diff --git a/script/import_scripts/mbox/importer.rb b/script/import_scripts/mbox/importer.rb
index 1c55804a984..f091827a9d5 100644
--- a/script/import_scripts/mbox/importer.rb
+++ b/script/import_scripts/mbox/importer.rb
@@ -97,15 +97,13 @@ module ImportScripts::Mbox
 
     def map_post(row)
       user_id = user_id_from_imported_user_id(row['from_email']) || Discourse::SYSTEM_USER_ID
-      body = CGI.escapeHTML(row['body'] || '')
-      body << map_attachments(row['raw_message'], user_id) if row['attachment_count'].positive?
-      body << Email::Receiver.elided_html(row['elided']) if row['elided'].present?
+      attachment_html = map_attachments(row['raw_message'], user_id) if row['attachment_count'].positive?
 
       {
         id: row['msg_id'],
         user_id: user_id,
         created_at: to_time(row['email_date']),
-        raw: body,
+        raw: format_raw(row['body'], attachment_html, row['elided'], row['format']),
         raw_email: row['raw_message'],
         via_email: true,
         cook_method: Post.cook_methods[:email],
@@ -115,6 +113,28 @@ module ImportScripts::Mbox
       }
     end
 
+    def format_raw(email_body, attachment_html, elided, format)
+      email_body ||= ''
+
+      case format
+      when Email::Receiver::formats[:markdown]
+        body = email_body
+        body << attachment_html if attachment_html.present?
+        body << elided if elided.present?
+      when Email::Receiver::formats[:plaintext]
+        body =  %|[plaintext]\n#{escape_tags(email_body)}\n[/plaintext]|
+        body << %|\n[attachments]\n#{escape_tags(attachment_html)}\n[/attachments]| if attachment_html.present?
+        body << %|\n[elided]\n#{escape_tags(elided)}\n[/elided]| if elided.present?
+      end
+
+      body
+    end
+
+    def escape_tags(text)
+      text.gsub!(/^(\[\/?(?:plaintext|attachments|elided)\])$/, ' \1')
+      text
+    end
+
     def map_first_post(row)
       mapped = map_post(row)
       mapped[:category] = category_id_from_imported_category_id(row['category'])
diff --git a/script/import_scripts/mbox/support/database.rb b/script/import_scripts/mbox/support/database.rb
index a3cb723046c..2a20960c25b 100644
--- a/script/import_scripts/mbox/support/database.rb
+++ b/script/import_scripts/mbox/support/database.rb
@@ -34,10 +34,10 @@ module ImportScripts::Mbox
     def insert_email(email)
       @db.execute(<<-SQL, email)
         INSERT OR REPLACE INTO email (msg_id, from_email, from_name, subject,
-          email_date, raw_message, body, elided, attachment_count, charset,
+          email_date, raw_message, body, elided, format, attachment_count, charset,
           category, filename, first_line_number, last_line_number)
         VALUES (:msg_id, :from_email, :from_name, :subject,
-          :email_date, :raw_message, :body, :elided, :attachment_count, :charset,
+          :email_date, :raw_message, :body, :elided, :format, :attachment_count, :charset,
           :category, :filename, :first_line_number, :last_line_number)
       SQL
     end
@@ -148,7 +148,7 @@ module ImportScripts::Mbox
     def fetch_messages(last_row_id)
       rows = @db.execute(<<-SQL, last_row_id)
         SELECT o.ROWID, e.msg_id, from_email, subject, email_date, in_reply_to,
-          raw_message, body, elided, attachment_count, category
+          raw_message, body, elided, format, attachment_count, category
         FROM email e
           JOIN email_order o USING (msg_id)
         WHERE email_date IS NOT NULL AND
@@ -204,6 +204,7 @@ module ImportScripts::Mbox
           raw_message TEXT,
           body TEXT,
           elided TEXT,
+          format INTEGER,
           attachment_count INTEGER NOT NULL DEFAULT 0,
           charset TEXT,
           category TEXT NOT NULL,
diff --git a/script/import_scripts/mbox/support/indexer.rb b/script/import_scripts/mbox/support/indexer.rb
index 4884365a062..0ae963e7fbd 100644
--- a/script/import_scripts/mbox/support/indexer.rb
+++ b/script/import_scripts/mbox/support/indexer.rb
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ module ImportScripts::Mbox
         msg_id = receiver.message_id
         parsed_email = receiver.mail
         from_email, from_display_name = receiver.parse_from_field(parsed_email)
-        body, elided = receiver.select_body
+        body, elided, format = receiver.select_body
         reply_message_ids = extract_reply_message_ids(parsed_email)
 
         email = {
@@ -70,6 +70,7 @@ module ImportScripts::Mbox
           raw_message: receiver.raw_email,
           body: body,
           elided: elided,
+          format: format,
           attachment_count: receiver.attachments.count,
           charset: parsed_email.charset&.downcase,
           category: category_name,