diff --git a/Gemfile b/Gemfile
index e919ba4da..9cbeeb992 100644
--- a/Gemfile
+++ b/Gemfile
@@ -92,7 +92,10 @@ gem 'rails-assets-punycode',                            '1.3.2'
 gem 'rails-assets-markdown-it',                         '3.0.3'
 gem 'rails-assets-markdown-it-hashtag',                 '0.2.3'
 gem 'rails-assets-markdown-it-diaspora-mention',        '0.1.2'
+gem 'rails-assets-markdown-it-sanitizer',               '0.2.0'
 gem 'rails-assets-markdown-it--markdown-it-for-inline', '0.1.0'
+gem 'rails-assets-markdown-it-sub',                     '0.1.0'
+gem 'rails-assets-markdown-it-sup',                     '0.1.0'
 
 # jQuery plugins
 
diff --git a/Gemfile.lock b/Gemfile.lock
index cd2e4b46d..8bdde68ae 100644
--- a/Gemfile.lock
+++ b/Gemfile.lock
@@ -442,6 +442,9 @@ GEM
     rails-assets-markdown-it (3.0.3)
     rails-assets-markdown-it-diaspora-mention (0.1.2)
     rails-assets-markdown-it-hashtag (0.2.3)
+    rails-assets-markdown-it-sanitizer (0.2.0)
+    rails-assets-markdown-it-sub (0.1.0)
+    rails-assets-markdown-it-sup (0.1.0)
     rails-assets-perfect-scrollbar (0.5.7)
       rails-assets-jquery (>= 1.10)
     rails-assets-punycode (1.3.2)
@@ -689,6 +692,9 @@ DEPENDENCIES
   rails-assets-markdown-it--markdown-it-for-inline (= 0.1.0)
   rails-assets-markdown-it-diaspora-mention (= 0.1.2)
   rails-assets-markdown-it-hashtag (= 0.2.3)
+  rails-assets-markdown-it-sanitizer (= 0.2.0)
+  rails-assets-markdown-it-sub (= 0.1.0)
+  rails-assets-markdown-it-sup (= 0.1.0)
   rails-assets-perfect-scrollbar (= 0.5.7)
   rails-assets-punycode (= 1.3.2)
   rails-i18n (= 4.0.3)
diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/app/helpers/text_formatter.js b/app/assets/javascripts/app/helpers/text_formatter.js
index a4642b0e7..7a3c626a0 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/app/helpers/text_formatter.js
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/app/helpers/text_formatter.js
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@
 
     var md = window.markdownit({
       breaks:      true,
-      html:        false,
+      html:        true,
       linkify:     true,
       typographer: true
     });
@@ -61,6 +61,13 @@
     var mentionPlugin = window.markdownitDiasporaMention;
     md.use(mentionPlugin, mentions);
 
+    var subPlugin = window.markdownitSub;
+    md.use(subPlugin);
+    var supPlugin = window.markdownitSup;
+    md.use(supPlugin);
+    var sanitizerPlugin = window.markdownitSanitizer;
+    md.use(sanitizerPlugin);
+
     // TODO this is a temporary fix
     // remove it as soon as markdown-it fixes its autolinking feature
     var linkifyPlugin = window.markdownitDiasporaLinkify;
diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/main.js b/app/assets/javascripts/main.js
index 2e0e17147..c1b6c8160 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/main.js
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/main.js
@@ -25,10 +25,13 @@
 //= require handlebars.runtime
 //= require posix-bracket-expressions
 //= require markdown-it
-//= require markdown-it-hashtag
 //= require markdown-it-diaspora-linkify
 //= require markdown-it-diaspora-mention
 //= require markdown-it-for-inline
+//= require markdown-it-hashtag
+//= require markdown-it-sanitizer
+//= require markdown-it-sub
+//= require markdown-it-sup
 //= require punycode
 //= require parse_url
 //= require clear-form
diff --git a/spec/javascripts/app/helpers/text_formatter_spec.js b/spec/javascripts/app/helpers/text_formatter_spec.js
index a646388fc..ccbd7d1c3 100644
--- a/spec/javascripts/app/helpers/text_formatter_spec.js
+++ b/spec/javascripts/app/helpers/text_formatter_spec.js
@@ -154,7 +154,7 @@ describe("app.helpers.textFormatter", function(){
 
       it("correctly encodes to punycode", function() {
         _.each(this.evilUrls, function(url, num) {
-          var text = this.formatter( "<" + url + ">" );
+          var text = this.formatter(url);
           expect(text).toContain(this.asciiUrls[num]);
         }, this);
       });