diff --git a/telegram/message.py b/telegram/message.py
index 2122134bf..b2f7d8531 100644
--- a/telegram/message.py
+++ b/telegram/message.py
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ from time import mktime
 
 from telegram import (Audio, Contact, Document, Chat, Location, PhotoSize, Sticker, TelegramObject,
                       User, Video, Voice, Venue, MessageEntity, Game)
+from telegram.utils.helpers import escape_html, escape_markdown
 
 
 class Message(TelegramObject):
@@ -635,6 +636,7 @@ class Message(TelegramObject):
         last_offset = 0
 
         for entity, text in sorted(entities.items(), key=(lambda item: item[0].offset)):
+            text = escape_html(text)
 
             if entity.type == MessageEntity.TEXT_LINK:
                 insert = '<a href="{}">{}</a>'.format(entity.url, text)
@@ -649,7 +651,7 @@ class Message(TelegramObject):
             else:
                 insert = text
 
-            markdown_text += message_text[last_offset:entity.offset] + insert
+            markdown_text += escape_html(message_text[last_offset:entity.offset]) + insert
             last_offset = entity.offset + entity.length
 
         markdown_text += message_text[last_offset:]
@@ -673,6 +675,7 @@ class Message(TelegramObject):
         last_offset = 0
 
         for entity, text in sorted(entities.items(), key=(lambda item: item[0].offset)):
+            text = escape_markdown(text)
 
             if entity.type == MessageEntity.TEXT_LINK:
                 insert = '[{}]({})'.format(text, entity.url)
@@ -687,7 +690,7 @@ class Message(TelegramObject):
             else:
                 insert = text
 
-            markdown_text += message_text[last_offset:entity.offset] + insert
+            markdown_text += escape_markdown(message_text[last_offset:entity.offset]) + insert
             last_offset = entity.offset + entity.length
 
         markdown_text += message_text[last_offset:]
diff --git a/telegram/utils/helpers.py b/telegram/utils/helpers.py
index e97e9b704..9d6ed3a4d 100644
--- a/telegram/utils/helpers.py
+++ b/telegram/utils/helpers.py
@@ -20,6 +20,11 @@
 
 import re
 
+try:
+    from html import escape as escape_html  # noqa: F401
+except ImportError:
+    from cgi import escape as escape_html  # noqa: F401
+
 
 def escape_markdown(text):
     """Helper function to escape telegram markup symbols"""
diff --git a/tests/test_message.py b/tests/test_message.py
index 7e5a3ecc0..453498037 100644
--- a/tests/test_message.py
+++ b/tests/test_message.py
@@ -37,33 +37,33 @@ class MessageTest(BaseTest, unittest.TestCase):
         self.test_entities = [
             {
                 'length': 4,
-                'offset': 9,
+                'offset': 10,
                 'type': 'bold'
             },
             {
-                'length': 6,
-                'offset': 15,
+                'length': 7,
+                'offset': 16,
                 'type': 'italic'
             },
             {
                 'length': 4,
-                'offset': 23,
+                'offset': 25,
                 'type': 'code'
             },
             {
                 'length': 5,
-                'offset': 29,
+                'offset': 31,
                 'type': 'text_link',
                 'url': 'http://github.com/'
             },
             {
                 'length': 3,
-                'offset': 39,
+                'offset': 41,
                 'type': 'pre'
             },
         ]
 
-        self.test_text = 'Test for bold, italic, code, links and pre.'
+        self.test_text = 'Test for <bold, ita_lic, code, links and pre.'
         self.test_message = telegram.Message(
             message_id=1,
             from_user=None,
@@ -99,12 +99,12 @@ class MessageTest(BaseTest, unittest.TestCase):
                               entity_2: 'h'})
 
     def test_text_html(self):
-        test_html_string = 'Test for <b>bold</b>, <i>italic</i>, <code>code</code>, ' '<a href="http://github.com/">links</a> and <pre>pre</pre>.'
+        test_html_string = 'Test for &lt;<b>bold</b>, <i>ita_lic</i>, <code>code</code>, <a href="http://github.com/">links</a> and <pre>pre</pre>.'
         text_html = self.test_message.text_html
         self.assertEquals(test_html_string, text_html)
 
     def test_text_markdown(self):
-        test_md_string = 'Test for *bold*, _italic_, `code`, [links](http://github.com/) and ```pre```.'
+        test_md_string = 'Test for <*bold*, _ita\_lic_, `code`, [links](http://github.com/) and ```pre```.'
         text_markdown = self.test_message.text_markdown
         self.assertEquals(test_md_string, text_markdown)