diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 132fad808..9a4d26b98 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@
 - Handle a variation in a bioformats exception ([#1656](../../pull/1656))
 - Increase logging slow histograms ([#1658](../../pull/1658))
 - Use paginated item lists ([#1664](../../pull/1664))
+- When in-line editing yaml and other files, the tab key now uses spaces ([#1667](../../pull/1667))
 
 ### Bug Fixes
 
diff --git a/girder/girder_large_image/web_client/views/itemViewCodemirror.js b/girder/girder_large_image/web_client/views/itemViewCodemirror.js
index 021db1a4c..17e1c6e48 100644
--- a/girder/girder_large_image/web_client/views/itemViewCodemirror.js
+++ b/girder/girder_large_image/web_client/views/itemViewCodemirror.js
@@ -214,6 +214,13 @@ var CodemirrorEditWidget = View.extend({
             value: this._contents,
             mode: Formats[this.mimeType].mode,
             lineNumbers: true,
+            indentWithTabs: false,
+            extraKeys: {
+                Tab: function (cm) {
+                    var spaces = Array(cm.getOption('tabSize') + 1).join(' ');
+                    cm.replaceSelection(spaces);
+                }
+            },
             gutters: ['CodeMirror-lint-markers'],
             lint: true,
             readOnly: this.accessLevel < AccessType.WRITE