diff --git a/TODO.md b/TODO.md
index 5542e75b..c633866a 100644
--- a/TODO.md
+++ b/TODO.md
@@ -34,3 +34,5 @@
 - Spinner when loading past room events or images
 
 - nio: org.matrix.room.preview\_urls, m.room.aliases
+
+- Markdown: don't turn #things into title (space), disable __ syntax
diff --git a/harmonyqml/backend/backend.py b/harmonyqml/backend/backend.py
index 6ff370b0..52aceb45 100644
--- a/harmonyqml/backend/backend.py
+++ b/harmonyqml/backend/backend.py
@@ -6,7 +6,6 @@ from typing import Dict, Set
 
 from PyQt5.QtCore import QObject, pyqtProperty, pyqtSlot
 
-from .client_manager import ClientManager
 from .html_filter import HtmlFilter
 from .model.items import User
 from .model.qml_models import QMLModels
@@ -18,7 +17,8 @@ class Backend(QObject):
         self.past_tokens:        Dict[str, str] = {}
         self.fully_loaded_rooms: Set[str]       = set()
 
-        self._client_manager: ClientManager = ClientManager()
+        from .client_manager import ClientManager
+        self._client_manager: ClientManager = ClientManager(self)
         self._models:         QMLModels     = QMLModels()
         self._html_filter:    HtmlFilter    = HtmlFilter()
         # a = self._client_manager; m = self._models
diff --git a/harmonyqml/backend/client.py b/harmonyqml/backend/client.py
index dd2c158d..39665d27 100644
--- a/harmonyqml/backend/client.py
+++ b/harmonyqml/backend/client.py
@@ -48,9 +48,13 @@ class Client(QObject):
     roomTypingUsersUpdated         = pyqtSignal(str, list)
 
 
-    def __init__(self, hostname: str, username: str, device_id: str = ""
-                ) -> None:
-        super().__init__()
+    def __init__(self,
+                 manager,
+                 hostname:  str,
+                 username:  str,
+                 device_id: str = "") -> None:
+        super().__init__(manager)
+        self.manager = manager
 
         host, *port    = hostname.split(":")
         self.host: str = host
@@ -189,10 +193,11 @@ class Client(QObject):
 
     @pyqtSlot(str, str)
     @futurize
-    def sendMessage(self, room_id: str, text: str) -> None:
+    def sendMarkdown(self, room_id: str, text: str) -> None:
+        html = self.manager.backend.htmlFilter.fromMarkdown(text)
         content = {
             "body": text,
-            "formatted_body": text,
+            "formatted_body": html,
             "format": "org.matrix.custom.html",
             "msgtype": "m.text",
         }
diff --git a/harmonyqml/backend/client_manager.py b/harmonyqml/backend/client_manager.py
index a6a546b5..e83d5cd2 100644
--- a/harmonyqml/backend/client_manager.py
+++ b/harmonyqml/backend/client_manager.py
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ from PyQt5.QtCore import (
 
 from harmonyqml import __about__
 
+from .backend import Backend
 from .client import Client
 
 AccountConfig = Dict[str, Dict[str, str]]
@@ -28,8 +29,9 @@ class ClientManager(QObject):
     clientDeleted = pyqtSignal(str)
 
 
-    def __init__(self) -> None:
-        super().__init__()
+    def __init__(self, backend: Backend) -> None:
+        super().__init__(backend)
+        self.backend = backend
         self._clients: Dict[str, Client] = {}
 
 
@@ -45,7 +47,7 @@ class ClientManager(QObject):
     @pyqtSlot()
     def configLoad(self) -> None:
         for user_id, info in self.configAccounts().items():
-            client = Client(info["hostname"], user_id)
+            client = Client(self, info["hostname"], user_id)
             client.resumeSession(user_id, info["token"], info["device_id"])\
                   .add_done_callback(lambda _, c=client: self._on_connected(c))
 
@@ -55,7 +57,7 @@ class ClientManager(QObject):
     def new(self, hostname: str, username: str, password: str,
             device_id: str = "") -> None:
 
-        client = Client(hostname, username, device_id)
+        client = Client(self, hostname, username, device_id)
         client.login(password, self.defaultDeviceName)\
               .add_done_callback(lambda _: self._on_connected(client))
 
diff --git a/harmonyqml/backend/html_filter.py b/harmonyqml/backend/html_filter.py
index 64d20a1f..dc3124bd 100644
--- a/harmonyqml/backend/html_filter.py
+++ b/harmonyqml/backend/html_filter.py
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 import re
 
 import html_sanitizer.sanitizer as sanitizer
+import mistune
 from lxml.html import HtmlElement, etree
 from PyQt5.QtCore import QObject, pyqtProperty, pyqtSlot
 
@@ -37,6 +38,14 @@ class HtmlFilter(QObject):
         sanitizer.lxml.html.clean.Cleaner.safe_attrs |= \
             self.sanitizer_settings["attributes"]["font"]
 
+        # hard_wrap: convert all \n to <br> without required two spaces
+        self._markdown_to_html = mistune.Markdown(hard_wrap=True)
+
+
+    @pyqtSlot(str, result=str)
+    def fromMarkdown(self, text: str) -> str:
+        return self.filter(self._markdown_to_html(text))
+
 
     @pyqtSlot(str, result=str)
     def filter(self, html: str) -> str:
diff --git a/harmonyqml/components/chat/SendBox.qml b/harmonyqml/components/chat/SendBox.qml
index 65964338..206346ee 100644
--- a/harmonyqml/components/chat/SendBox.qml
+++ b/harmonyqml/components/chat/SendBox.qml
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ Rectangle {
                     if (textArea.text === "") { return }
 
                     Backend.clientManager.clients[chatPage.user_id]
-                           .sendMessage(chatPage.room.room_id, textArea.text)
+                           .sendMarkdown(chatPage.room.room_id, textArea.text)
                     textArea.clear()
                 }
                 Keys.onEnterPressed: Keys.onReturnPressed(event)  // numpad enter