diff --git a/grade/grading/form/rubric/tests/behat/publish_rubric_templates.feature b/grade/grading/form/rubric/tests/behat/publish_rubric_templates.feature
index 070ebc00ce0..726a34a9d69 100644
--- a/grade/grading/form/rubric/tests/behat/publish_rubric_templates.feature
+++ b/grade/grading/form/rubric/tests/behat/publish_rubric_templates.feature
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ Feature: Publish rubrics as templates
 
   @javascript
   Scenario: Create a rubric template and reuse it as a teacher, with Javascript enabled
-    Then the field "Description" matches value "<p>Assignment 1 description</p>"
+    Then the field "Description" matches value "Assignment 1 description"
     And I should see "Criterion 1"
     And I press "Cancel"
 
diff --git a/lib/behat/form_field/behat_form_text.php b/lib/behat/form_field/behat_form_text.php
index dffdf86ffa2..14291e17357 100644
--- a/lib/behat/form_field/behat_form_text.php
+++ b/lib/behat/form_field/behat_form_text.php
@@ -63,7 +63,8 @@ class behat_form_text extends behat_form_field {
      * @return bool The provided value matches the field value?
      */
     public function matches($expectedvalue) {
-        return $this->text_matches($expectedvalue);
+        // A text editor may silently wrap the content in p tags (or not). Neither is an error.
+        return $this->text_matches($expectedvalue) || $this->text_matches('<p>' . $expectedvalue . '</p>');
     }
 
 }