diff --git a/src/app/components/RenderMessageContent.test.tsx b/src/app/components/RenderMessageContent.test.tsx
index 2eb3fbf319..c4c12c511f 100644
--- a/src/app/components/RenderMessageContent.test.tsx
+++ b/src/app/components/RenderMessageContent.test.tsx
@@ -222,4 +222,14 @@ describe('RenderMessageContent', () => {
 
     expect(screen.getByTestId('poll-event')).toBeInTheDocument();
   });
+
+  it('renders a per-message profile emote without a formatted body', () => {
+    renderMessageWithContent({
+      msgtype: MsgType.Emote,
+      body: 'Bob: waves',
+      'com.beeper.per_message_profile': { id: 'bob', displayname: 'Bob' },
+    });
+
+    expect(screen.getByText('waves')).toBeInTheDocument();
+  });
 });
diff --git a/src/app/components/RenderMessageContent.tsx b/src/app/components/RenderMessageContent.tsx
index d8da91dd7e..9e96cc540b 100644
--- a/src/app/components/RenderMessageContent.tsx
+++ b/src/app/components/RenderMessageContent.tsx
@@ -449,8 +449,12 @@ function RenderMessageContentInternal({
     const strippedContent = pmp
       ? {
           ...content,
-          formatted_body: stripPerMessageProfileFormattedBody(content['formatted_body'] as string),
-          body: stripPerMessageProfilePlainBody(content['body'] as string),
+          ...(typeof content['formatted_body'] === 'string'
+            ? { formatted_body: stripPerMessageProfileFormattedBody(content['formatted_body']) }
+            : {}),
+          ...(typeof content['body'] === 'string'
+            ? { body: stripPerMessageProfilePlainBody(content['body']) }
+            : {}),
         }
       : content;
 
diff --git a/src/app/persona/projection.ts b/src/app/persona/projection.ts
index b7b5ae0beb..98f3f5dce5 100644
--- a/src/app/persona/projection.ts
+++ b/src/app/persona/projection.ts
@@ -123,6 +123,8 @@ export function stripPerMessageProfilePlainBody(formatted_body: string, profile?
   return formatted_body.replace(/^.*?: /, '');
 }
 
-export function stripPerMessageProfileFormattedBody(formatted_body: string): string {
-  return formatted_body.replace(/^<strong\s+data-mx-profile-fallback[^>]*>.*?<\/strong>/, '');
+export function stripPerMessageProfileFormattedBody(
+  formatted_body: string | undefined
+): string | undefined {
+  return formatted_body?.replace(/^<strong\s+data-mx-profile-fallback[^>]*>.*?<\/strong>/, '');
 }