diff --git a/src/components/views/rooms/BasicMessageComposer.tsx b/src/components/views/rooms/BasicMessageComposer.tsx
index 3258674cf6..55baf9cb73 100644
--- a/src/components/views/rooms/BasicMessageComposer.tsx
+++ b/src/components/views/rooms/BasicMessageComposer.tsx
@@ -55,6 +55,14 @@ const REGEX_EMOTICON_WHITESPACE = new RegExp('(?:^|\\s)(' + EMOTICON_REGEX.sourc
 
 const IS_MAC = navigator.platform.indexOf("Mac") !== -1;
 
+const SURROUND_WITH_CHARACTERS = ["\"", "_", "`", "'", "*", "~", "$"];
+const SURROUND_WITH_DOUBLE_CHARACTERS = new Map([
+    ["(", ")"],
+    ["[", "]"],
+    ["{", "}"],
+    ["<", ">"],
+]);
+
 function ctrlShortcutLabel(key: string): string {
     return (IS_MAC ? "⌘" : "Ctrl") + "+" + key;
 }
@@ -99,6 +107,7 @@ interface IState {
     showVisualBell?: boolean;
     autoComplete?: AutocompleteWrapperModel;
     completionIndex?: number;
+    surroundWith: boolean;
 }
 
 @replaceableComponent("views.rooms.BasicMessageEditor")
@@ -117,12 +126,14 @@ export default class BasicMessageEditor extends React.Component<IProps, IState>
 
     private readonly emoticonSettingHandle: string;
     private readonly shouldShowPillAvatarSettingHandle: string;
+    private readonly surroundWithHandle: string;
     private readonly historyManager = new HistoryManager();
 
     constructor(props) {
         super(props);
         this.state = {
             showPillAvatar: SettingsStore.getValue("Pill.shouldShowPillAvatar"),
+            surroundWith: SettingsStore.getValue("MessageComposerInput.surroundWith"),
         };
 
         this.emoticonSettingHandle = SettingsStore.watchSetting('MessageComposerInput.autoReplaceEmoji', null,
@@ -130,6 +141,8 @@ export default class BasicMessageEditor extends React.Component<IProps, IState>
         this.configureEmoticonAutoReplace();
         this.shouldShowPillAvatarSettingHandle = SettingsStore.watchSetting("Pill.shouldShowPillAvatar", null,
             this.configureShouldShowPillAvatar);
+        this.surroundWithHandle = SettingsStore.watchSetting("MessageComposerInput.surroundWith", null,
+            this.surroundWithSettingChanged);
     }
 
     public componentDidUpdate(prevProps: IProps) {
@@ -422,6 +435,28 @@ export default class BasicMessageEditor extends React.Component<IProps, IState>
     private onKeyDown = (event: React.KeyboardEvent): void => {
         const model = this.props.model;
         let handled = false;
+
+        if (this.state.surroundWith && document.getSelection().type != "Caret") {
+            // This surrounds the selected text with a character. This is
+            // intentionally left out of the keybinding manager as the keybinds
+            // here shouldn't be changeable
+
+            const selectionRange = getRangeForSelection(
+                this.editorRef.current,
+                this.props.model,
+                document.getSelection(),
+            );
+            // trim the range as we want it to exclude leading/trailing spaces
+            selectionRange.trim();
+
+            if ([...SURROUND_WITH_DOUBLE_CHARACTERS.keys(), ...SURROUND_WITH_CHARACTERS].includes(event.key)) {
+                this.historyManager.ensureLastChangesPushed(this.props.model);
+                this.modifiedFlag = true;
+                toggleInlineFormat(selectionRange, event.key, SURROUND_WITH_DOUBLE_CHARACTERS.get(event.key));
+                handled = true;
+            }
+        }
+
         const action = getKeyBindingsManager().getMessageComposerAction(event);
         switch (action) {
             case MessageComposerAction.FormatBold:
@@ -574,6 +609,11 @@ export default class BasicMessageEditor extends React.Component<IProps, IState>
         this.setState({ showPillAvatar });
     };
 
+    private surroundWithSettingChanged = () => {
+        const surroundWith = SettingsStore.getValue("MessageComposerInput.surroundWith");
+        this.setState({ surroundWith });
+    };
+
     componentWillUnmount() {
         document.removeEventListener("selectionchange", this.onSelectionChange);
         this.editorRef.current.removeEventListener("input", this.onInput, true);
@@ -581,6 +621,7 @@ export default class BasicMessageEditor extends React.Component<IProps, IState>
         this.editorRef.current.removeEventListener("compositionend", this.onCompositionEnd, true);
         SettingsStore.unwatchSetting(this.emoticonSettingHandle);
         SettingsStore.unwatchSetting(this.shouldShowPillAvatarSettingHandle);
+        SettingsStore.unwatchSetting(this.surroundWithHandle);
     }
 
     componentDidMount() {
diff --git a/src/components/views/settings/tabs/user/PreferencesUserSettingsTab.tsx b/src/components/views/settings/tabs/user/PreferencesUserSettingsTab.tsx
index d3da8a7784..ca85db967a 100644
--- a/src/components/views/settings/tabs/user/PreferencesUserSettingsTab.tsx
+++ b/src/components/views/settings/tabs/user/PreferencesUserSettingsTab.tsx
@@ -61,6 +61,7 @@ export default class PreferencesUserSettingsTab extends React.Component<{}, ISta
         'MessageComposerInput.suggestEmoji',
         'sendTypingNotifications',
         'MessageComposerInput.ctrlEnterToSend',
+        'MessageComposerInput.surroundWith',
         'MessageComposerInput.showStickersButton',
     ];
 
diff --git a/src/i18n/strings/en_EN.json b/src/i18n/strings/en_EN.json
index 1cefa19e3e..70bb1e436b 100644
--- a/src/i18n/strings/en_EN.json
+++ b/src/i18n/strings/en_EN.json
@@ -847,6 +847,7 @@
     "Use Ctrl + F to search timeline": "Use Ctrl + F to search timeline",
     "Use Command + Enter to send a message": "Use Command + Enter to send a message",
     "Use Ctrl + Enter to send a message": "Use Ctrl + Enter to send a message",
+    "Surround selected text when typing special characters": "Surround selected text when typing special characters",
     "Automatically replace plain text Emoji": "Automatically replace plain text Emoji",
     "Mirror local video feed": "Mirror local video feed",
     "Enable Community Filter Panel": "Enable Community Filter Panel",
diff --git a/src/settings/Settings.tsx b/src/settings/Settings.tsx
index cfe2c097fc..ca0253a838 100644
--- a/src/settings/Settings.tsx
+++ b/src/settings/Settings.tsx
@@ -449,6 +449,11 @@ export const SETTINGS: {[setting: string]: ISetting} = {
         displayName: isMac ? _td("Use Command + Enter to send a message") : _td("Use Ctrl + Enter to send a message"),
         default: false,
     },
+    "MessageComposerInput.surroundWith": {
+        supportedLevels: LEVELS_ACCOUNT_SETTINGS,
+        displayName: _td("Surround selected text when typing special characters"),
+        default: false,
+    },
     "MessageComposerInput.autoReplaceEmoji": {
         supportedLevels: LEVELS_ACCOUNT_SETTINGS,
         displayName: _td('Automatically replace plain text Emoji'),