diff --git a/anki/utils.py b/anki/utils.py
index e4ff311ab..60b13f91d 100644
--- a/anki/utils.py
+++ b/anki/utils.py
@@ -153,6 +153,17 @@ def minimizeHTML(s):
                '<u>\\1</u>', s)
     return s
 
+def fmtQA(s):
+    s = s.replace("<br>", " ")
+    s = s.replace("<br />", " ")
+    s = s.replace("<div>", " ")
+    s = s.replace("\n", " ")
+    s = re.sub("\[sound:[^]]+\]", "", s)
+    s = re.sub("\[\[type:[^]]+\]\]", "", s)
+    s = stripHTMLMedia(s)
+    s = s.strip()
+    return s
+
 def entsToTxt(html):
     # entitydefs defines nbsp as \xa0 instead of a standard space, so we
     # replace it first
diff --git a/aqt/browser.py b/aqt/browser.py
index 7ca9e630c..97c833c7d 100644
--- a/aqt/browser.py
+++ b/aqt/browser.py
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ from anki.lang import ngettext
 from aqt.qt import *
 import anki
 import aqt.forms
-from anki.utils import fmtTimeSpan, ids2str, stripHTMLMedia, isWin, intTime, isMac
+from anki.utils import fmtTimeSpan, ids2str, stripHTMLMedia, fmtQA, isWin, intTime, isMac
 from aqt.utils import saveGeom, restoreGeom, saveSplitter, restoreSplitter, \
     saveHeader, restoreHeader, saveState, restoreState, applyStyles, getTag, \
     showInfo, askUser, tooltip, openHelp, showWarning, shortcut, mungeQA
@@ -234,7 +234,7 @@ class DataModel(QAbstractTableModel):
             return self.answer(c)
         elif type == "noteFld":
             f = c.note()
-            return self.formatQA(f.fields[self.col.models.sortIdx(f.model())])
+            return fmtQA(f.fields[self.col.models.sortIdx(f.model())])
         elif type == "template":
             t = c.template()['name']
             if c.model()['type'] == MODEL_CLOZE:
@@ -283,31 +283,20 @@ class DataModel(QAbstractTableModel):
             return self.browser.mw.col.decks.name(c.did)
 
     def question(self, c):
-        return self.formatQA(c.q(browser=True))
+        return fmtQA(c.q(browser=True))
 
     def answer(self, c):
         if c.template().get('bafmt'):
             # they have provided a template, use it verbatim
             c.q(browser=True)
-            return self.formatQA(c.a())
+            return fmtQA(c.a())
         # need to strip question from answer
         q = self.question(c)
-        a = self.formatQA(c.a())
+        a = fmtQA(c.a())
         if a.startswith(q):
             return a[len(q):].strip()
         return a
 
-    def formatQA(self, txt):
-        s = txt.replace("<br>", " ")
-        s = s.replace("<br />", " ")
-        s = s.replace("<div>", " ")
-        s = s.replace("\n", " ")
-        s = re.sub("\[sound:[^]]+\]", "", s)
-        s = re.sub("\[\[type:[^]]+\]\]", "", s)
-        s = stripHTMLMedia(s)
-        s = s.strip()
-        return s
-
     def nextDue(self, c, index):
         if c.odid:
             return _("(filtered)")