diff --git a/include/bar/config.h b/include/bar/config.h
index fc938c38d..27e0ec29a 100644
--- a/include/bar/config.h
+++ b/include/bar/config.h
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ struct box_colors {
  */
 struct config {
 	char *status_command;
+	bool plaintext_markup;
 	uint32_t position;
 	char *font;
 	char *sep_symbol;
diff --git a/include/config.h b/include/config.h
index d7e96e741..c6f631349 100644
--- a/include/config.h
+++ b/include/config.h
@@ -116,6 +116,7 @@ struct bar_config {
 	enum desktop_shell_panel_position position;
 	list_t *bindings;
 	char *status_command;
+	bool plaintext_markup;
 	char *swaybar_command;
 	char *font;
 	int height; // -1 not defined
diff --git a/sway/commands.c b/sway/commands.c
index b7c1a344d..3c312ae81 100644
--- a/sway/commands.c
+++ b/sway/commands.c
@@ -103,6 +103,7 @@ static sway_cmd bar_cmd_id;
 static sway_cmd bar_cmd_position;
 static sway_cmd bar_cmd_separator_symbol;
 static sway_cmd bar_cmd_status_command;
+static sway_cmd bar_cmd_plaintext_markup;
 static sway_cmd bar_cmd_strip_workspace_numbers;
 static sway_cmd bar_cmd_swaybar_command;
 static sway_cmd bar_cmd_tray_output;
@@ -2757,6 +2758,29 @@ static struct cmd_results *bar_cmd_status_command(int argc, char **argv) {
 	return cmd_results_new(CMD_SUCCESS, NULL, NULL);
 }
 
+static struct cmd_results *bar_cmd_plaintext_markup(int argc, char **argv) {
+	struct cmd_results *error = NULL;
+	if ((error = checkarg(argc, "plaintext_markup", EXPECTED_EQUAL_TO, 1))) {
+		return error;
+	}
+
+	if (!config->current_bar) {
+		return cmd_results_new(CMD_FAILURE, "plaintext_markup", "No bar defined.");
+	}
+
+	if (strcasecmp("pango", argv[0]) == 0) {
+		config->current_bar->plaintext_markup = true;
+		sway_log(L_DEBUG, "Enabling pango markup for bar: %s", config->current_bar->id);
+	} else if (strcasecmp("none", argv[0]) == 0) {
+		config->current_bar->plaintext_markup = false;
+		sway_log(L_DEBUG, "Disabling pango markup for bar: %s", config->current_bar->id);
+	} else {
+		error = cmd_results_new(CMD_INVALID, "plaintext_markup", "Invalid value %s", argv[0]);
+		return error;
+	}
+	return cmd_results_new(CMD_SUCCESS, NULL, NULL);
+}
+
 static struct cmd_results *bar_cmd_strip_workspace_numbers(int argc, char **argv) {
 	struct cmd_results *error = NULL;
 	if ((error = checkarg(argc, "strip_workspace_numbers", EXPECTED_EQUAL_TO, 1))) {
@@ -2861,6 +2885,7 @@ static struct cmd_handler bar_handlers[] = {
 	{ "mode", bar_cmd_mode },
 	{ "modifier", bar_cmd_modifier },
 	{ "output", bar_cmd_output },
+	{ "plaintext_markup", bar_cmd_plaintext_markup },
 	{ "position", bar_cmd_position },
 	{ "separator_symbol", bar_cmd_separator_symbol },
 	{ "status_command", bar_cmd_status_command },
diff --git a/sway/config.c b/sway/config.c
index a917d348c..3c14032bf 100644
--- a/sway/config.c
+++ b/sway/config.c
@@ -1022,6 +1022,7 @@ struct bar_config *default_bar_config(void) {
 	bar->position = DESKTOP_SHELL_PANEL_POSITION_BOTTOM;
 	bar->bindings = create_list();
 	bar->status_command = strdup("while :; do date +'%Y-%m-%d %l:%M:%S %p' && sleep 1; done");
+	bar->plaintext_markup = true;
 	bar->swaybar_command = NULL;
 	bar->font = NULL;
 	bar->height = -1;
diff --git a/sway/sway-bar.5.txt b/sway/sway-bar.5.txt
index c23519a4b..558a9564f 100644
--- a/sway/sway-bar.5.txt
+++ b/sway/sway-bar.5.txt
@@ -21,6 +21,9 @@ Commands
 **status_command** <status command>::
 	Executes the bar _status command_ with _sh -c_.
 
+**plaintext_markup** <pango|none>::
+	Enables or disables pango markup for plaintext statuslines.
+
 **id** <bar_id>::
 	Sets the ID of the bar.
 
diff --git a/swaybar/config.c b/swaybar/config.c
index 6b9ff86be..7ef9a07e1 100644
--- a/swaybar/config.c
+++ b/swaybar/config.c
@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@ char *parse_font(const char *font) {
 struct config *init_config() {
 	struct config *config = calloc(1, sizeof(struct config));
 	config->status_command = NULL;
+	config->plaintext_markup = true;
 	config->position = DESKTOP_SHELL_PANEL_POSITION_BOTTOM;
 	config->font = strdup("monospace 10");
 	config->mode = NULL;
diff --git a/swaybar/render.c b/swaybar/render.c
index 5901b5572..833198fdb 100644
--- a/swaybar/render.c
+++ b/swaybar/render.c
@@ -280,7 +280,7 @@ void render(struct output *output, struct config *config, struct status_line *li
 	if (line->protocol == TEXT) {
 		get_text_size(window->cairo, window->font, &width, &height, true, "%s", line->text_line);
 		cairo_move_to(cairo, window->width - margin - width, margin);
-		pango_printf(window->cairo, window->font, true, "%s", line->text_line);
+		pango_printf(window->cairo, window->font, config->plaintext_markup, "%s", line->text_line);
 	} else if (line->protocol == I3BAR && line->block_line) {
 		double pos = window->width - 0.5;
 		bool edge = true;