diff --git a/controllers/admin/chat.go b/controllers/admin/chat.go
index 656481b92..f9166ac0e 100644
--- a/controllers/admin/chat.go
+++ b/controllers/admin/chat.go
@@ -58,8 +58,7 @@ func GetChatMessages(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 	}
 }
 
-// SendSystemMessage will send an official "SYSTEM" message
-// to chat on behalf of your server.
+// SendSystemMessage will send an official "SYSTEM" message to chat on behalf of your server.
 func SendSystemMessage(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 	w.Header().Set("Content-Type", "application/json")
 
@@ -76,7 +75,7 @@ func SendSystemMessage(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 	message.Visible = true
 
 	message.SetDefaults()
-	message.RenderAndSanitizeMessageBody()
+	message.RenderBody()
 
 	if err := core.SendMessageToChat(message); err != nil {
 		controllers.BadRequestHandler(w, err)
@@ -137,6 +136,7 @@ func SendChatAction(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 	}
 
 	message.SetDefaults()
+	message.RenderAndSanitizeMessageBody()
 
 	if err := core.SendMessageToChat(message); err != nil {
 		controllers.BadRequestHandler(w, err)
diff --git a/core/chat/client.go b/core/chat/client.go
index 5ecb5f8fc..2cb950339 100644
--- a/core/chat/client.go
+++ b/core/chat/client.go
@@ -222,6 +222,8 @@ func (c *Client) chatMessageReceived(data []byte) {
 	c.Username = &msg.Author
 
 	msg.ClientID = c.ClientID
+	msg.RenderAndSanitizeMessageBody()
+
 	_server.SendToAll(msg)
 }
 
diff --git a/core/chat/messageRendering_test.go b/core/chat/messageRendering_test.go
index b0d320244..e5cf552f0 100644
--- a/core/chat/messageRendering_test.go
+++ b/core/chat/messageRendering_test.go
@@ -52,3 +52,14 @@ func TestAllowEmojiImages(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Errorf("message rendering/sanitation does not match expected.  Got\n%s, \n\n want:\n%s", result, expected)
 	}
 }
+
+// Test to verify we can pass raw html and render markdown.
+func TestAllowHTML(t *testing.T) {
+	messageContent := `<img src="/img/emoji/beerparrot.gif"><ul><li>**test thing**</li></ul>`
+	expected := "<p><img src=\"/img/emoji/beerparrot.gif\"><ul><li><strong>test thing</strong></li></ul></p>\n"
+	result := models.RenderMarkdown(messageContent)
+
+	if result != expected {
+		t.Errorf("message rendering does not match expected.  Got\n%s, \n\n want:\n%s", result, expected)
+	}
+}
diff --git a/core/chat/server.go b/core/chat/server.go
index 0e8352d34..3c2add7b0 100644
--- a/core/chat/server.go
+++ b/core/chat/server.go
@@ -135,13 +135,6 @@ func (s *server) Listen() {
 		case c := <-s.delCh:
 			s.removeClient(c)
 		case msg := <-s.sendAllCh:
-			// message was received from a client and should be sanitized, validated
-			// and distributed to other clients.
-			//
-			// Will turn markdown into html, sanitize user-supplied raw html
-			// and standardize this message into something safe we can send everyone else.
-			msg.RenderAndSanitizeMessageBody()
-
 			if !msg.Empty() {
 				// set defaults before sending msg to anywhere
 				msg.SetDefaults()
diff --git a/models/chatMessage.go b/models/chatMessage.go
index 2b17cd20e..d0e65b317 100644
--- a/models/chatMessage.go
+++ b/models/chatMessage.go
@@ -55,17 +55,23 @@ func (m *ChatEvent) Empty() bool {
 	return m.Body == ""
 }
 
+// RenderBody will render markdown to html without any sanitization
+func (m *ChatEvent) RenderBody() {
+	m.RawBody = m.Body
+	m.Body = RenderMarkdown(m.RawBody)
+}
+
 // RenderAndSanitize will turn markdown into HTML, sanitize raw user-supplied HTML and standardize
 // the message into something safe and renderable for clients.
 func RenderAndSanitize(raw string) string {
-	rendered := renderMarkdown(raw)
+	rendered := RenderMarkdown(raw)
 	safe := sanitize(rendered)
 
 	// Set the new, sanitized and rendered message body
 	return strings.TrimSpace(safe)
 }
 
-func renderMarkdown(raw string) string {
+func RenderMarkdown(raw string) string {
 	markdown := goldmark.New(
 		goldmark.WithRendererOptions(
 			html.WithUnsafe(),