diff --git a/Packages/Models/Sources/Models/Alias/HTMLString.swift b/Packages/Models/Sources/Models/Alias/HTMLString.swift
index eba0f350..afb6ed44 100644
--- a/Packages/Models/Sources/Models/Alias/HTMLString.swift
+++ b/Packages/Models/Sources/Models/Alias/HTMLString.swift
@@ -13,8 +13,8 @@ public struct HTMLString: Codable, Equatable, Hashable {
   public var statusesURLs = [URL]()
   
   public var asSafeMarkdownAttributedString: AttributedString = .init()
-  private var regex: NSRegularExpression?
-  
+  private var main_regex: NSRegularExpression?
+  private var underscore_regex: NSRegularExpression?
   public init(from decoder: Decoder) {
     var alreadyDecoded: Bool = false
     do {
@@ -38,7 +38,9 @@ public struct HTMLString: Codable, Equatable, Hashable {
       // Pre-escape \ ` _ * and [ as these are the only
       // characters the markdown parser used picks up
       // when it renders to attributed text
-      regex = try? NSRegularExpression(pattern: "([\\_\\*\\`\\[\\\\])", options: .caseInsensitive)
+      main_regex = try? NSRegularExpression(pattern: "([\\*\\`\\[\\\\])", options: .caseInsensitive)
+      // don't escape underscores that are between colons, they are most likely custom emoji
+      underscore_regex = try? NSRegularExpression(pattern: "(?!\\B:[^:]*)(_)(?![^:]*:\\B)", options: .caseInsensitive)
 
       asMarkdown = ""
       do {
@@ -150,9 +152,10 @@ public struct HTMLString: Codable, Equatable, Hashable {
       } else if node.nodeName() == "#text" {
         var txt = node.description
 
-        if let regex {
+        if let underscore_regex, let main_regex {
           //  This is the markdown escaper
-          txt = regex.stringByReplacingMatches(in: txt, options: [], range: NSRange(location: 0, length: txt.count), withTemplate: "\\\\$1")
+          txt = main_regex.stringByReplacingMatches(in: txt, options: [], range: NSRange(location: 0, length: txt.count), withTemplate: "\\\\$1")
+          txt = underscore_regex.stringByReplacingMatches(in: txt, options: [], range: NSRange(location: 0, length: txt.count), withTemplate: "\\\\$1")
         }
 
         asMarkdown += txt