diff --git a/gui/shipBrowser.py b/gui/shipBrowser.py
index 54deae4a4..3d262f54a 100644
--- a/gui/shipBrowser.py
+++ b/gui/shipBrowser.py
@@ -13,9 +13,12 @@ import gui.utils.colorUtils as colorUtils
 import gui.utils.drawUtils as drawUtils
 import gui.utils.animUtils as animUtils
 import gui.utils.animEffects as animEffects
+import gui.utils.textFormatting as textFormatting
 
 import gui.sfBrowserItem as SFItem
 
+import service
+
 FitRenamed, EVT_FIT_RENAMED = wx.lib.newevent.NewEvent()
 FitSelected, EVT_FIT_SELECTED = wx.lib.newevent.NewEvent()
 FitRemoved, EVT_FIT_REMOVED = wx.lib.newevent.NewEvent()
@@ -1023,6 +1026,11 @@ class ShipItem(SFItem.SFBrowserItem):
 
         self.Bind(wx.EVT_CONTEXT_MENU, self.OnShowPopup)
 
+        self.marketInstance = service.Market.getInstance()
+        self.baseItem = self.marketInstance.getItem(self.shipID)
+        self.shipDescription = textFormatting.wrap(self.baseItem.description, 80)
+        self.SetToolTip(wx.ToolTip(self.shipDescription))
+
         #=======================================================================\
         # DISABLED - it will be added as an option in PREFERENCES
 
diff --git a/gui/utils/textFormatting.py b/gui/utils/textFormatting.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..91a14dfed
--- /dev/null
+++ b/gui/utils/textFormatting.py
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+def wrap(text, width):
+    """
+    A word-wrap function that preserves existing line breaks
+    and most spaces in the text. Expects that existing line
+    breaks are posix newlines (\n).
+    """
+    return reduce(lambda line, word, width=width: '%s%s%s' %
+                  (line,
+                   ' \n'[(len(line)-line.rfind('\n')-1
+                         + len(word.split('\n',1)[0]
+                              ) >= width)],
+                   word),
+                  text.split(' ')
+                 )
\ No newline at end of file