diff --git a/app/models/concerns/arclight/solr_document.rb b/app/models/concerns/arclight/solr_document.rb
index 712ce74bc..6bb1b69fc 100644
--- a/app/models/concerns/arclight/solr_document.rb
+++ b/app/models/concerns/arclight/solr_document.rb
@@ -65,7 +65,12 @@ def extent
     end
 
     def abstract_or_scope
-      first('abstract_ssm') || first('scopecontent_ssm')
+      if first('abstract_ssm')
+        # EAD <abstract> may contain raw #PCDATA not wrapped in an HTML tag
+        "<p>#{first('abstract_ssm')}</p>"
+      else
+        first('scopecontent_ssm')
+      end
     end
 
     def creator
diff --git a/spec/models/concerns/arclight/solr_document_spec.rb b/spec/models/concerns/arclight/solr_document_spec.rb
index 27c3dc678..821eefd72 100644
--- a/spec/models/concerns/arclight/solr_document_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/models/concerns/arclight/solr_document_spec.rb
@@ -41,6 +41,24 @@
     end
   end
 
+  describe '#abstract_or_scope' do
+    let(:document) do
+      SolrDocument.new(abstract_ssm: 'I will be wrapped', scopecontent_ssm: '<p>I am wrapped</p>')
+    end
+
+    it 'returns abstract_ssm wrapped in a <p> tag' do
+      expect(document.abstract_or_scope).to eq '<p>I will be wrapped</p>'
+    end
+
+    context 'when abstract_ssm is not present' do
+      let(:document) { SolrDocument.new(scopecontent_ssm: '<p>I am wrapped</p>') }
+
+      it 'returns scopecontent_ssm' do
+        expect(document.abstract_or_scope).to eq '<p>I am wrapped</p>'
+      end
+    end
+  end
+
   describe 'digital objects' do
     let(:document) do
       SolrDocument.new(