diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/cases/public/components/user_actions/comment/user.tsx b/x-pack/plugins/cases/public/components/user_actions/comment/user.tsx
index a4e6fe6cf288..6c4c96a95bc4 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/cases/public/components/user_actions/comment/user.tsx
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/cases/public/components/user_actions/comment/user.tsx
@@ -65,6 +65,7 @@ export const createUserAttachmentUserActionBuilder = ({
       }),
       children: (
         <UserActionMarkdown
+          key={isEdit ? comment.id : undefined}
           ref={(element) => (commentRefs.current[comment.id] = element)}
           id={comment.id}
           content={comment.comment}
diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/cases/public/components/user_actions/description.tsx b/x-pack/plugins/cases/public/components/user_actions/description.tsx
index 01b0e105ecd9..eae2bd3d1258 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/cases/public/components/user_actions/description.tsx
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/cases/public/components/user_actions/description.tsx
@@ -43,6 +43,7 @@ export const getDescriptionUserAction = ({
   handleManageMarkdownEditId,
   handleManageQuote,
 }: GetDescriptionUserActionArgs): EuiCommentProps => {
+  const isEditable = manageMarkdownEditIds.includes(DESCRIPTION_ID);
   return {
     username: (
       <UserActionUsername
@@ -55,10 +56,11 @@ export const getDescriptionUserAction = ({
     timestamp: <UserActionTimestamp createdAt={caseData.createdAt} />,
     children: (
       <UserActionMarkdown
+        key={isEditable ? DESCRIPTION_ID : undefined}
         ref={(element) => (commentRefs.current[DESCRIPTION_ID] = element)}
         id={DESCRIPTION_ID}
         content={caseData.description}
-        isEditable={manageMarkdownEditIds.includes(DESCRIPTION_ID)}
+        isEditable={isEditable}
         onSaveContent={(content: string) => {
           onUpdateField({ key: DESCRIPTION_ID, value: content });
         }}
diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/cases/public/components/user_actions/markdown_form.test.tsx b/x-pack/plugins/cases/public/components/user_actions/markdown_form.test.tsx
index 19f60d7cb8c7..ae242fc64aaf 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/cases/public/components/user_actions/markdown_form.test.tsx
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/cases/public/components/user_actions/markdown_form.test.tsx
@@ -8,8 +8,9 @@
 import React from 'react';
 import { mount } from 'enzyme';
 import { UserActionMarkdown } from './markdown_form';
-import { TestProviders } from '../../common/mock';
+import { AppMockRenderer, createAppMockRenderer, TestProviders } from '../../common/mock';
 import { waitFor } from '@testing-library/react';
+import userEvent from '@testing-library/user-event';
 const onChangeEditable = jest.fn();
 const onSaveContent = jest.fn();
 
@@ -86,4 +87,113 @@ describe('UserActionMarkdown ', () => {
       expect(onChangeEditable).toHaveBeenCalledWith(defaultProps.id);
     });
   });
+
+  describe('useForm stale state bug', () => {
+    let appMockRenderer: AppMockRenderer;
+    const oldContent = defaultProps.content;
+    const appendContent = ' appended content';
+    const newContent = defaultProps.content + appendContent;
+
+    beforeEach(() => {
+      appMockRenderer = createAppMockRenderer();
+    });
+
+    it('creates a stale state if a key is not passed to the component', async () => {
+      const TestComponent = () => {
+        const [isEditable, setIsEditable] = React.useState(true);
+        const [saveContent, setSaveContent] = React.useState(defaultProps.content);
+        return (
+          <div>
+            <UserActionMarkdown
+              // note that this is not passing the key
+              {...defaultProps}
+              content={saveContent}
+              onSaveContent={setSaveContent}
+              isEditable={isEditable}
+            />
+            <button
+              type="button"
+              data-test-subj="test-button"
+              onClick={() => {
+                setIsEditable(!isEditable);
+              }}
+            />
+          </div>
+        );
+      };
+
+      const result = appMockRenderer.render(<TestComponent />);
+
+      expect(result.getByTestId('user-action-markdown-form')).toBeTruthy();
+
+      // append some content and save
+      userEvent.type(result.container.querySelector('textarea')!, appendContent);
+      userEvent.click(result.getByTestId('user-action-save-markdown'));
+
+      // wait for the state to update
+      await waitFor(() => {
+        expect(onChangeEditable).toHaveBeenCalledWith(defaultProps.id);
+      });
+
+      // toggle to non-edit state
+      userEvent.click(result.getByTestId('test-button'));
+      expect(result.getByTestId('user-action-markdown')).toBeTruthy();
+
+      // toggle to edit state again
+      userEvent.click(result.getByTestId('test-button'));
+
+      // the text area holds a stale value
+      // this is the wrong behaviour. The textarea holds the old content
+      expect(result.container.querySelector('textarea')!.value).toEqual(oldContent);
+      expect(result.container.querySelector('textarea')!.value).not.toEqual(newContent);
+    });
+
+    it("doesn't create a stale state if a key is passed to the component", async () => {
+      const TestComponent = () => {
+        const [isEditable, setIsEditable] = React.useState(true);
+        const [saveContent, setSaveContent] = React.useState(defaultProps.content);
+        return (
+          <div>
+            <UserActionMarkdown
+              {...defaultProps}
+              content={saveContent}
+              isEditable={isEditable}
+              onSaveContent={setSaveContent}
+              // this is the important change. a key is passed to the component
+              key={isEditable ? 'key' : 'no-key'}
+            />
+            <button
+              type="button"
+              data-test-subj="test-button"
+              onClick={() => {
+                setIsEditable(!isEditable);
+              }}
+            />
+          </div>
+        );
+      };
+      const result = appMockRenderer.render(<TestComponent />);
+      expect(result.getByTestId('user-action-markdown-form')).toBeTruthy();
+
+      // append content and save
+      userEvent.type(result.container.querySelector('textarea')!, appendContent);
+      userEvent.click(result.getByTestId('user-action-save-markdown'));
+
+      // wait for the state to update
+      await waitFor(() => {
+        expect(onChangeEditable).toHaveBeenCalledWith(defaultProps.id);
+      });
+
+      // toggle to non-edit state
+      userEvent.click(result.getByTestId('test-button'));
+      expect(result.getByTestId('user-action-markdown')).toBeTruthy();
+
+      // toggle to edit state again
+      userEvent.click(result.getByTestId('test-button'));
+
+      // this is the correct behaviour. The textarea holds the new content
+      expect(result.container.querySelector('textarea')!.value).toEqual(newContent);
+      expect(result.container.querySelector('textarea')!.value).not.toEqual(oldContent);
+    });
+  });
 });