diff --git a/tgarchive/build.py b/tgarchive/build.py
index 2630065..7a713a3 100644
--- a/tgarchive/build.py
+++ b/tgarchive/build.py
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@
 
 from feedgen.feed import FeedGenerator
 from jinja2 import Template
+from jinja2.filters import urlize, escape
 
 from .db import User, Message
 
@@ -114,6 +115,7 @@ def make_filename(self, month, page) -> str:
         return fname
 
     def _render_page(self, messages, month, dayline, fname, page, total_pages):
+        urlizer = self._urlize if self.config.get("html_messages") else self._urlize_raw
         html = self.template.render(config=self.config,
                                     timeline=self.timeline,
                                     dayline=dayline,
@@ -123,7 +125,8 @@ def _render_page(self, messages, month, dayline, fname, page, total_pages):
                                     pagination={"current": page,
                                                 "total": total_pages},
                                     make_filename=self.make_filename,
-                                    nl2br=self._nl2br)
+                                    nl2br=self._nl2br,
+                                    urlize=urlizer)
 
         with open(os.path.join(self.config["publish_dir"], fname), "w", encoding="utf8") as f:
             f.write(html)
@@ -164,12 +167,14 @@ def _build_rss(self, messages, rss_file, atom_file):
         f.atom_file(os.path.join(self.config["publish_dir"], "index.atom"))
 
     def _make_abstract(self, m, media_mime):
+        urlizer = self._urlize if self.config.get("html_messages") else self._urlize_raw
         if self.rss_template:
             return self.rss_template.render(config=self.config,
                                             m=m,
                                             media_mime=media_mime,
                                             page_ids=self.page_ids,
-                                            nl2br=self._nl2br)
+                                            nl2br=self._nl2br,
+                                            urlize=urlizer)
         out = m.content
         if not out and m.media:
             out = m.media.title
@@ -178,7 +183,22 @@ def _make_abstract(self, m, media_mime):
     def _nl2br(self, s) -> str:
         # There has to be a \n before <br> so as to not break
         # Jinja's automatic hyperlinking of URLs.
-        return _NL2BR.sub("\n\n", s).replace("\n", "\n<br />")
+        return _NL2BR.sub("\n\n", str(s)).replace("\n", "\n<br />")
+
+    def _urlize_raw(self, s) -> str:
+        # Escape raw text, apply jinja urlize and finally _urlize
+        return self._urlize(urlize(escape(s)))
+
+    def _urlize(self, s) -> str:
+        # Replace Telegram message links with site links
+        result = re.sub(r"<a href=\"(https://t\.me/{}/)(\d+)\">".format(self.config["group"]),
+                        self._sub_msg_link, str(s))
+        return result
+
+    def _sub_msg_link(self, match):
+        if self.page_ids.get(int(match.group(2))) is None:
+            return match.group(0)
+        return match.group(0).replace(match.group(1), self.page_ids[int(match.group(2))] + "#")
 
     def _create_publish_dir(self):
         pubdir = self.config["publish_dir"]
diff --git a/tgarchive/example/config.yaml b/tgarchive/example/config.yaml
index 4f7a695..77310b7 100644
--- a/tgarchive/example/config.yaml
+++ b/tgarchive/example/config.yaml
@@ -19,6 +19,9 @@ media_dir: "media"
 # If left empty, files of all types are downloaded.
 media_mime_types: []
 
+# Preserve formatting in messages (inline links, bold, italic, underline, etc.).
+html_messages: True
+
 # Takeout mode allows you to fetch messages at a higher rate than the standard mode.
 # It is the method used in the desktop client to export data.
 # You can use a larger fetch_batch_size. Set this as False to use the standard mode.
diff --git a/tgarchive/example/rss_template.html b/tgarchive/example/rss_template.html
index 867dace..55bb202 100644
--- a/tgarchive/example/rss_template.html
+++ b/tgarchive/example/rss_template.html
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@
     </div>
     <div class="text">
       {% if m.type == "message" %}
-      {{ nl2br(m.content | escape) | safe | urlize }}
+      {{ nl2br(urlize(m.content)) }}
       {% else %}
       {% if m.type == "user_joined" %}
       Joined.
diff --git a/tgarchive/example/template.html b/tgarchive/example/template.html
index a77233c..7fe35c3 100644
--- a/tgarchive/example/template.html
+++ b/tgarchive/example/template.html
@@ -123,7 +123,7 @@ <h3 class="year"><a href="{{ months[0].slug }}.html">{{ year }}</a></h3>
 							</div>
 							<div class="text">
 								{% if m.type == "message" %}
-									{{ nl2br(m.content | escape) | safe | urlize }}
+									{{ nl2br(urlize(m.content)) }}
 								{% else %}
 									{% if m.type == "user_joined" %}
 										Joined.
diff --git a/tgarchive/sync.py b/tgarchive/sync.py
index e014485..a695e93 100644
--- a/tgarchive/sync.py
+++ b/tgarchive/sync.py
@@ -97,6 +97,7 @@ def sync(self, ids=None, from_id=None):
     def new_client(self, session, config):
         client = TelegramClient(session, config["api_id"], config["api_hash"])
         client.start()
+        client.parse_mode = 'html'
         if config.get("use_takeout", False):
             for retry in range(3):
                 try:
@@ -124,6 +125,7 @@ def finish_takeout(self):
         self.client.__exit__(None, None, None)
 
     def _get_messages(self, group, offset_id, ids=None) -> Message:
+        msg_text_type = "text" if self.config.get("html_messages") else "raw_text"
         messages = self._fetch_messages(group, offset_id, ids)
         # https://docs.telethon.dev/en/latest/quick-references/objects-reference.html#message
         for m in messages:
@@ -160,7 +162,7 @@ def _get_messages(self, group, offset_id, ids=None) -> Message:
                 id=m.id,
                 date=m.date,
                 edit_date=m.edit_date,
-                content=sticker if sticker else m.raw_text,
+                content=sticker if sticker else getattr(m, msg_text_type),
                 reply_to=m.reply_to_msg_id if m.reply_to and m.reply_to.reply_to_msg_id else None,
                 user=self._get_user(m.sender),
                 media=med