diff --git a/lib/channel/channel.js b/lib/channel/channel.js
index 843b4261..da9b6028 100644
--- a/lib/channel/channel.js
+++ b/lib/channel/channel.js
@@ -163,10 +163,7 @@ Channel.prototype.loadState = function () {
     var errorLoad = function (msg) {
         if (self.modules.customization) {
             self.modules.customization.load({
-                motd: {
-                    motd: msg,
-                    html: msg
-                }
+                motd: msg
             });
         }
 
diff --git a/lib/channel/customization.js b/lib/channel/customization.js
index 1ed7df8c..5bbfdd97 100644
--- a/lib/channel/customization.js
+++ b/lib/channel/customization.js
@@ -17,10 +17,7 @@ function CustomizationModule(channel) {
     ChannelModule.apply(this, arguments);
     this.css = "";
     this.js = "";
-    this.motd = {
-        motd: "",
-        html: ""
-    };
+    this.motd = "";
 }
 
 CustomizationModule.prototype = Object.create(ChannelModule.prototype);
@@ -35,12 +32,15 @@ CustomizationModule.prototype.load = function (data) {
     }
 
     if ("motd" in data) {
-        this.motd = {
-            motd: data.motd.motd || ""
-        };
-
-        this.motd.motd = XSS.sanitizeHTML(this.motd.motd);
-        this.motd.html = this.motd.motd.replace(/\n/g, "<br>");
+        if (typeof data.motd === "object" && data.motd.motd) {
+            // Old style MOTD, convert to new
+            this.motd = XSS.sanitizeHTML(data.motd.motd).replace(
+                /\n/g, "<br>\n");
+        } else if (typeof data.motd === "string") {
+            // The MOTD is filtered before it is saved, however it is also
+            // re-filtered on load in case the filtering rules change
+            this.motd = XSS.sanitizeHTML(data.motd);
+        }
     }
 };
 
@@ -51,12 +51,7 @@ CustomizationModule.prototype.save = function (data) {
 };
 
 CustomizationModule.prototype.setMotd = function (motd) {
-    motd = XSS.sanitizeHTML(motd);
-    var html = motd.replace(/\n/g, "<br>");
-    this.motd = {
-        motd: motd,
-        html: html
-    };
+    this.motd = XSS.sanitizeHTML(motd);
     this.sendMotd(this.channel.users);
 };
 
diff --git a/www/js/callbacks.js b/www/js/callbacks.js
index ef52d164..f3f7f4fa 100644
--- a/www/js/callbacks.js
+++ b/www/js/callbacks.js
@@ -175,11 +175,10 @@ Callbacks = {
         }
     },
 
-    setMotd: function(data) {
-        CHANNEL.motd = data.html;
-        CHANNEL.motd_text = data.motd;
-        $("#motd").html(CHANNEL.motd);
-        $("#cs-motdtext").val(CHANNEL.motd_text);
+    setMotd: function(motd) {
+        CHANNEL.motd = motd;
+        $("#motd").html(motd);
+        $("#cs-motdtext").val(motd);
         if (data.motd != "") {
             $("#motdwrap").show();
             $("#motd").show();
diff --git a/www/js/data.js b/www/js/data.js
index 6fef78d5..7f29ddd0 100644
--- a/www/js/data.js
+++ b/www/js/data.js
@@ -19,7 +19,6 @@ var CHANNEL = {
     css: "",
     js: "",
     motd: "",
-    motd_text: "",
     name: false,
     usercount: 0,
     emotes: []
diff --git a/www/js/util.js b/www/js/util.js
index 450cb9b1..2f0c9119 100644
--- a/www/js/util.js
+++ b/www/js/util.js
@@ -900,7 +900,7 @@ function handleModPermissions() {
     })();
     $("#cs-csstext").val(CHANNEL.css);
     $("#cs-jstext").val(CHANNEL.js);
-    $("#cs-motdtext").val(CHANNEL.motd_text);
+    $("#cs-motdtext").val(CHANNEL.motd);
     setParentVisible("a[href='#cs-motdeditor']", hasPermission("motdedit"));
     setParentVisible("a[href='#cs-permedit']", CLIENT.rank >= 3);
     setParentVisible("a[href='#cs-banlist']", hasPermission("ban"));