulary) {
     $term = entity_create('taxonomy_term', array(
       'name' => $this->randomName(),
-      'description' => $this->randomName(),
-      // Use the first available text format.
-      'format' => db_query_range('SELECT format FROM {filter_format}', 0, 1)->fetchField(),
       'vid' => $vocabulary->vid,
       'langcode' => LANGUAGE_NOT_SPECIFIED,
     ));
@@ -804,7 +801,6 @@ class TaxonomyTermTestCase extends TaxonomyWebTestCase {
   function testTermInterface() {
     $edit = array(
       'name' => $this->randomName(12),
-      'description[value]' => $this->randomName(100),
     );
     // Explicitly set the parents field to 'root', to ensure that
     // taxonomy_form_term_submit() handles the invalid term ID correctly.
@@ -826,11 +822,9 @@ class TaxonomyTermTestCase extends TaxonomyWebTestCase {
     $this->clickLink(t('edit'));
 
     $this->assertRaw($edit['name'], 'The randomly generated term name is present.');
-    $this->assertText($edit['description[value]'], 'The randomly generated term description is present.');
 
     $edit = array(
       'name' => $this->randomName(14),
-      'description[value]' => $this->randomName(102),
     );
 
     // Edit the term.
@@ -844,15 +838,6 @@ class TaxonomyTermTestCase extends TaxonomyWebTestCase {
     // View the term and check that it is correct.
     $this->drupalGet('taxonomy/term/' . $term->tid);
     $this->assertText($edit['name'], 'The randomly generated term name is present.');
-    $this->assertText($edit['description[value]'], 'The randomly generated term description is present.');
-
-    // Did this page request display a 'term-listing-heading'?
-    $this->assertPattern('|class="taxonomy-term-description"|', 'Term page displayed the term description element.');
-    // Check that it does NOT show a description when description is blank.
-    $term->description = '';
-    taxonomy_term_save($term);
-    $this->drupalGet('taxonomy/term/' . $term->tid);
-    $this->assertNoPattern('|class="taxonomy-term-description"|', 'Term page did not display the term description when description was blank.');
 
     // Check that the term feed page is working.
     $this->drupalGet('taxonomy/term/' . $term->tid . '/feed');
@@ -939,7 +924,6 @@ class TaxonomyTermTestCase extends TaxonomyWebTestCase {
     // Add a new term with multiple parents.
     $edit = array(
       'name' => $this->randomName(12),
-      'description[value]' => $this->randomName(100),
       'parent[]' => array(0, $parent->tid),
     );
     // Save the new term.
@@ -950,7 +934,6 @@ class TaxonomyTermTestCase extends TaxonomyWebTestCase {
     $term = reset($terms);
     $this->assertNotNull($term, 'Term found in database.');
     $this->assertEqual($edit['name'], $term->name, 'Term name was successfully saved.');
-    $this->assertEqual($edit['description[value]'], $term->description, 'Term description was successfully saved.');
     // Check that the parent tid is still there. The other parent (<root>) is
     // not added by taxonomy_term_load_parents().
     $parents = taxonomy_term_load_parents($term->tid);
@@ -1799,7 +1782,6 @@ class TaxonomyTokenReplaceTestCase extends TaxonomyWebTestCase {
     $tests = array();
     $tests['[term:tid]'] = $term1->tid;
     $tests['[term:name]'] = check_plain($term1->name);
-    $tests['[term:description]'] = check_markup($term1->description, $term1->format);
     $tests['[term:url]'] = url('taxonomy/term/' . $term1->tid, array('absolute' => TRUE));
     $tests['[term:node-count]'] = 0;
     $tests['[term:parent:name]'] = '[term:parent:name]';
@@ -1814,7 +1796,6 @@ class TaxonomyTokenReplaceTestCase extends TaxonomyWebTestCase {
     $tests = array();
     $tests['[term:tid]'] = $term2->tid;
     $tests['[term:name]'] = check_plain($term2->name);
-    $tests['[term:description]'] = check_markup($term2->description, $term2->format);
     $tests['[term:url]'] = url('taxonomy/term/' . $term2->tid, array('absolute' => TRUE));
     $tests['[term:node-count]'] = 1;
     $tests['[term:parent:name]'] = check_plain($term1->name);
@@ -1832,7 +1813,6 @@ class TaxonomyTokenReplaceTestCase extends TaxonomyWebTestCase {
 
     // Generate and test unsanitized tokens.
     $tests['[term:name]'] = $term2->name;
-    $tests['[term:description]'] = $term2->description;
     $tests['[term:parent:name]'] = $term1->name;
     $tests['[term:vocabulary:name]'] = $this->vocabulary->name;
 
diff --git a/core/modules/taxonomy/taxonomy.tokens.inc b/core/modules/taxonomy/taxonomy.tokens.inc
index 24d7bc8..ecd4219 100644
--- a/core/modules/taxonomy/taxonomy.tokens.inc
+++ b/core/modules/taxonomy/taxonomy.tokens.inc
@@ -29,10 +29,6 @@ function taxonomy_token_info() {
     'name' => t("Name"),
     'description' => t("The name of the taxonomy term."),
   );
-  $term['description'] = array(
-    'name' => t("Description"),
-    'description' => t("The optional description of the taxonomy term."),
-  );
   $term['node-count'] = array(
     'name' => t("Node count"),
     'description' => t("The number of nodes tagged with the taxonomy term."),
@@ -105,10 +101,6 @@ function taxonomy_tokens($type, $tokens, array $data = array(), array $options =
           $replacements[$original] = $sanitize ? check_plain($term->name) : $term->name;
           break;
 
-        case 'description':
-          $replacements[$original] = $sanitize ? check_markup($term->description, $term->format, '', TRUE) : $term->description;
-          break;
-
         case 'url':
           $uri = entity_uri('taxonomy_term', $term);
           $replacements[$original] = url($uri['path'], array_merge($uri['options'], array('absolute' => TRUE)));
diff --git a/profiles/standard/standard.install b/profiles/standard/standard.install
index eef8d0c..33cbc5f 100644
--- a/profiles/standard/standard.install
+++ b/profiles/standard/standard.install
@@ -282,7 +282,7 @@ function standard_install() {
   // Allow visitor account creation with administrative approval.
   variable_set('user_register', USER_REGISTER_VISITORS_ADMINISTRATIVE_APPROVAL);
 
-  // Create a default vocabulary named "Tags", enabled for the 'article' content type.
+  // Create a default vocabulary named "Tags", enabled for the 'article' content type.  Include a description field on terms for "Tags".
   $description = st('Use tags to group articles on similar topics into categories.');
   $help = st('Enter a comma-separated list of words to describe your content.');
   $vocabulary = entity_create('taxonomy_vocabulary', array(
@@ -295,6 +295,29 @@ function standard_install() {
   taxonomy_vocabulary_save($vocabulary);
 
   $field = array(
+    'field_name' => 'taxonomy_term_description',
+    'type' => 'text_long',
+    'entity_types' => array('taxonomy_term'),
+  );
+  field_create_field($field);
+
+  $instance = array(
+    'field_name' => 'taxonomy_term_description',
+    'label' => 'Description',
+    'entity_type' => 'taxonomy_term',
+    'bundle' => 'tags',
+    'settings' => array('text_processing' => 1),
+    'display' => array(
+      'default' => array(
+        'label' => 'hidden',
+        'type' => 'text_default',
+        'weight' => 0,
+      ),
+    ),
+  );
+  field_create_instance($instance);
+
+  $field = array(
     'field_name' => 'field_' . $vocabulary->machine_name,
     'type' => 'taxonomy_term_reference',
     // Set cardinality to unlimited for tagging.