diff --git a/includes/content.inc b/includes/content.inc
index a55f7ec..25bb62c 100644
--- a/includes/content.inc
+++ b/includes/content.inc
@@ -281,6 +281,11 @@ function ctools_content_render($type, $subtype, $conf, $keywords = array(), $arg
       return;
     }
 
+    if (!empty($content->content) && !is_array($content->content)) {
+      // Convert the HTML to a renderable array.
+      $content->content = array('#markup' => $content->content);
+    }
+
     // Set up some defaults and other massaging on the content before we hand
     // it back to the caller.
     if (!isset($content->type)) {
diff --git a/plugins/content_types/user_context/user_picture.inc b/plugins/content_types/user_context/user_picture.inc
index f8a9e8a..ec0880b 100644
--- a/plugins/content_types/user_context/user_picture.inc
+++ b/plugins/content_types/user_context/user_picture.inc
@@ -30,6 +30,13 @@ function ctools_user_picture_content_type_render($subtype, $conf, $panel_args, $
   $block = new stdClass();
   $block->module = 'user-profile';
   $block->title = check_plain($account->name);
+
+  $element['user_picture'] = array(
+    '#theme' => 'user_picture',
+    '#signature' => $account,
+  );
+
+
   $block->content = theme('user_picture', array('account' => $account));
 
   return $block;
diff --git a/plugins/content_types/user_context/user_signature.inc b/plugins/content_types/user_context/user_signature.inc
index 529b655..d1b3be9 100644
--- a/plugins/content_types/user_context/user_signature.inc
+++ b/plugins/content_types/user_context/user_signature.inc
@@ -18,11 +18,15 @@ function ctools_user_signature_content_type_render($subtype, $conf, $panel_args,
   $block->module = 'term-list';
 
   if ($account === FALSE || ($account->access == 0 && !user_access('administer users'))) {
-    return NULL;
+    return;
   }
 
-  $block->content = theme('user_signature', $account->signature);
+  $element['user_signature'] = array(
+    '#theme' => 'user_signature',
+    '#signature' => $account->signature,
+  );
 
+  $block->content = $element;
   return $block;
 }