diff --git a/src/libs/ReportUtils.ts b/src/libs/ReportUtils.ts
index baa2a96d469a..4ebc21c1e91a 100644
--- a/src/libs/ReportUtils.ts
+++ b/src/libs/ReportUtils.ts
@@ -11798,15 +11798,19 @@ function prepareOnboardingOnyxData({
     let bespokeAction: OptimisticReportAction | undefined;
 
     if (shouldUseFollowupsInsteadOfTasks) {
-        bespokeWelcomeMessage = getBespokeWelcomeMessage(companySize, userReportedIntegration);
+        const bespokeMarkdown = getBespokeWelcomeMessage(companySize, userReportedIntegration);
         optimisticConciergeReportActionID = rand64();
         bespokeAction = buildOptimisticAddCommentReportAction({
-            text: bespokeWelcomeMessage,
+            text: bespokeMarkdown,
             actorAccountID: CONST.ACCOUNT_ID.CONCIERGE,
             createdOffset: 2,
             reportID: targetChatReportID,
             reportActionID: optimisticConciergeReportActionID,
         });
+        // Reuse the HTML that buildOptimisticAddCommentReportAction already parsed via getParsedComment,
+        // so we avoid calling getParsedComment a second time with the same input.
+        // The backend passes this to the LLM as HTML for AddComment, which expects HTML.
+        bespokeWelcomeMessage = bespokeAction.commentText;
     }
 
     let createWorkspaceTaskReportID;
diff --git a/tests/unit/ReportUtilsTest.ts b/tests/unit/ReportUtilsTest.ts
index 8677a34da792..20f39d96e624 100644
--- a/tests/unit/ReportUtilsTest.ts
+++ b/tests/unit/ReportUtilsTest.ts
@@ -632,7 +632,10 @@ describe('ReportUtils', () => {
             // suggestedFollowups beta adds a bespoke Concierge welcome action optimistically for all company sizes
             const reportActionsEntries = result?.optimisticData.filter((i) => i.key === `${ONYXKEYS.COLLECTION.REPORT_ACTIONS}${adminsChatReportID}`);
             expect(reportActionsEntries).toHaveLength(1);
-            expect(result?.bespokeWelcomeMessage).toContain('For a small team like yours');
+            expect(result?.bespokeWelcomeMessage).toBeDefined();
+            // The bespoke message sent to the backend should be HTML (not raw markdown)
+            // so the server can pass it through to AddComment without formatting loss.
+            expect(result?.bespokeWelcomeMessage).toMatch(/<[^>]+>/);
             expect(result?.optimisticConciergeReportActionID).toBeDefined();
         });