diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/osem.js b/app/assets/javascripts/osem.js
index aede8208..039daa79 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/osem.js
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/osem.js
@@ -1,13 +1,4 @@
 $(function () {
-
-  /**
-   * Show the number of words in the biography text field when opening the
-   * profile edit page
-   */
-    $(document).ready(function(){
-        word_count($("#user_biography")[0], 'bio_length', 150);
-    });
-
     /**
     * Update the number of words in the biography text field every time the user
     * releases a key on the keyboard
diff --git a/app/views/users/edit.html.haml b/app/views/users/edit.html.haml
index 3c33f72a..28ea3fb6 100644
--- a/app/views/users/edit.html.haml
+++ b/app/views/users/edit.html.haml
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@
         = f.input :biography,  input_html: { rows: 5, 'onkeyup' => "word_count(this, 'biography-count', 150)" }
         You have used
         %span#bio_length
-          0
+          = @user.biography.split.length
         words.  Biographies are limited to 150 words.
         %br
         %br