diff --git a/djangorestframework/renderers.py b/djangorestframework/renderers.py
index 42d80bd4d..823743985 100644
--- a/djangorestframework/renderers.py
+++ b/djangorestframework/renderers.py
@@ -322,12 +322,21 @@ class DocumentingTemplateRenderer(BaseRenderer):
         name = get_name(self.view)
         description = get_description(self.view)
 
-        markeddown = None
+        markeddown = {}
         if apply_markdown:
             try:
-                markeddown = apply_markdown(description)
+                markeddown['view'] = apply_markdown(description)
             except AttributeError:
-                markeddown = None
+                markeddown.pop('view', None)
+            for method in self.view.allowed_methods:
+                methodfunc = getattr(self.view, method.lower(), None)
+                if methodfunc is None:
+                    continue
+                methoddesc = get_description(methodfunc)
+                try:
+                    markeddown[method] = apply_markdown(methoddesc)
+                except AttributeError:
+                    markeddown.pop(method, None)
 
         breadcrumb_list = get_breadcrumbs(self.view.request.path)
 
diff --git a/djangorestframework/templates/renderer.html b/djangorestframework/templates/renderer.html
index 132bdb818..94ea3f966 100644
--- a/djangorestframework/templates/renderer.html
+++ b/djangorestframework/templates/renderer.html
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@
 
 	<div class='content-main'>
 	    <h1>{{ name }}</h1>
-	    <p>{% if markeddown %}{% autoescape off %}{{ markeddown }}{% endautoescape %}{% else %}{{ description|linebreaksbr }}{% endif %}</p>
+	    <p>{% if markeddown.view %}{% autoescape off %}{{ markeddown.view }}{% endautoescape %}{% else %}{{ description|linebreaksbr }}{% endif %}</p>
 	    <div class='module'>
 	    <pre><b>{{ response.status }} {{ response.status_text }}</b>{% autoescape off %}
 {% for key, val in response.headers.items %}<b>{{ key }}:</b> {{ val|urlize_quoted_links }}
@@ -56,6 +56,7 @@
 			<form>
 				<fieldset class='module aligned'>
 				<h2>GET {{ name }}</h2>
+				{% if markeddown.GET %}<p>{% autoescape off %}{{ markeddown.GET }}{% endautoescape %}</p>{% endif %}
 				<div class='submit-row' style='margin: 0; border: 0'>
 				<a href='{{ request.get_full_path }}' rel="nofollow" style='float: left'>GET</a>
 				{% for format in available_formats %}
@@ -75,6 +76,7 @@
 				<form action="{{ request.get_full_path }}" method="post" {% if post_form.is_multipart %}enctype="multipart/form-data"{% endif %}>
 				<fieldset class='module aligned'>
 					<h2>POST {{ name }}</h2>
+					{% if markeddown.POST %}<p>{% autoescape off %}{{ markeddown.POST }}{% endautoescape %}</p>{% endif %}
 				    {% csrf_token %}
 				    {{ post_form.non_field_errors }}
 					{% for field in post_form %}
@@ -96,6 +98,7 @@
 				<form action="{{ request.get_full_path }}" method="post" {% if put_form.is_multipart %}enctype="multipart/form-data"{% endif %}>
 				<fieldset class='module aligned'>
 					<h2>PUT {{ name }}</h2>
+					{% if markeddown.PUT %}<p>{% autoescape off %}{{ markeddown.PUT }}{% endautoescape %}</p>{% endif %}
 					<input type="hidden" name="{{ METHOD_PARAM }}" value="PUT" />
 					{% csrf_token %}
 					{{ put_form.non_field_errors }}
@@ -118,6 +121,7 @@
 				<form action="{{ request.get_full_path }}" method="post">
 				<fieldset class='module aligned'>
 					<h2>DELETE {{ name }}</h2>
+					{% if markeddown.DELETE %}<p>{% autoescape off %}{{ markeddown.DELETE }}{% endautoescape %}</p>{% endif %}
 				    {% csrf_token %}
 					<input type="hidden" name="{{ METHOD_PARAM }}" value="DELETE" />
 					<div class='submit-row' style='margin: 0; border: 0'>
diff --git a/djangorestframework/tests/description.py b/djangorestframework/tests/description.py
index 56dcdfabb..2b109841e 100644
--- a/djangorestframework/tests/description.py
+++ b/djangorestframework/tests/description.py
@@ -53,13 +53,13 @@ class TestViewNamesAndDescriptions(TestCase):
             pass
         self.assertEquals(get_name(MockView()), 'Mock')
 
-    # This has been turned off now.
-    #def test_resource_name_can_be_set_explicitly(self):
-    #    """Ensure Resource names can be set using the 'name' class attribute."""
-    #    example = 'Some Other Name'
-    #    class MockView(View):
-    #        name = example
-    #    self.assertEquals(get_name(MockView()), example)
+    def test_resource_name_can_be_set_explicitly(self):
+        """Ensure Resource names can be set using the 'get_name' method."""
+        example = 'Some Other Name'
+        class MockView(View):
+            def get_name(self):
+                return example
+        self.assertEquals(get_name(MockView()), example)
 
     def test_resource_description_uses_docstring_by_default(self):
         """Ensure Resource names are based on the docstring by default."""
@@ -81,21 +81,22 @@ class TestViewNamesAndDescriptions(TestCase):
 
         self.assertEquals(get_description(MockView()), DESCRIPTION)
 
-    # This has been turned off now
-    #def test_resource_description_can_be_set_explicitly(self):
-    #    """Ensure Resource descriptions can be set using the 'description' class attribute."""
-    #    example = 'Some other description'
-    #    class MockView(View):
-    #        """docstring"""
-    #        description = example
-    #    self.assertEquals(get_description(MockView()), example)
+    def test_resource_description_can_be_set_explicitly(self):
+        """Ensure Resource descriptions can be set using the 'get_description' method."""
+        example = 'Some other description'
+        class MockView(View):
+            """docstring"""
+            def get_description(self):
+                return example
+        self.assertEquals(get_description(MockView()), example)
 
-    #def test_resource_description_does_not_require_docstring(self):
-    #    """Ensure that empty docstrings do not affect the Resource's description if it has been set using the 'description' class attribute."""
-    #    example = 'Some other description'
-    #    class MockView(View):
-    #        description = example
-    #    self.assertEquals(get_description(MockView()), example)
+    def test_resource_description_does_not_require_docstring(self):
+        """Ensure that empty docstrings do not affect the Resource's description if it has been set using the 'get_description' method."""
+        example = 'Some other description'
+        class MockView(View):
+            def get_description(self):
+                return example
+        self.assertEquals(get_description(MockView()), example)
 
     def test_resource_description_can_be_empty(self):
         """Ensure that if a resource has no doctring or 'description' class attribute, then it's description is the empty string"""
diff --git a/djangorestframework/utils/description.py b/djangorestframework/utils/description.py
index ce61e5580..c89f27efe 100644
--- a/djangorestframework/utils/description.py
+++ b/djangorestframework/utils/description.py
@@ -19,30 +19,14 @@ def get_name(view):
     if getattr(view, 'cls_instance', None):
         view = view.cls_instance
 
-    # If this view has a resource that's been overridden, then use that resource for the name
-    if getattr(view, 'resource', None) not in (None, Resource, FormResource, ModelResource):
-        name = view.resource.__name__
-
-        # Chomp of any non-descriptive trailing part of the resource class name
-        if name.endswith('Resource') and name != 'Resource':
-            name = name[:-len('Resource')]
-
-        # If the view has a descriptive suffix, eg '*** List', '*** Instance'
-        if getattr(view, '_suffix', None):
-            name += view._suffix
+    # If this view provides a get_name method, try to use that:
+    if callable(getattr(view, 'get_name', None)):
+        name = view.get_name()
 
     # Otherwise if it's a function view use the function's name
     elif getattr(view, '__name__', None) is not None:
         name = view.__name__
 
-    # If it's a view class with no resource then grok the name from the class name
-    elif getattr(view, '__class__', None) is not None:
-        name = view.__class__.__name__
-
-        # Chomp of any non-descriptive trailing part of the view class name
-        if name.endswith('View') and name != 'View':
-            name = name[:-len('View')]
-
     # I ain't got nuthin fo' ya
     else:
         return ''
@@ -63,10 +47,9 @@ def get_description(view):
     if getattr(view, 'cls_instance', None):
         view = view.cls_instance
 
-
-    # If this view has a resource that's been overridden, then use the resource's doctring
-    if getattr(view, 'resource', None) not in (None, Resource, FormResource, ModelResource):
-        doc = view.resource.__doc__
+    # If this view provides a get_description method, try to use that:
+    if callable(getattr(view, 'get_description', None)):
+        doc = view.get_description()
 
     # Otherwise use the view doctring
     elif getattr(view, '__doc__', None):
diff --git a/djangorestframework/views.py b/djangorestframework/views.py
index 9199d6b74..ca0692d36 100644
--- a/djangorestframework/views.py
+++ b/djangorestframework/views.py
@@ -77,6 +77,48 @@ class View(ResourceMixin, RequestMixin, ResponseMixin, AuthMixin, DjangoView):
         """
         return [method.upper() for method in self.http_method_names if hasattr(self, method)]
 
+    def get_name(self):
+        """
+        Return the resource or view class name for use as this view's name.
+        Override to customize.
+        """
+        # If this view has a resource that's been overridden, then use that resource for the name
+        if getattr(self, 'resource', None) not in (None, resources.Resource, resources.FormResource, resources.ModelResource):
+            name = self.resource.__name__
+
+            # Chomp of any non-descriptive trailing part of the resource class name
+            if name.endswith('Resource') and name != 'Resource':
+                name = name[:-len('Resource')]
+
+            # If the view has a descriptive suffix, eg '*** List', '*** Instance'
+            if getattr(self, '_suffix', None):
+                name += self._suffix
+        # If it's a view class with no resource then grok the name from the class name
+        elif getattr(self, '__class__', None) is not None:
+            name = self.__class__.__name__
+
+            # Chomp of any non-descriptive trailing part of the view class name
+            if name.endswith('View') and name != 'View':
+                name = name[:-len('View')]
+        else:
+            name = ''
+        return name
+
+    def get_description(self):
+        """
+        Return the resource or view docstring for use as this view's description.
+        Override to customize.
+        """
+        # If this view has a resource that's been overridden, then use the resource's doctring
+        if getattr(self, 'resource', None) not in (None, resources.Resource, resources.FormResource, resources.ModelResource):
+            doc = self.resource.__doc__
+        # Otherwise use the view doctring
+        elif getattr(self, '__doc__', None):
+            doc = self.__doc__
+        else:
+            doc = ''
+        return doc
+
     def http_method_not_allowed(self, request, *args, **kwargs):
         """
         Return an HTTP 405 error if an operation is called which does not have a handler method.