diff --git a/code/modules/emotes/emote_mob.dm b/code/modules/emotes/emote_mob.dm
index 5778a4ce92..4d63def2c6 100644
--- a/code/modules/emotes/emote_mob.dm
+++ b/code/modules/emotes/emote_mob.dm
@@ -117,8 +117,6 @@
 	if(!message || !emoter)
 		return
 
-	message = html_decode(message)
-
 	name_anchor = findtext(message, anchor_char)
 	if(name_anchor > 0) // User supplied emote with visible_emote token (default ^)
 		pretext = copytext(message, 1, name_anchor)
@@ -139,11 +137,7 @@
 		if(end_char != " ")
 			pretext += " "
 
-	// Grab the last character of the emote message.
-	end_char = copytext(subtext, length(subtext), length(subtext) + 1)
-	if(!(end_char in list(".", "?", "!", "\"", "-", "~"))) // gotta include ~ for all you fucking weebs
-		// No punctuation supplied. Tack a period on the end.
-		subtext += "."
+	handle_autopunctuation(subtext)
 
 	// Add a space to the subtext, unless it begins with an apostrophe or comma.
 	if(subtext != ".")
@@ -153,12 +147,9 @@
 		if(start_char != "," && start_char != "'")
 			subtext = " " + subtext
 
-	pretext = capitalize(html_encode(pretext))
-	nametext = html_encode(nametext)
-	subtext = html_encode(subtext)
 	// Store the player's name in a nice bold, naturalement
 	nametext = "<B>[emoter]</B>"
-	return pretext + nametext + subtext
+	return capitalize(pretext) + nametext + subtext
 
 /mob/proc/custom_emote(var/m_type = VISIBLE_MESSAGE, var/message = null)
 
@@ -171,15 +162,16 @@
 	else
 		input = message
 
-	if(input)
-		message = format_emote(src, message)
-	else
+	if(!input)
 		return
 
+	message = trim(html_encode(message))
+	message = filter_modify_message(message)
+	message = format_emote(src, message)
+
 	if (message)
 		log_emote("[name]/[key] : [message]")
 	//do not show NPC animal emotes to ghosts, it turns into hellscape
-	message = filter_modify_message(message)
 	var/check_ghosts = client ? /datum/client_preference/ghost_sight : null
 	if(m_type == VISIBLE_MESSAGE)
 		visible_message(message, checkghosts = check_ghosts)
diff --git a/code/modules/mob/living/say.dm b/code/modules/mob/living/say.dm
index 26cd2a57e2..03e864618d 100644
--- a/code/modules/mob/living/say.dm
+++ b/code/modules/mob/living/say.dm
@@ -100,18 +100,6 @@
 	returns[2] = null
 	return returns
 
-/mob/living/proc/format_say_message(var/message = null)
-	if(!message)
-		return
-
-	message = html_decode(message)
-
-	var/end_char = copytext_char(message, -1)
-	if(!(end_char in list(".", "?", "!", "-", "~")))
-		message += "."
-
-	return html_encode(message)
-
 /mob/living/proc/handle_mob_specific_speech(message, message_mode, verb = "says", decl/language/speaking)
 	SHOULD_CALL_PARENT(TRUE)
 	return FALSE
@@ -142,7 +130,8 @@
 		else
 			message = copytext_char(message, 3)
 
-	message = trim_left(message)
+	// trim pre-language-parsing so we can get language and radio keys
+	message = trim(message)
 
 	//parse the language code and consume it
 	if(!speaking)
@@ -177,10 +166,10 @@
 		else
 			verb = say_quote(message, speaking)
 
-	message = trim_left(message)
+	message = trim(html_encode(message)) // trim again post-language-parsing
 	message = handle_autohiss(message, speaking)
-	message = format_say_message(message)
 	message = filter_modify_message(message)
+	message = handle_autopunctuation(message)
 
 	if(speaking && !speaking.can_be_spoken_properly_by(src))
 		message = speaking.muddle(message)
diff --git a/code/modules/mob/say.dm b/code/modules/mob/say.dm
index 4d06bb5bfd..a7363022c7 100644
--- a/code/modules/mob/say.dm
+++ b/code/modules/mob/say.dm
@@ -111,3 +111,12 @@ var/global/list/special_channel_keys = list(
 		var/obj/item/mask = get_equipped_item(slot_wear_mask_str)
 		if(istype(mask, /obj/item/clothing/mask/muzzle) || istype(mask, /obj/item/sealant))
 			. = mask
+
+/// Adds punctuation to an emote or speech message automatically.
+/mob/proc/handle_autopunctuation(message)
+	if(!message)
+		return
+	var/end_char = copytext_char(trim_right(strip_html_properly(message)), -1)
+	if(!(end_char in list(".", "?", "!", "-", "~")))
+		message += "."
+	return message
\ No newline at end of file