diff --git a/wagtail/wagtailcore/blocks/field_block.py b/wagtail/wagtailcore/blocks/field_block.py
index ddc740a21..d01141d46 100644
--- a/wagtail/wagtailcore/blocks/field_block.py
+++ b/wagtail/wagtailcore/blocks/field_block.py
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ from django.utils.functional import cached_property
 from django.utils.html import format_html
 from django.utils.safestring import mark_safe
 
-from wagtail.wagtailcore.rich_text import expand_db_html
+from wagtail.wagtailcore.rich_text import RichText
 
 from .base import Block
 
@@ -235,23 +235,44 @@ class ChoiceBlock(FieldBlock):
         return ('wagtail.wagtailcore.blocks.ChoiceBlock', [], self._constructor_kwargs)
 
 
-
 class RichTextBlock(FieldBlock):
 
     def __init__(self, required=True, help_text=None, **kwargs):
         self.field_options = {'required': required, 'help_text': help_text}
         super(RichTextBlock, self).__init__(**kwargs)
 
+    def get_default(self):
+        if isinstance(self.meta.default, RichText):
+            return self.meta.default
+        else:
+            return RichText(self.meta.default)
+
+    def to_python(self, value):
+        # convert a source-HTML string from the JSONish representation
+        # to a RichText object
+        return RichText(value)
+
+    def get_prep_value(self, value):
+        # convert a RichText object back to a source-HTML string to go into
+        # the JSONish representation
+        return value.source
+
     @cached_property
     def field(self):
         from wagtail.wagtailcore.fields import RichTextArea
         return forms.CharField(widget=RichTextArea, **self.field_options)
 
-    def render_basic(self, value):
-        return mark_safe('<div class="rich-text">' + expand_db_html(value) + '</div>')
+    def value_for_form(self, value):
+        # RichTextArea takes the source-HTML string as input (and takes care
+        # of expanding it for the purposes of the editor)
+        return value.source
+
+    def value_from_form(self, value):
+        # RichTextArea returns a source-HTML string; concert to a RichText object
+        return RichText(value)
 
     def get_searchable_content(self, value):
-        return [force_text(value)]
+        return [force_text(value.source)]
 
 
 class RawHTMLBlock(FieldBlock):
diff --git a/wagtail/wagtailcore/rich_text.py b/wagtail/wagtailcore/rich_text.py
index 60159ca5c..2ba1a52ed 100644
--- a/wagtail/wagtailcore/rich_text.py
+++ b/wagtail/wagtailcore/rich_text.py
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import re  # parsing HTML with regexes LIKE A BOSS.
 
 from django.utils.html import escape
+from django.utils.safestring import mark_safe
 
 from wagtail.wagtailcore.whitelist import Whitelister
 from wagtail.wagtailcore.models import Page
@@ -170,3 +171,17 @@ def expand_db_html(html, for_editor=False):
     html = FIND_A_TAG.sub(replace_a_tag, html)
     html = FIND_EMBED_TAG.sub(replace_embed_tag, html)
     return html
+
+
+class RichText(object):
+    """
+    A custom object used to represent a renderable rich text value.
+    Provides a 'source' property to access the original source code,
+    and renders to the front-end HTML rendering.
+    Used as the native value of a wagtailcore.blocks.field_block.RichTextBlock.
+    """
+    def __init__(self, source):
+        self.source = (source or '')
+
+    def __str__(self):
+        return mark_safe('<div class="rich-text">' + expand_db_html(self.source) + '</div>')
diff --git a/wagtail/wagtailcore/templatetags/wagtailcore_tags.py b/wagtail/wagtailcore/templatetags/wagtailcore_tags.py
index c0cf66e29..40d5db87f 100644
--- a/wagtail/wagtailcore/templatetags/wagtailcore_tags.py
+++ b/wagtail/wagtailcore/templatetags/wagtailcore_tags.py
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ from django import template
 from django.utils.safestring import mark_safe
 
 from wagtail.wagtailcore.models import Page
-from wagtail.wagtailcore.rich_text import expand_db_html
+from wagtail.wagtailcore.rich_text import expand_db_html, RichText
 from wagtail.wagtailcore import __version__
 
 register = template.Library()
@@ -35,9 +35,12 @@ def wagtail_version():
 
 @register.filter
 def richtext(value):
-    if value is not None:
-        html = expand_db_html(value)
-    else:
+    if isinstance(value, RichText):
+        # passing a RichText value through the |richtext filter should have no effect
+        return value
+    elif value is None:
         html = ''
+    else:
+        html = expand_db_html(value)
 
     return mark_safe('<div class="rich-text">' + html + '</div>')
diff --git a/wagtail/wagtailcore/tests/test_blocks.py b/wagtail/wagtailcore/tests/test_blocks.py
index a4d38ce2e..ca9af3c35 100644
--- a/wagtail/wagtailcore/tests/test_blocks.py
+++ b/wagtail/wagtailcore/tests/test_blocks.py
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ from django.core.exceptions import ValidationError
 from django.test import TestCase
 
 from wagtail.wagtailcore import blocks
+from wagtail.wagtailcore.rich_text import RichText
 from wagtail.wagtailcore.models import Page
 
 import base64
@@ -106,21 +107,57 @@ class TestFieldBlock(unittest.TestCase):
         self.assertEqual('hello world', value_from_form)
 
 
-class TestRichTextBlock(unittest.TestCase):
+class TestRichTextBlock(TestCase):
+    fixtures = ['test.json']
+
+    def test_get_default(self):
+        default_value = blocks.RichTextBlock().get_default()
+        self.assertTrue(isinstance(default_value, RichText))
+        self.assertEqual(default_value.source, '')
+
+        default_value = blocks.RichTextBlock(default=None).get_default()
+        self.assertTrue(isinstance(default_value, RichText))
+        self.assertEqual(default_value.source, '')
+
+        default_value = blocks.RichTextBlock(default='').get_default()
+        self.assertTrue(isinstance(default_value, RichText))
+        self.assertEqual(default_value.source, '')
+
+        default_value = blocks.RichTextBlock(default='<p>foo</p>').get_default()
+        self.assertTrue(isinstance(default_value, RichText))
+        self.assertEqual(default_value.source, '<p>foo</p>')
+
+        default_value = blocks.RichTextBlock(default=blocks.RichText('<p>foo</p>')).get_default()
+        self.assertTrue(isinstance(default_value, RichText))
+        self.assertEqual(default_value.source, '<p>foo</p>')
+
+    def test_render(self):
+        block = blocks.RichTextBlock()
+        value = RichText('<p>Merry <a linktype="page" id="4">Christmas</a>!</p>')
+        result = block.render(value)
+        self.assertEqual(result, '<div class="rich-text"><p>Merry <a href="/events/christmas/">Christmas</a>!</p></div>')
+
+    def test_render_form(self):
+        """
+        render_form should produce the editor-specific rendition of the rich text value
+        (which includes e.g. 'data-linktype' attributes on <a> elements)
+        """
+        block = blocks.RichTextBlock()
+        value = RichText('<p>Merry <a linktype="page" id="4">Christmas</a>!</p>')
+        result = block.render_form(value, prefix='richtext')
+        self.assertIn('&lt;p&gt;Merry &lt;a data-linktype=&quot;page&quot; data-id=&quot;4&quot; href=&quot;/events/christmas/&quot;&gt;Christmas&lt;/a&gt;!&lt;/p&gt;', result)
 
     def test_validate_required_richtext_block(self):
         block = blocks.RichTextBlock()
 
         with self.assertRaises(ValidationError):
-            block.clean('')
-
-        with self.assertRaises(ValidationError):
-            block.clean(None)
+            block.clean(blocks.RichText(''))
 
     def test_validate_non_required_richtext_block(self):
         block = blocks.RichTextBlock(required=False)
-        self.assertEqual(block.clean(''), '')
-        self.assertEqual(block.clean(None), '')
+        result = block.clean(RichText(''))
+        self.assertTrue(isinstance(result, RichText))
+        self.assertEqual(result.source, '')
 
 
 class TestChoiceBlock(unittest.TestCase):
diff --git a/wagtail/wagtailcore/tests/test_rich_text.py b/wagtail/wagtailcore/tests/test_rich_text.py
index bc12b4fd7..2afd991c2 100644
--- a/wagtail/wagtailcore/tests/test_rich_text.py
+++ b/wagtail/wagtailcore/tests/test_rich_text.py
@@ -6,7 +6,8 @@ from wagtail.wagtailcore.rich_text import (
     PageLinkHandler,
     DbWhitelister,
     extract_attrs,
-    expand_db_html
+    expand_db_html,
+    RichText
 )
 from bs4 import BeautifulSoup
 
@@ -115,3 +116,22 @@ class TestExpandDbHtml(TestCase):
         html = '<embed embedtype="media" url="http://www.youtube.com/watch" />'
         result = expand_db_html(html)
         self.assertIn('test html', result)
+
+
+class TestRichTextValue(TestCase):
+    fixtures = ['test.json']
+
+    def test_construct(self):
+        value = RichText(None)
+        self.assertEqual(value.source, '')
+
+        value = RichText('')
+        self.assertEqual(value.source, '')
+
+        value = RichText('<p>hello world</p>')
+        self.assertEqual(value.source, '<p>hello world</p>')
+
+    def test_render(self):
+        value = RichText('<p>Merry <a linktype="page" id="4">Christmas</a>!</p>')
+        result = str(value)
+        self.assertEqual(result, '<div class="rich-text"><p>Merry <a href="/events/christmas/">Christmas</a>!</p></div>')