diff --git a/src/components/structures/MatrixChat.js b/src/components/structures/MatrixChat.js
index 0b1663ee11..a1a6a50fd2 100644
--- a/src/components/structures/MatrixChat.js
+++ b/src/components/structures/MatrixChat.js
@@ -513,7 +513,11 @@ module.exports = React.createClass({
                 this._onSetTheme(payload.value);
                 break;
             case 'on_logging_in':
-                this.setState({loggingIn: true});
+                // We are now logging in, so set the state to reflect that
+                // and also that we're not ready (we'll be marked as logged
+                // in once the login completes, then ready once the sync
+                // completes).
+                this.setState({loggingIn: true, ready: false});
                 break;
             case 'on_logged_in':
                 this._onLoggedIn(payload.teamToken);
diff --git a/src/components/structures/UserSettings.js b/src/components/structures/UserSettings.js
index 7e4663bad7..3187a84b6d 100644
--- a/src/components/structures/UserSettings.js
+++ b/src/components/structures/UserSettings.js
@@ -88,6 +88,10 @@ const SETTINGS_LABELS = [
         id: 'hideRedactions',
         label: 'Hide removed messages',
     },
+    {
+        id: 'disableMarkdown',
+        label: 'Disable markdown formatting',
+    },
 /*
     {
         id: 'useFixedWidthFont',
diff --git a/src/components/views/rooms/MessageComposerInputOld.js b/src/components/views/rooms/MessageComposerInputOld.js
index f6af20c03b..80fb51e6b5 100644
--- a/src/components/views/rooms/MessageComposerInputOld.js
+++ b/src/components/views/rooms/MessageComposerInputOld.js
@@ -29,7 +29,6 @@ var Markdown = require("../../../Markdown");
 
 var TYPING_USER_TIMEOUT = 10000;
 var TYPING_SERVER_TIMEOUT = 30000;
-var MARKDOWN_ENABLED = true;
 
 export function onSendMessageFailed(err, room) {
     // XXX: temporary logging to try to diagnose
@@ -77,7 +76,8 @@ export default React.createClass({
 
     componentWillMount: function() {
         this.oldScrollHeight = 0;
-        this.markdownEnabled = MARKDOWN_ENABLED;
+        this.markdownEnabled = !UserSettingsStore.getSyncedSetting('disableMarkdown', false);
+
         var self = this;
         this.sentHistory = {
             // The list of typed messages. Index 0 is more recent
diff --git a/src/i18n/strings/en_EN.json b/src/i18n/strings/en_EN.json
index 8c069537cb..aad80dc5bf 100644
--- a/src/i18n/strings/en_EN.json
+++ b/src/i18n/strings/en_EN.json
@@ -241,6 +241,7 @@
   "Direct chats": "Direct chats",
   "disabled": "disabled",
   "Disable inline URL previews by default": "Disable inline URL previews by default",
+  "Disable markdown formatting": "Disable markdown formatting",
   "Disinvite": "Disinvite",
   "Display name": "Display name",
   "Displays action": "Displays action",