diff --git a/files/helpers/alerts.py b/files/helpers/alerts.py
index e95a99f76..80b7890a8 100644
--- a/files/helpers/alerts.py
+++ b/files/helpers/alerts.py
@@ -16,7 +16,6 @@ def send_notification(vid, user, text):
 		uid = user.id
 
 	text = text.replace('r/', 'r\/').replace('u/', 'u\/')
-	text = text.replace("\n", "\n\n").replace("\n\n\n\n\n\n", "\n\n").replace("\n\n\n\n", "\n\n").replace("\n\n\n", "\n\n")
 	text_html = CustomRenderer().render(mistletoe.Document(text))
 
 	text_html = sanitize(text_html)
@@ -42,8 +41,6 @@ def send_notification(vid, user, text):
 
 def send_follow_notif(vid, user, text):
 
-	text = text.replace("\n", "\n\n").replace("\n\n\n\n\n\n", "\n\n").replace("\n\n\n\n", "\n\n").replace("\n\n\n", "\n\n")
-
 	text_html = CustomRenderer().render(mistletoe.Document(text))
 	text_html = sanitize(text_html)
 	
@@ -67,8 +64,6 @@ def send_follow_notif(vid, user, text):
 	
 def send_unfollow_notif(vid, user, text):
 
-	text = text.replace("\n", "\n\n").replace("\n\n\n\n\n\n", "\n\n").replace("\n\n\n\n", "\n\n").replace("\n\n\n", "\n\n")
-
 	text_html = CustomRenderer().render(mistletoe.Document(text))
 	text_html = sanitize(text_html)
 	
@@ -92,8 +87,6 @@ def send_unfollow_notif(vid, user, text):
 
 def send_block_notif(vid, user, text):
 
-	text = text.replace("\n", "\n\n").replace("\n\n\n\n\n\n", "\n\n").replace("\n\n\n\n", "\n\n").replace("\n\n\n", "\n\n")
-
 	text_html = CustomRenderer().render(mistletoe.Document(text))
 	text_html = sanitize(text_html)
 	
@@ -117,8 +110,6 @@ def send_block_notif(vid, user, text):
 	
 def send_unblock_notif(vid, user, text):
 
-	text = text.replace("\n", "\n\n").replace("\n\n\n\n\n\n", "\n\n").replace("\n\n\n\n", "\n\n").replace("\n\n\n", "\n\n")
-
 	text_html = CustomRenderer().render(mistletoe.Document(text))
 	text_html = sanitize(text_html)
 	
@@ -142,32 +133,9 @@ def send_unblock_notif(vid, user, text):
 
 
 
-def send_pm(vid, user, text):
-
-	text_html = Renderer().render(mistletoe.Document(text))
-
-	text_html = sanitize(text_html, True)
-
-	new_comment = Comment(author_id=vid,
-						  parent_submission=None,
-						  level=1,
-						  sentto=user.id
-						  )
-	g.db.add(new_comment)
-
-	g.db.flush()
-
-	new_aux = CommentAux(id=new_comment.id, body=text, body_html=text_html)
-	g.db.add(new_aux)
-
-	notif = Notification(comment_id=new_comment.id, user_id=user.id)
-	g.db.add(notif)
-
-
-
 def send_admin(vid, text):
 
-	text = text.replace("\n", "\n\n").replace("\n\n\n\n\n\n", "\n\n").replace("\n\n\n\n", "\n\n").replace("\n\n\n", "\n\n")
+	text = re.sub('([^\n])\n([^\n])', r'\1\n\n\2', text)
 
 	text_html = Renderer().render(mistletoe.Document(text))
 
diff --git a/files/routes/admin.py b/files/routes/admin.py
index c75894742..7230b8d0f 100644
--- a/files/routes/admin.py
+++ b/files/routes/admin.py
@@ -976,7 +976,6 @@ def ban_post(post_id, v):
 	post.removed_by = v.id
 
 	ban_reason=request.values.get("reason", "")
-	ban_reason = ban_reason.replace("\n", "\n\n").replace("\n\n\n\n\n\n", "\n\n").replace("\n\n\n\n", "\n\n").replace("\n\n\n", "\n\n")
 	ban_reason = CustomRenderer().render(mistletoe.Document(ban_reason))
 	ban_reason = sanitize(ban_reason)
 
diff --git a/files/routes/posts.py b/files/routes/posts.py
index 2a80cbfcb..6e6f3e67c 100644
--- a/files/routes/posts.py
+++ b/files/routes/posts.py
@@ -240,6 +240,7 @@ def edit_post(pid, v):
 	if body != p.body:
 		for i in re.finditer('^(https:\/\/.*\.(png|jpg|jpeg|gif|webp|PNG|JPG|JPEG|GIF|WEBP|9999))', body, re.MULTILINE):
 			if "wikipedia" not in i.group(1): body = body.replace(i.group(1), f'![]({i.group(1)})')
+		body = re.sub('([^\n])\n([^\n])', r'\1\n\n\2', body)
 		body_md = CustomRenderer().render(mistletoe.Document(body))
 		body_html = sanitize(body_md)
 
@@ -788,7 +789,7 @@ def submit_post(v):
 	# render text
 	for i in re.finditer('^(https:\/\/.*\.(png|jpg|jpeg|gif|webp|PNG|JPG|JPEG|GIF|WEBP|9999))', body, re.MULTILINE):
 		if "wikipedia" not in i.group(1): body = body.replace(i.group(1), f'![]({i.group(1)})')
-	body = body.replace("\n", "\n\n").replace("\n\n\n\n\n\n", "\n\n").replace("\n\n\n\n", "\n\n").replace("\n\n\n", "\n\n")
+	body = re.sub('([^\n])\n([^\n])', r'\1\n\n\2', body)
 	body_md = CustomRenderer().render(mistletoe.Document(body))
 	body_html = sanitize(body_md)
 
diff --git a/files/routes/settings.py b/files/routes/settings.py
index 8f7a60e1b..b0d9ed216 100644
--- a/files/routes/settings.py
+++ b/files/routes/settings.py
@@ -101,7 +101,7 @@ def settings_profile_post(v):
 
 		for i in re.finditer('^(https:\/\/.*\.(png|jpg|jpeg|gif|webp|PNG|JPG|JPEG|GIF|WEBP|9999))', bio, re.MULTILINE):
 			if "wikipedia" not in i.group(1): bio = bio.replace(i.group(1), f'![]({i.group(1)})')
-		bio = bio.replace("\n", "\n\n").replace("\n\n\n\n\n\n", "\n\n").replace("\n\n\n\n", "\n\n").replace("\n\n\n", "\n\n")
+		bio = re.sub('([^\n])\n([^\n])', r'\1\n\n\2', bio)
 
 		# check for uploaded image
 		if request.files.get('file') and request.headers.get("cf-ipcountry") != "T1":
diff --git a/files/routes/users.py b/files/routes/users.py
index c090cc959..379f83fd1 100644
--- a/files/routes/users.py
+++ b/files/routes/users.py
@@ -224,8 +224,6 @@ def message2(v, username):
 	if hasattr(user, 'is_blocked') and user.is_blocked: return {"error": "This user is blocking you."}, 403
 	message = request.values.get("message", "")[:1000].strip()
 
-	message = message.replace("\n", "\n\n").replace("\n\n\n\n\n\n", "\n\n").replace("\n\n\n\n", "\n\n").replace("\n\n\n", "\n\n")
-
 	# check existing
 	existing = g.db.query(Comment).join(CommentAux).options(lazyload('*')).filter(Comment.author_id == v.id,
 															Comment.sentto == user.id,
@@ -233,7 +231,27 @@ def message2(v, username):
 															).options(contains_eager(Comment.comment_aux)).first()
 	if existing: return redirect('/notifications?messages=true')
 
-	send_pm(v.id, user, message)
+	text = re.sub('([^\n])\n([^\n])', r'\1\n\n\2', message)
+
+	text_html = Renderer().render(mistletoe.Document(text))
+
+	text_html = sanitize(text_html, True)
+
+	new_comment = Comment(author_id=v.id,
+						  parent_submission=None,
+						  level=1,
+						  sentto=user.id
+						  )
+	g.db.add(new_comment)
+
+	g.db.flush()
+
+	new_aux = CommentAux(id=new_comment.id, body=text, body_html=text_html)
+	g.db.add(new_aux)
+
+	notif = Notification(comment_id=new_comment.id, user_id=user.id)
+	g.db.add(notif)
+
 	
 	try:
 		beams_client.publish_to_interests(
@@ -264,7 +282,7 @@ def messagereply(v):
 	id = int(request.values.get("parent_id"))
 	parent = get_comment(id, v=v)
 	user = parent.author
-	message = message.replace("\n", "\n\n").replace("\n\n\n\n\n\n", "\n\n").replace("\n\n\n\n", "\n\n").replace("\n\n\n", "\n\n")
+	message = re.sub('([^\n])\n([^\n])', r'\1\n\n\2', message)
 
 	# check existing
 	existing = g.db.query(Comment).join(CommentAux).options(lazyload('*')).filter(Comment.author_id == v.id,