diff --git a/collects/tests/web-server/formlets-test.rkt b/collects/tests/web-server/formlets-test.rkt
index a25d33e6f9..34b9703af0 100644
--- a/collects/tests/web-server/formlets-test.rkt
+++ b/collects/tests/web-server/formlets-test.rkt
@@ -217,6 +217,9 @@
       (test-equal? "textarea-input"
                    (test-display (textarea-input #:cols 80))
                    '((textarea ([name "input_0"] [cols "80"]) "")))
+      (test-equal? "textarea-input"
+                   (test-display (textarea-input #:value #"starting text" #:cols 80))
+                   '((textarea ([name "input_0"] [cols "80"]) "starting text")))
       (test-equal? "textarea-input"
                    (test-display (textarea-input #:cols 80 #:rows 70))
                    '((textarea ([name "input_0"] [rows "70"] [cols "80"]) "")))
diff --git a/collects/web-server/formlets/input.rkt b/collects/web-server/formlets/input.rkt
index 34f9bebab5..6504fc635f 100644
--- a/collects/web-server/formlets/input.rkt
+++ b/collects/web-server/formlets/input.rkt
@@ -223,6 +223,7 @@
                       #:display display)))
 
 (define (textarea-input
+         #:value [value #f]
          #:attributes [attrs empty]
          #:rows [rows #f]
          #:cols [cols #f])   
@@ -234,8 +235,10 @@
                    (filter list?
                            (list (and rows (list 'rows (number->string rows)))
                                  (and cols (list 'cols (number->string cols)))))
-                   attrs))                      
-           ""))))
+                   attrs))
+           (if value
+               (bytes->string/utf-8 value)
+               "")))))
 
 (provide/contract
  [text-input (() 
@@ -311,6 +314,7 @@
  [textarea-input (()
                   (#:attributes 
                    (listof (list/c symbol? string?))
+                   #:value (or/c false/c bytes?)
                    #:rows number?
                    #:cols number?)
                   . ->* .
diff --git a/collects/web-server/scribblings/formlets.scrbl b/collects/web-server/scribblings/formlets.scrbl
index 7b5d57483f..6b24216daa 100644
--- a/collects/web-server/scribblings/formlets.scrbl
+++ b/collects/web-server/scribblings/formlets.scrbl
@@ -304,7 +304,8 @@ These @tech{formlet}s are the main combinators for form input.
  This @tech{formlet} renders using an INPUT element with the PASSWORD type and the attributes given in the arguments.
 }
                                             
-@defproc[(textarea-input [#:rows rows (or/c false/c number?) #f]
+@defproc[(textarea-input [#:value value (or/c false/c bytes?) #f]
+                         [#:rows rows (or/c false/c number?) #f]
                          [#:cols cols (or/c false/c number?) #f]
                          [#:attributes attrs (listof (list/c symbol? string?)) empty])
         (formlet/c (or/c false/c binding?))]{