diff --git a/src/components/views/elements/ReplyThread.js b/src/components/views/elements/ReplyThread.js
index 059df7a01c..650a3845e3 100644
--- a/src/components/views/elements/ReplyThread.js
+++ b/src/components/views/elements/ReplyThread.js
@@ -162,11 +162,12 @@ export default class ReplyThread extends React.Component {
         }
 
         html = `<blockquote data-mx-reply><a href="${makeEventPermalink(ev.getRoomId(), ev.getId())}">In reply to</a> `
-            + `<a href="${makeUserPermalink(ev.getSender())}">${ev.getSender()}</a> ${html || body}</blockquote>`;
-        // `&lt;${ev.getSender()}&gt; ${html || body}</blockquote>`;
-        const lines = body.split('\n');
-        const first = `> <${ev.getSender()}> ${lines.shift()}`;
-        body = first + lines.map((line) => `> ${line}`).join('\n') + '\n';
+            + `<a href="${makeUserPermalink(ev.getSender())}">${ev.getSender()}</a><br>${html || body}</blockquote>`;
+        const lines = body.trim().split('\n');
+        if (lines.length > 0) {
+            lines[0] = `<${ev.getSender()}> ${lines[0]}`;
+            body = lines.map((line) => `> ${line}`).join('\n') + '\n\n';
+        }
 
         return {body, html};
     }
diff --git a/src/components/views/rooms/MessageComposerInput.js b/src/components/views/rooms/MessageComposerInput.js
index 1b3299ab94..956091215f 100644
--- a/src/components/views/rooms/MessageComposerInput.js
+++ b/src/components/views/rooms/MessageComposerInput.js
@@ -753,10 +753,15 @@ export default class MessageComposerInput extends React.Component {
             return true;
         }
 
+        const replyingToEv = RoomViewStore.getQuotingEvent();
+        const mustSendHTML = Boolean(replyingToEv);
+
         if (this.state.isRichtextEnabled) {
             // We should only send HTML if any block is styled or contains inline style
             let shouldSendHTML = false;
 
+            if (mustSendHTML) shouldSendHTML = true;
+
             const blocks = contentState.getBlocksAsArray();
             if (blocks.some((block) => block.getType() !== 'unstyled')) {
                 shouldSendHTML = true;
@@ -815,7 +820,7 @@ export default class MessageComposerInput extends React.Component {
 
             const md = new Markdown(pt);
             // if contains no HTML and we're not quoting (needing HTML)
-            if (md.isPlainText()) {
+            if (md.isPlainText() && !mustSendHTML) {
                 contentText = md.toPlaintext();
             } else {
                 contentHTML = md.toHTML();
@@ -830,8 +835,6 @@ export default class MessageComposerInput extends React.Component {
             this.state.isRichtextEnabled ? 'html' : 'markdown',
         );
 
-        const replyingToEv = RoomViewStore.getQuotingEvent();
-
         if (contentText.startsWith('/me')) {
             if (replyingToEv) {
                 const ErrorDialog = sdk.getComponent("dialogs.ErrorDialog");
@@ -850,7 +853,7 @@ export default class MessageComposerInput extends React.Component {
         }
 
 
-        let content = contentHTML || replyingToEv ? sendHtmlFn(contentText, contentHTML) : sendTextFn(contentText);
+        let content = contentHTML ? sendHtmlFn(contentText, contentHTML) : sendTextFn(contentText);
 
         if (replyingToEv) {
             const replyContent = ReplyThread.getReplyEvContent(replyingToEv);