diff --git a/app/controllers/api/v1/steps_controller.rb b/app/controllers/api/v1/steps_controller.rb
index 6cff716d0..cb5e07073 100644
--- a/app/controllers/api/v1/steps_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/api/v1/steps_controller.rb
@@ -31,19 +31,29 @@ module Api
       def create
         raise PermissionError.new(Protocol, :create) unless can_manage_protocol_in_module?(@protocol)
 
-        step = @protocol.steps.create!(step_params.merge!(completed: false,
-                                                          user: current_user,
-                                                          position: @protocol.number_of_steps,
-                                                          last_modified_by_id: current_user.id))
+        step = @protocol.steps.create!(
+          step_params.except(:description)
+                     .merge!(completed: false,
+                             user: current_user,
+                             position: @protocol.number_of_steps,
+                             last_modified_by_id: current_user.id)
+        )
+        step.step_texts.create!(text: step_params[:description]) if step_params[:description]
 
         render jsonapi: step, serializer: StepSerializer, status: :created
       end
 
       def update
         @step.assign_attributes(
-          step_params.merge!(last_modified_by_id: current_user.id)
+          step_params.except(:description).merge!(last_modified_by_id: current_user.id)
         )
 
+        if step_params[:description]
+          (@step.description_step_text || @step.step_texts.create!).update!(
+            text: step_params[:description]
+          )
+        end
+
         if @step.changed? && @step.save!
           if @step.saved_change_to_attribute?(:completed)
             completed_steps = @protocol.steps.where(completed: true).count
diff --git a/app/models/step.rb b/app/models/step.rb
index ede51e199..bd3290ec6 100644
--- a/app/models/step.rb
+++ b/app/models/step.rb
@@ -137,6 +137,10 @@ class Step < ApplicationRecord
     step_comments
   end
 
+  def description_step_text
+    step_texts.order(created_at: :asc).first
+  end
+
   private
 
   def move_in_protocol(direction)
diff --git a/app/serializers/api/v1/step_serializer.rb b/app/serializers/api/v1/step_serializer.rb
index 7e109f29d..ed8837975 100644
--- a/app/serializers/api/v1/step_serializer.rb
+++ b/app/serializers/api/v1/step_serializer.rb
@@ -15,18 +15,21 @@ module Api
       has_many :assets, serializer: AssetSerializer
       has_many :checklists, serializer: ChecklistSerializer
       has_many :tables, serializer: TableSerializer
+      has_many :step_texts, serializer: StepTextSerializer
       has_many :step_comments, key: :comments, serializer: CommentSerializer
 
       include TimestampableModel
 
       def description
+        return unless object.description_step_text
+
         if instance_options[:rte_rendering]
-          custom_auto_link(object.tinymce_render(:description),
+          custom_auto_link(object.description_step_text.tinymce_render(:description),
                            simple_format: false,
                            tags: %w(img),
                            team: instance_options[:team])
         else
-          object.description
+          object.description_step_text.text
         end
       end
     end