diff --git a/src/ui/public/markdown/markdown.js b/src/ui/public/markdown/markdown.js
index 2e2b47e37c7bc..d34a387af4cdf 100644
--- a/src/ui/public/markdown/markdown.js
+++ b/src/ui/public/markdown/markdown.js
@@ -48,10 +48,8 @@ export class Markdown extends Component {
     this.markdownIt = markdownFactory(this.props.whiteListedRules, this.props.openLinksInNewTab);
 
     this.state = {
-      renderedMarkdown: this.transformMarkdown(this.props)
+      renderedMarkdown: this.transformMarkdown(this.props),
     };
-
-
   }
 
   /**
@@ -68,9 +66,16 @@ export class Markdown extends Component {
   }
 
   componentWillReceiveProps(props) {
-    if (props.markdown !== this.props.markdown) {
+    const hasOpenLinksInNewTabChanged = props.openLinksInNewTab !== this.props.openLinksInNewTab;
+    const hasMarkdownChanged = props.markdown !== this.props.markdown;
+    const hasWhiteListerRulesChanged = props.whiteListedRules !== this.props.whiteListedRules;
+
+    if (hasOpenLinksInNewTabChanged || hasWhiteListerRulesChanged) {
+      this.markdownIt = markdownFactory(props.whiteListedRules, props.openLinksInNewTab);
+    }
+    if (hasMarkdownChanged || hasOpenLinksInNewTabChanged || hasWhiteListerRulesChanged) {
       this.setState({
-        renderedMarkdown: this.transformMarkdown(props)
+        renderedMarkdown: this.transformMarkdown(props),
       });
     }
   }
@@ -84,10 +89,7 @@ export class Markdown extends Component {
       ...rest
     } = this.props;
 
-    const classes = classNames(
-      'markdown-body',
-      className
-    );
+    const classes = classNames('markdown-body', className);
 
     return (
       <div
diff --git a/src/ui/public/markdown/markdown.test.js b/src/ui/public/markdown/markdown.test.js
index bbd5c0baa97b7..2c87dac53f446 100644
--- a/src/ui/public/markdown/markdown.test.js
+++ b/src/ui/public/markdown/markdown.test.js
@@ -43,4 +43,27 @@ describe('props', () => {
     />);
     expect(component).toMatchSnapshot(); // eslint-disable-line
   });
+
+  test('should update markdown when openLinksInNewTab prop change', () => {
+    const component = shallow(<Markdown
+      markdown={markdown}
+      openLinksInNewTab={false}
+    />);
+    expect(component.render().find('a').prop('target')).not.toBe('_blank');
+    component.setProps({ openLinksInNewTab: true });
+    expect(component.render().find('a').prop('target')).toBe('_blank');
+  });
+
+  test('should update markdown when whiteListedRules prop change', () => {
+    const markdown = '*emphasis* `backticks`';
+    const component = shallow(<Markdown
+      markdown={markdown}
+      whiteListedRules={['emphasis', 'backticks']}
+    />);
+    expect(component.render().find('em')).toHaveLength(1);
+    expect(component.render().find('code')).toHaveLength(1);
+    component.setProps({ whiteListedRules: ['backticks'] });
+    expect(component.render().find('code')).toHaveLength(1);
+    expect(component.render().find('em')).toHaveLength(0);
+  });
 });