diff --git a/src/components/rich_content/rich_content.jsx b/src/components/rich_content/rich_content.jsx
index ce562f1370..79acd1dec0 100644
--- a/src/components/rich_content/rich_content.jsx
+++ b/src/components/rich_content/rich_content.jsx
@@ -121,14 +121,13 @@ export default Vue.component('RichContent', {
         if (emptyText) {
           return encounteredText ? item : item.trim()
         }
-        let unescapedItem = unescape(item)
         if (!encounteredText) {
-          unescapedItem = unescapedItem.trimStart()
+          item = item.trimStart()
           encounteredText = true
         }
         if (item.includes(':')) {
-          unescapedItem = ['', processTextForEmoji(
-            unescapedItem,
+          item = ['', processTextForEmoji(
+            item,
             this.emoji,
             ({ shortcode, url }) => {
               return <StillImage
@@ -140,7 +139,7 @@ export default Vue.component('RichContent', {
             }
           )]
         }
-        return unescapedItem
+        return item
       }
 
       // Handle tag nodes
@@ -189,7 +188,7 @@ export default Vue.component('RichContent', {
         const emptyText = item.trim() === ''
         if (emptyText) return item
         if (!encounteredTextReverse) encounteredTextReverse = true
-        return item
+        return unescape(item)
       } else if (Array.isArray(item)) {
         // Handle tag nodes
         const [opener, children] = item
@@ -203,9 +202,7 @@ export default Vue.component('RichContent', {
               return renderHashtag(attrs, children, encounteredTextReverse)
             } else {
               attrs.target = '_blank'
-              html.includes('freenode') && console.log('PASS1', children)
               const newChildren = [...children].reverse().map(processItemReverse).reverse()
-              html.includes('freenode') && console.log('PASS1b', newChildren)
 
               return <a {...{ attrs }}>
                 { newChildren }
diff --git a/test/unit/specs/components/rich_content.spec.js b/test/unit/specs/components/rich_content.spec.js
index 96c480eade..fbf8973dc1 100644
--- a/test/unit/specs/components/rich_content.spec.js
+++ b/test/unit/specs/components/rich_content.spec.js
@@ -27,6 +27,29 @@ describe('RichContent', () => {
     expect(wrapper.html()).to.eql(compwrap(html))
   })
 
+  it('unescapes everything as needed', () => {
+    const html = [
+      p('Testing &#39;em all'),
+      'Testing &#39;em all'
+    ].join('')
+    const expected = [
+      p('Testing \'em all'),
+      'Testing \'em all'
+    ].join('')
+    const wrapper = shallowMount(RichContent, {
+      localVue,
+      propsData: {
+        hideMentions: true,
+        handleLinks: true,
+        greentext: true,
+        emoji: [],
+        html
+      }
+    })
+
+    expect(wrapper.html()).to.eql(compwrap(expected))
+  })
+
   it('removes mentions from the beginning of post', () => {
     const html = p(
       makeMention('John'),