diff --git a/IPython/frontend/html/notebook/static/js/menubar.js b/IPython/frontend/html/notebook/static/js/menubar.js
index 5ddf5f09a..cdeb1c504 100644
--- a/IPython/frontend/html/notebook/static/js/menubar.js
+++ b/IPython/frontend/html/notebook/static/js/menubar.js
@@ -129,6 +129,9 @@ var IPython = (function (IPython) {
         this.element.find('#to_markdown').click(function () {
             IPython.notebook.to_markdown();
         });
+        this.element.find('#to_rst').click(function () {
+            IPython.notebook.to_rst();
+        });
         this.element.find('#toggle_output').click(function () {
             IPython.notebook.toggle_output();
         });
diff --git a/IPython/frontend/html/notebook/static/js/notebook.js b/IPython/frontend/html/notebook/static/js/notebook.js
index c69a75817..9e0137da6 100644
--- a/IPython/frontend/html/notebook/static/js/notebook.js
+++ b/IPython/frontend/html/notebook/static/js/notebook.js
@@ -135,6 +135,11 @@ var IPython = (function (IPython) {
                 that.to_markdown();
                 that.control_key_active = false;
                 return false;
+            } else if (event.which === 82 && that.control_key_active) {
+                // To RST = r
+                that.to_rst();
+                that.control_key_active = false;
+                return false;
             } else if (event.which === 84 && that.control_key_active) {
                 // Toggle output = t
                 that.toggle_output();
@@ -467,15 +472,17 @@ var IPython = (function (IPython) {
         // type = ('code','html','markdown')
         // index = cell index or undefined to insert below selected
         index = this.index_or_selected(index);
+        var cell = null;
         if (this.ncells() === 0 || this.is_valid_cell_index(index)) {
-            var cell = null;
             if (type === 'code') {
-                var cell = new IPython.CodeCell(this);
+                cell = new IPython.CodeCell(this);
                 cell.set_input_prompt();
             } else if (type === 'markdown') {
-                var cell = new IPython.MarkdownCell(this);
+                cell = new IPython.MarkdownCell(this);
             } else if (type === 'html') {
-                var cell = new IPython.HTMLCell(this);
+                cell = new IPython.HTMLCell(this);
+            } else if (type === 'rst') {
+                cell = new IPython.RSTCell(this);
             };
             if (cell !== null) {
                 if (this.ncells() === 0) {
@@ -489,6 +496,7 @@ var IPython = (function (IPython) {
                 return cell;
             };
         };
+        return cell;
     };
 
 
@@ -496,15 +504,17 @@ var IPython = (function (IPython) {
         // type = ('code','html','markdown')
         // index = cell index or undefined to insert above selected
         index = this.index_or_selected(index);
+        var cell = null;
         if (this.ncells() === 0 || this.is_valid_cell_index(index)) {
-            var cell = null;
             if (type === 'code') {
-                var cell = new IPython.CodeCell(this);
+                cell = new IPython.CodeCell(this);
                 cell.set_input_prompt();
             } else if (type === 'markdown') {
-                var cell = new IPython.MarkdownCell(this);
+                cell = new IPython.MarkdownCell(this);
             } else if (type === 'html') {
-                var cell = new IPython.HTMLCell(this);
+                cell = new IPython.HTMLCell(this);
+            } else if (type === 'rst') {
+                cell = new IPython.RSTCell(this);
             };
             if (cell !== null) {
                 if (this.ncells() === 0) {
@@ -518,6 +528,7 @@ var IPython = (function (IPython) {
                 return cell;
             };
         };
+        return cell;
     };
 
 
@@ -534,8 +545,8 @@ var IPython = (function (IPython) {
                 }
                 target_cell.set_text(text);
                 source_element.remove();
+                this.dirty = true;
             };
-            this.dirty = true;
         };
     };
 
@@ -545,19 +556,16 @@ var IPython = (function (IPython) {
         if (this.is_valid_cell_index(i)) {
             var source_element = this.get_cell_element(i);
             var source_cell = source_element.data("cell");
-            var target_cell = null;
             if (!(source_cell instanceof IPython.MarkdownCell)) {
                 target_cell = this.insert_cell_below('markdown',i);
                 var text = source_cell.get_text();
                 if (text === source_cell.placeholder) {
                     text = '';
                 };
-                if (target_cell !== null) {
-                    // The edit must come before the set_text.
-                    target_cell.edit();
-                    target_cell.set_text(text);
-                    source_element.remove();
-                }
+                // The edit must come before the set_text.
+                target_cell.edit();
+                target_cell.set_text(text);
+                source_element.remove();
                 this.dirty = true;
             };
         };
@@ -576,18 +584,37 @@ var IPython = (function (IPython) {
                 if (text === source_cell.placeholder) {
                     text = '';
                 };
-                if (target_cell !== null) {
-                    // The edit must come before the set_text.
-                    target_cell.edit();
-                    target_cell.set_text(text);
-                    source_element.remove();
-                }
+                // The edit must come before the set_text.
+                target_cell.edit();
+                target_cell.set_text(text);
+                source_element.remove();
                 this.dirty = true;
             };
         };
     };
 
 
+    Notebook.prototype.to_rst = function (index) {
+        var i = this.index_or_selected(index);
+        if (this.is_valid_cell_index(i)) {
+            var source_element = this.get_cell_element(i);
+            var source_cell = source_element.data("cell");
+            var target_cell = null;
+            if (!(source_cell instanceof IPython.RSTCell)) {
+                target_cell = this.insert_cell_below('rst',i);
+                var text = source_cell.get_text();
+                if (text === source_cell.placeholder) {
+                    text = '';
+                };
+                // The edit must come before the set_text.
+                target_cell.edit();
+                target_cell.set_text(text);
+                source_element.remove();
+                this.dirty = true;
+            };
+        };
+    };
+
     // Cut/Copy/Paste
 
     Notebook.prototype.enable_paste = function () {
diff --git a/IPython/frontend/html/notebook/static/js/textcell.js b/IPython/frontend/html/notebook/static/js/textcell.js
index aacfddf05..19c97448b 100644
--- a/IPython/frontend/html/notebook/static/js/textcell.js
+++ b/IPython/frontend/html/notebook/static/js/textcell.js
@@ -241,6 +241,7 @@ var IPython = (function (IPython) {
 
     var RSTCell = function (notebook) {
         this.placeholder = "Type *ReStructured Text* and LaTeX: $\\alpha^2$";
+        this.code_mirror_mode = 'rst';
         IPython.TextCell.apply(this, arguments);
         this.cell_type = 'rst';
     };
@@ -250,29 +251,38 @@ var IPython = (function (IPython) {
 
 
     RSTCell.prototype.render = function () {
-        if (this.rendered === false) {
-            var text = this.get_text();
-            if (text === "") { text = this.placeholder; }
-            var settings = {
-                processData : false,
-                cache : false,
-                type : "POST",
-                data : text,
-                headers : {'Content-Type': 'application/x-rst'},
-                success : $.proxy(this.handle_render,this)
-            };
-            $.ajax("/rstservice/render", settings);
-            this.element.find('div.text_cell_input').hide();
-            this.element.find("div.text_cell_render").show();
-            this.set_rendered("Rendering...");
+        this.rendered = true;
+        this.edit();
+    };
+
+
+    RSTCell.prototype.select = function () {
+        IPython.Cell.prototype.select.apply(this);
+        // In some cases (inserting a new cell) we need a refresh before and
+        // after the focus. Not sure why this is the case.
+        this.code_mirror.refresh();
+        this.code_mirror.focus();
+        this.code_mirror.refresh();
+    };
+
+
+    RSTCell.prototype.at_top = function () {
+        var cursor = this.code_mirror.getCursor();
+        if (cursor.line === 0) {
+            return true;
+        } else {
+            return false;
         }
     };
 
 
-    RSTCell.prototype.handle_render = function (data, status, xhr) {
-        this.set_rendered(data);
-        this.typeset();
-        this.rendered = true;
+    RSTCell.prototype.at_bottom = function () {
+        var cursor = this.code_mirror.getCursor();
+        if (cursor.line === (this.code_mirror.lineCount()-1)) {
+            return true;
+        } else {
+            return false;
+        }
     };
 
 
diff --git a/IPython/frontend/html/notebook/templates/notebook.html b/IPython/frontend/html/notebook/templates/notebook.html
index 7e547f103..ab215f054 100644
--- a/IPython/frontend/html/notebook/templates/notebook.html
+++ b/IPython/frontend/html/notebook/templates/notebook.html
@@ -119,6 +119,7 @@
                 <hr/>
                 <li id="to_code"><a href="#">Code Cell</a></li>
                 <li id="to_markdown"><a href="#">Markdown Cell</a></li>
+                <li id="to_rst"><a href="#">RST Cell</a></li>
                 <hr/>
                 <li id="toggle_output"><a href="#">Toggle Output</a></li>
                 <li id="clear_all_output"><a href="#">Clear All Output</a></li>