diff --git a/apps/broker/src/telegram-ai.ts b/apps/broker/src/telegram-ai.ts
index 8ce7e10..a2e76fa 100644
--- a/apps/broker/src/telegram-ai.ts
+++ b/apps/broker/src/telegram-ai.ts
@@ -225,24 +225,24 @@ export function formatConfirmation(toolCall: AiToolCall): string {
 
   switch (name) {
     case "send_message":
-      return `📤 *Send message to ${escMd(String(input.to))}:*\n\n"${escMd(String(input.message))}"\n\nPriority: ${input.priority ?? "next"}`;
+      return `📤 <b>Send message to ${escHtml(String(input.to))}:</b>\n\n"${escHtml(String(input.message))}"\n\nPriority: ${input.priority ?? "next"}`;
 
     case "create_mesh":
-      return `🔧 *Create mesh:*\n\nName: ${escMd(String(input.name))}`;
+      return `🔧 <b>Create mesh:</b>\n\nName: ${escHtml(String(input.name))}`;
 
     case "share_mesh":
       return input.email
-        ? `📧 *Send invite to:*\n\n${escMd(String(input.email))}`
-        : `🔗 *Generate invite link*`;
+        ? `📧 <b>Send invite to:</b>\n\n${escHtml(String(input.email))}`
+        : `🔗 <b>Generate invite link</b>`;
 
     case "set_state":
-      return `📝 *Set state:*\n\n\`${escMd(String(input.key))}\` = \`${escMd(String(input.value))}\``;
+      return `📝 <b>Set state:</b>\n\n<code>${escHtml(String(input.key))}</code> = <code>${escHtml(String(input.value))}</code>`;
 
     case "remember":
-      return `💾 *Remember:*\n\n"${escMd(String(input.content))}"${input.tags ? `\nTags: ${(input.tags as string[]).join(", ")}` : ""}`;
+      return `💾 <b>Remember:</b>\n\n"${escHtml(String(input.content))}"${input.tags ? `\nTags: ${(input.tags as string[]).join(", ")}` : ""}`;
 
     default:
-      return `⚙️ *${name}:*\n\n${JSON.stringify(input, null, 2)}`;
+      return `⚙️ <b>${escHtml(name)}:</b>\n\n<pre>${escHtml(JSON.stringify(input, null, 2))}</pre>`;
   }
 }
 
@@ -256,33 +256,33 @@ export function formatResult(toolName: string, result: unknown): string {
 
     case "list_peers": {
       const peers = result as Array<{ displayName: string; status: string; summary?: string }>;
-      if (!peers || peers.length === 0) return "No peers online\\.";
-      return "👥 *Online peers:*\n\n" + peers.map(p => {
+      if (!peers || peers.length === 0) return "No peers online.";
+      return "👥 <b>Online peers:</b>\n\n" + peers.map(p => {
         const icon = p.status === "idle" ? "🟢" : p.status === "working" ? "🟡" : p.status === "dnd" ? "🔴" : "⚪";
-        return `${icon} *${escMd(p.displayName)}*${p.summary ? ` — ${escMd(p.summary)}` : ""}`;
+        return `${icon} <b>${escHtml(p.displayName)}</b>${p.summary ? ` — ${escHtml(p.summary)}` : ""}`;
       }).join("\n");
     }
 
     case "list_meshes": {
       const meshes = result as Array<{ slug: string; peers: number }>;
-      if (!meshes || meshes.length === 0) return "No meshes connected\\. Use /connect to add one\\.";
-      return "🔗 *Connected meshes:*\n\n" + meshes.map(m =>
-        `• *${escMd(m.slug)}* — ${m.peers} peer${m.peers !== 1 ? "s" : ""} online`
+      if (!meshes || meshes.length === 0) return "No meshes connected. Use /connect to add one.";
+      return "🔗 <b>Connected meshes:</b>\n\n" + meshes.map(m =>
+        `• <b>${escHtml(m.slug)}</b> — ${m.peers} peer${m.peers !== 1 ? "s" : ""} online`
       ).join("\n");
     }
 
     case "recall": {
       const memories = result as Array<{ content: string; tags: string[] }>;
       if (!memories || memories.length === 0) return "No memories found.";
-      return "🧠 *Memories:*\n\n" + memories.map(m =>
-        `• ${escMd(m.content)}${m.tags.length ? ` _[${m.tags.join(", ")}]_` : ""}`
+      return "🧠 <b>Memories:</b>\n\n" + memories.map(m =>
+        `• ${escHtml(m.content)}${m.tags.length ? ` <i>[${m.tags.join(", ")}]</i>` : ""}`
       ).join("\n");
     }
 
     case "get_state": {
       const state = result as { key: string; value: unknown } | null;
       if (!state) return "Key not found.";
-      return `📊 \`${escMd(state.key)}\` = \`${escMd(String(state.value))}\``;
+      return `📊 <code>${escHtml(state.key)}</code> = <code>${escHtml(String(state.value))}</code>`;
     }
 
     case "remember":
@@ -302,8 +302,8 @@ export function formatResult(toolName: string, result: unknown): string {
   }
 }
 
-function escMd(s: string): string {
-  return s.replace(/[_*[\]()~`>#+\-=|{}.!\\]/g, "\\$&");
+function escHtml(s: string): string {
+  return s.replace(/&/g, "&amp;").replace(/</g, "&lt;").replace(/>/g, "&gt;");
 }
 
 export { CONFIRM_ACTIONS };
diff --git a/apps/broker/src/telegram-bridge.ts b/apps/broker/src/telegram-bridge.ts
index ba73d70..6930423 100644
--- a/apps/broker/src/telegram-bridge.ts
+++ b/apps/broker/src/telegram-bridge.ts
@@ -686,6 +686,17 @@ function escapeMarkdown(s: string): string {
   return s.replace(/([_*\[\]()~`>#+\-=|{}.!\\])/g, "\\$1");
 }
 
+/** Strip markdown formatting from AI text responses for plain Telegram display. */
+function stripMarkdown(s: string): string {
+  return s
+    .replace(/\*\*(.*?)\*\*/g, "$1")    // **bold** → bold
+    .replace(/\*(.*?)\*/g, "$1")         // *italic* → italic
+    .replace(/__(.*?)__/g, "$1")         // __underline__ → underline
+    .replace(/~~(.*?)~~/g, "$1")         // ~~strike~~ → strike
+    .replace(/`(.*?)`/g, "$1")           // `code` → code
+    .replace(/\[([^\]]+)\]\([^)]+\)/g, "$1"); // [text](url) → text
+}
+
 // ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 // Bot command handlers
 // ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -1197,7 +1208,7 @@ function setupBotCommands(
           const result = await executeAiToolCall(pending.toolCall, pending.meshIds);
           await ctx.editMessageText(
             formatResult(pending.toolCall.name, result),
-            { parse_mode: "MarkdownV2" },
+            { parse_mode: "HTML" },
           );
         } catch (err) {
           await ctx.editMessageText(`❌ Failed: ${err instanceof Error ? err.message : String(err)}`);
@@ -1608,12 +1619,12 @@ function setupBotCommands(
       });
 
       if (result.type === "error") {
-        await ctx.reply(result.text ?? "Something went wrong.");
+        await ctx.reply(stripMarkdown(result.text ?? "Something went wrong."));
         return;
       }
 
       if (result.type === "text") {
-        await ctx.reply(result.text ?? "");
+        await ctx.reply(stripMarkdown(result.text ?? ""));
         return;
       }
 
@@ -1630,7 +1641,7 @@ function setupBotCommands(
 
           const confirmText = formatConfirmation(result.toolCall);
           await ctx.reply(confirmText, {
-            parse_mode: "MarkdownV2",
+            parse_mode: "HTML",
             reply_markup: {
               inline_keyboard: [
                 [
@@ -1645,7 +1656,7 @@ function setupBotCommands(
           // Read-only action — execute immediately
           const execResult = await executeAiToolCall(result.toolCall, meshIds);
           await ctx.reply(formatResult(result.toolCall.name, execResult), {
-            parse_mode: "MarkdownV2",
+            parse_mode: "HTML",
           });
         }
       }