diff --git a/freedata_gui/package.json b/freedata_gui/package.json
index 52d176fd..88b9626e 100644
--- a/freedata_gui/package.json
+++ b/freedata_gui/package.json
@@ -33,8 +33,10 @@
     "chartjs-plugin-annotation": "^3.0.1",
     "core-js": "^3.8.3",
     "d3": "^7.9.0",
+    "dompurify": "^3.1.6",
     "gridstack": "^10.3.0",
     "js-image-compressor": "^2.0.0",
+    "marked": "^14.1.2",
     "pinia": "^2.1.7",
     "qth-locator": "^2.1.0",
     "topojson-client": "^3.1.0",
diff --git a/freedata_gui/src/components/chat_messages_received.vue b/freedata_gui/src/components/chat_messages_received.vue
index 1eff2c27..71c05482 100644
--- a/freedata_gui/src/components/chat_messages_received.vue
+++ b/freedata_gui/src/components/chat_messages_received.vue
@@ -26,11 +26,14 @@
         </div>
 
         <div class="card-body">
-          <p class="card-text text-break">{{ message.body }}</p>
+          <!-- Render parsed markdown with v-html -->
+          <p class="card-text text-break" v-html="parsedMessageBody"></p>
         </div>
 
         <div class="card-footer p-0 border-top-0">
-          <p class="p-0 m-0 me-1 text-end text-dark"><span class="badge badge-secondary mr-2 text-dark"> {{ getDateTime }} UTC</span></p>
+          <p class="p-0 m-0 me-1 text-end text-dark">
+            <span class="badge badge-secondary mr-2 text-dark">{{ getDateTime }} UTC</span>
+          </p>
           <!-- Display formatted timestamp in card-footer -->
         </div>
       </div>
@@ -39,7 +42,6 @@
     <!-- Delete button outside of the card -->
     <div class="col-auto">
       <button
-
         class="btn btn-outline-secondary border-0 me-1"
         @click="showMessageInfo"
         data-bs-target="#messageInfoModal"
@@ -56,6 +58,8 @@
 </template>
 
 <script>
+import { marked } from 'marked';
+import DOMPurify from 'dompurify';
 import {
   deleteMessageFromDB,
   requestMessageInfo,
@@ -64,7 +68,6 @@ import {
 
 import chat_messages_image_preview from './chat_messages_image_preview.vue';
 
-
 // Pinia store setup
 import { setActivePinia } from "pinia";
 import pinia from "../store/index";
@@ -74,7 +77,7 @@ import { useChatStore } from '../store/chatStore.js';
 const chatStore = useChatStore(pinia);
 
 export default {
-components: {
+  components: {
     chat_messages_image_preview,
   },
 
@@ -145,6 +148,11 @@ components: {
       let seconds = date.getSeconds().toString().padStart(2, "0");
       return `${hours}:${minutes}:${seconds}`;
     },
+
+    parsedMessageBody() {
+      // Use marked to parse markdown and DOMPurify to sanitize
+      return DOMPurify.sanitize(marked.parse(this.message.body));
+    },
   },
 };
 </script>
diff --git a/freedata_gui/src/components/chat_messages_sent.vue b/freedata_gui/src/components/chat_messages_sent.vue
index db898337..48e2cc03 100644
--- a/freedata_gui/src/components/chat_messages_sent.vue
+++ b/freedata_gui/src/components/chat_messages_sent.vue
@@ -10,7 +10,6 @@
       </button>
 
       <button
-
         class="btn btn-outline-secondary border-0 me-1"
         @click="showMessageInfo"
         data-bs-target="#messageInfoModal"
@@ -48,7 +47,8 @@
         </div>
 
         <div class="card-body">
-          <p class="card-text text-break">{{ message.body }}</p>
+          <!-- Render parsed markdown -->
+          <p class="card-text text-break" v-html="parsedMessageBody"></p>
         </div>
 
         <div class="card-footer p-0 bg-secondary border-top-0">
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@
             >
               {{ message.status }}
             </span>
-            | <span class="badge badge-primary mr-2" > attempt: {{ message.attempt + 1 }} </span>|<span class="badge badge-primary mr-2"> {{ getDateTime }} UTC</span>
+            | <span class="badge badge-primary mr-2"> attempt: {{ message.attempt + 1 }} </span>|<span class="badge badge-primary mr-2"> {{ getDateTime }} UTC</span>
           </p>
         </div>
 
@@ -97,6 +97,8 @@
 </template>
 
 <script>
+import { marked } from "marked";
+import DOMPurify from "dompurify";
 import {
   repeatMessageTransmission,
   deleteMessageFromDB,
@@ -114,7 +116,7 @@ import { useChatStore } from '../store/chatStore.js';
 const chatStore = useChatStore(pinia);
 
 export default {
-components: {
+  components: {
     chat_messages_image_preview,
   },
 
@@ -133,7 +135,6 @@ components: {
 
     showMessageInfo() {
       chatStore.messageInfoById = requestMessageInfo(this.message.id);
-
     },
 
     async downloadAttachment(hash_sha512, fileName) {
@@ -190,6 +191,11 @@ components: {
       let seconds = date.getSeconds().toString().padStart(2, "0");
       return `${hours}:${minutes}:${seconds}`;
     },
+
+    parsedMessageBody() {
+      // Use marked to parse markdown and DOMPurify to sanitize
+      return DOMPurify.sanitize(marked.parse(this.message.body));
+    },
   },
 };
 </script>
diff --git a/freedata_gui/src/components/chat_new_message.vue b/freedata_gui/src/components/chat_new_message.vue
index e535d5cc..23ad819e 100644
--- a/freedata_gui/src/components/chat_new_message.vue
+++ b/freedata_gui/src/components/chat_new_message.vue
@@ -9,6 +9,8 @@ const chat = useChatStore(pinia);
 import { newMessage } from '../js/messagesHandler.js';
 import { ref } from 'vue';
 import { VuemojiPicker } from 'vuemoji-picker';
+import { marked } from 'marked';
+import DOMPurify from 'dompurify';
 
 // Emoji Handling
 const handleEmojiClick = (detail) => {
@@ -67,13 +69,16 @@ function transmitNewMessage() {
     data: file.content,
   }));
 
+  // Sanitize inputText before sending the message
+  const sanitizedInput = DOMPurify.sanitize(marked.parse(chat.inputText));
+
   if (chat.selectedCallsign.startsWith("BC-")) {
     return "new broadcast";
   } else {
     if (attachments.length > 0) {
-      newMessage(chat.selectedCallsign, chat.inputText, attachments);
+      newMessage(chat.selectedCallsign, sanitizedInput, attachments);
     } else {
-      newMessage(chat.selectedCallsign, chat.inputText);
+      newMessage(chat.selectedCallsign, sanitizedInput);
     }
   }
 
@@ -90,6 +95,21 @@ function resetFile() {
   selectedFiles.value = [];
 }
 
+// Apply Markdown Formatting
+function applyMarkdown(formatType) {
+  const textarea = chatModuleMessage.value;
+  const start = textarea.selectionStart;
+  const end = textarea.selectionEnd;
+  const selectedText = chat.inputText.substring(start, end);
+
+  if (formatType === 'bold') {
+    chat.inputText = chat.inputText.substring(0, start) + `**${selectedText}**` + chat.inputText.substring(end);
+  } else if (formatType === 'italic') {
+    chat.inputText = chat.inputText.substring(0, start) + `_${selectedText}_` + chat.inputText.substring(end);
+  } else if (formatType === 'underline') {
+    chat.inputText = chat.inputText.substring(0, start) + `<u>${selectedText}</u>` + chat.inputText.substring(end);
+  }
+}
 </script>
 
 <template>
@@ -141,6 +161,15 @@ function resetFile() {
           <i class="bi bi-paperclip" style="font-size: 1.2rem"></i>
         </button>
 
+        <div class="vr mx-2"></div>
+
+        <!-- Markdown Formatting Buttons -->
+        <button class="btn btn-outline-secondary border-0 rounded-pill" @click="applyMarkdown('bold')"><b>B</b></button>
+        <button class="btn btn-outline-secondary border-0 rounded-pill" @click="applyMarkdown('italic')"><i>I</i></button>
+        <button class="btn btn-outline-secondary border-0 rounded-pill" @click="applyMarkdown('underline')"><u>U</u></button>
+
+
+
         <textarea
           class="form-control border rounded-pill"
           rows="1"