diff --git a/example-config.yaml b/example-config.yaml
index 438c4bef..f0863de6 100644
--- a/example-config.yaml
+++ b/example-config.yaml
@@ -180,6 +180,7 @@ bridge:
 
 
     # The formats to use when sending messages to Telegram via the relay bot.
+    # Text msgtypes (m.text, m.notice and m.emote) support HTML, media msgtypes don't.
     #
     # Telegram doesn't have built-in emotes, so the m.emote format is also used for non-relaybot users.
     #
@@ -187,15 +188,17 @@ bridge:
     #   $sender_displayname    - The display name of the sender (e.g. Example User)
     #   $sender_username       - The username (Matrix ID localpart) of the sender (e.g. exampleuser)
     #   $sender_mxid           - The Matrix ID of the sender (e.g. @exampleuser:example.com)
-    #   $message               - The message content as HTML
+    #   $body                  - The plaintext body (file name for media msgtypes)
+    #   $formatted_body        - The message content as HTML (for text msgtypes)
     message_formats:
-        m.text: "<b>$sender_displayname</b>: $message"
-        m.emote: "* <b>$sender_displayname</b> $message"
-        m.file: "<b>$sender_displayname</b> sent a file: $message"
-        m.image: "<b>$sender_displayname</b> sent an image: $message"
-        m.audio: "<b>$sender_displayname</b> sent an audio file: $message"
-        m.video: "<b>$sender_displayname</b> sent a video: $message"
-        m.location: "<b>$sender_displayname</b> sent a location: $message"
+        m.text: "<b>$sender_displayname</b>: $formatted_body"
+        m.notice: "<b>$sender_displayname</b>: $formatted_body"
+        m.emote: "* <b>$sender_displayname</b> $formatted_body"
+        m.file: "$sender_displayname sent a file: $body"
+        m.image: "$sender_displayname sent an image: $body"
+        m.audio: "$sender_displayname sent an audio file: $body"
+        m.video: "$sender_displayname sent a video: $body"
+        m.location: "$sender_displayname sent a location: $body"
 
     # The formats to use when sending state events to Telegram via the relay bot.
     #
diff --git a/mautrix_telegram/portal/matrix.py b/mautrix_telegram/portal/matrix.py
index cd575d68..136ed844 100644
--- a/mautrix_telegram/portal/matrix.py
+++ b/mautrix_telegram/portal/matrix.py
@@ -167,7 +167,7 @@ class PortalMatrix(BasePortal, MautrixBasePortal, ABC):
 
     async def _apply_msg_format(self, sender: 'u.User', content: MessageEventContent
                                 ) -> None:
-        if not content.formatted_body or content.format != Format.HTML:
+        if isinstance(content, TextMessageEventContent) and content.format != Format.HTML:
             content.format = Format.HTML
             content.formatted_body = escape_html(content.body).replace("\n", "<br/>")
 
@@ -177,8 +177,14 @@ class PortalMatrix(BasePortal, MautrixBasePortal, ABC):
         tpl_args = dict(sender_mxid=sender.mxid,
                         sender_username=sender.mxid_localpart,
                         sender_displayname=escape_html(displayname),
-                        message=content.formatted_body)
-        content.formatted_body = Template(tpl).safe_substitute(tpl_args)
+                        body=content.body)
+        if isinstance(content, TextMessageEventContent):
+            tpl_args["formatted_body"] = content.formatted_body
+            tpl_args["message"] = content.formatted_body
+            content.formatted_body = Template(tpl).safe_substitute(tpl_args)
+        else:
+            tpl_args["message"] = content.body
+            content.body = Template(tpl).safe_substitute(tpl_args)
 
     async def _pre_process_matrix_message(self, sender: 'u.User', use_relaybot: bool,
                                           content: MessageEventContent) -> None: