diff --git a/src/timeline/InputBar.cpp b/src/timeline/InputBar.cpp
index 3cddd613..b31c1f76 100644
--- a/src/timeline/InputBar.cpp
+++ b/src/timeline/InputBar.cpp
@@ -251,12 +251,14 @@ InputBar::openFileSelection()
 }
 
 void
-InputBar::message(QString msg)
+InputBar::message(QString msg, MarkdownOverride useMarkdown)
 {
         mtx::events::msg::Text text = {};
         text.body                   = msg.trimmed().toStdString();
 
-        if (ChatPage::instance()->userSettings()->markdown()) {
+        if ((ChatPage::instance()->userSettings()->markdown() &&
+             useMarkdown == MarkdownOverride::NOT_SPECIFIED) ||
+            useMarkdown == MarkdownOverride::ON) {
                 text.formatted_body = utils::markdownToHtml(msg).toStdString();
 
                 // Don't send formatted_body, when we don't need to
@@ -477,6 +479,10 @@ InputBar::command(QString command, QString args)
                 room->clearTimeline();
         } else if (command == "rotate-megolm-session") {
                 cache::dropOutboundMegolmSession(room->roomId().toStdString());
+        } else if (command == "md") {
+                message(args, MarkdownOverride::ON);
+        } else if (command == "plain") {
+                message(args, MarkdownOverride::OFF);
         }
 }
 
diff --git a/src/timeline/InputBar.h b/src/timeline/InputBar.h
index c729a6fc..f173bbc0 100644
--- a/src/timeline/InputBar.h
+++ b/src/timeline/InputBar.h
@@ -12,6 +12,13 @@ class QMimeData;
 class QDropEvent;
 class QStringList;
 
+enum class MarkdownOverride
+{
+        NOT_SPECIFIED, // no override set
+        ON,
+        OFF,
+};
+
 class InputBar : public QObject
 {
         Q_OBJECT
@@ -41,7 +48,7 @@ public slots:
         void updateState(int selectionStart, int selectionEnd, int cursorPosition, QString text);
         void openFileSelection();
         bool uploading() const { return uploading_; }
-        void message(QString body);
+        void message(QString body, MarkdownOverride useMarkdown = MarkdownOverride::NOT_SPECIFIED);
 
         QObject *completerFor(QString completerName);