diff --git a/src/net/java/sip/communicator/impl/gui/main/chat/ChatPanel.java b/src/net/java/sip/communicator/impl/gui/main/chat/ChatPanel.java
index 7a2dec231..c99297c90 100644
--- a/src/net/java/sip/communicator/impl/gui/main/chat/ChatPanel.java
+++ b/src/net/java/sip/communicator/impl/gui/main/chat/ChatPanel.java
@@ -1209,13 +1209,16 @@ public void sendSmsMessage()
      */
     protected void sendInstantMessage()
     {
-        String htmlText = getTextFromWriteArea("text/html");
+        String htmlText = getTextFromWriteArea(
+            OperationSetBasicInstantMessaging.HTML_MIME_TYPE);
         String plainText = getTextFromWriteArea(
             OperationSetBasicInstantMessaging.DEFAULT_MIME_TYPE);
 
         String messageText;
         String mimeType;
-        if (    (htmlText.indexOf("<b") > -1
+        if (chatSession.getCurrentChatTransport().isContentTypeSupported(
+                    OperationSetBasicInstantMessaging.HTML_MIME_TYPE)
+             && (htmlText.indexOf("<b") > -1
                 || htmlText.indexOf("<i") > -1
                 || htmlText.indexOf("<u") > -1
                 || htmlText.indexOf("<font") > -1))
diff --git a/src/net/java/sip/communicator/impl/gui/main/chat/ChatTransport.java b/src/net/java/sip/communicator/impl/gui/main/chat/ChatTransport.java
index c6148d755..3fe725826 100644
--- a/src/net/java/sip/communicator/impl/gui/main/chat/ChatTransport.java
+++ b/src/net/java/sip/communicator/impl/gui/main/chat/ChatTransport.java
@@ -101,6 +101,15 @@ public void sendInstantMessage( String message,
                                     String mimeType)
         throws Exception;
 
+    /**
+     * Determines whether this chat transport supports the supplied content type
+     *
+     * @param contentType the type we want to check
+     * @return <tt>true</tt> if the chat transport supports it and
+     * <tt>false</tt> otherwise.
+     */
+    public boolean isContentTypeSupported(String contentType);
+
     /**
      * Sends the given SMS message trough this chat transport.
      *
diff --git a/src/net/java/sip/communicator/impl/gui/main/chat/MetaContactChatTransport.java b/src/net/java/sip/communicator/impl/gui/main/chat/MetaContactChatTransport.java
index f24cbf9d2..6e6a907ed 100644
--- a/src/net/java/sip/communicator/impl/gui/main/chat/MetaContactChatTransport.java
+++ b/src/net/java/sip/communicator/impl/gui/main/chat/MetaContactChatTransport.java
@@ -241,6 +241,26 @@ public void sendInstantMessage( String message,
         imOpSet.sendInstantMessage(contact, msg);
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Determines whether this chat transport supports the supplied content type
+     *
+     * @param contentType the type we want to check
+     * @return <tt>true</tt> if the chat transport supports it and
+     * <tt>false</tt> otherwise.
+     */
+    public boolean isContentTypeSupported(String contentType)
+    {
+        OperationSetBasicInstantMessaging imOpSet
+            = contact
+                .getProtocolProvider()
+                    .getOperationSet(OperationSetBasicInstantMessaging.class);
+
+        if(imOpSet != null)
+            return imOpSet.isContentTypeSupported(contentType);
+        else
+            return false;
+    }
+
     /**
      * Sends the given sms message trough this chat transport.
      *
diff --git a/src/net/java/sip/communicator/impl/gui/main/chat/conference/AdHocConferenceChatTransport.java b/src/net/java/sip/communicator/impl/gui/main/chat/conference/AdHocConferenceChatTransport.java
index 799649795..38e86f9ae 100644
--- a/src/net/java/sip/communicator/impl/gui/main/chat/conference/AdHocConferenceChatTransport.java
+++ b/src/net/java/sip/communicator/impl/gui/main/chat/conference/AdHocConferenceChatTransport.java
@@ -152,6 +152,20 @@ public void sendInstantMessage(String messageText, String mimeType)
         adHocChatRoom.sendMessage(message);
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Determines whether this chat transport supports the supplied content type
+     *
+     * @param contentType the type we want to check
+     * @return <tt>true</tt> if the chat transport supports it and
+     * <tt>false</tt> otherwise.
+     */
+    public boolean isContentTypeSupported(String contentType)
+    {
+        // we only support plain text for chat rooms for now
+        return OperationSetBasicInstantMessaging.DEFAULT_MIME_TYPE
+                .equals(contentType);
+    }
+
     /**
      * Sending sms messages is not supported by this chat transport
      * implementation.
diff --git a/src/net/java/sip/communicator/impl/gui/main/chat/conference/ConferenceChatTransport.java b/src/net/java/sip/communicator/impl/gui/main/chat/conference/ConferenceChatTransport.java
index eceec6616..0ab96b724 100644
--- a/src/net/java/sip/communicator/impl/gui/main/chat/conference/ConferenceChatTransport.java
+++ b/src/net/java/sip/communicator/impl/gui/main/chat/conference/ConferenceChatTransport.java
@@ -151,6 +151,20 @@ public void sendInstantMessage(String messageText, String mimeType)
         chatRoom.sendMessage(message);
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Determines whether this chat transport supports the supplied content type
+     *
+     * @param contentType the type we want to check
+     * @return <tt>true</tt> if the chat transport supports it and
+     * <tt>false</tt> otherwise.
+     */
+    public boolean isContentTypeSupported(String contentType)
+    {
+        // we only support plain text for chat rooms for now
+        return OperationSetBasicInstantMessaging.DEFAULT_MIME_TYPE
+                .equals(contentType);
+    }
+
     /**
      * Sending sms messages is not supported by this chat transport
      * implementation.