diff --git a/src/text/discordMarkdown.test.ts b/src/text/discordMarkdown.test.ts
index d02dd44..7d74257 100644
--- a/src/text/discordMarkdown.test.ts
+++ b/src/text/discordMarkdown.test.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 import { describe, expect, it } from 'vitest'
 import { parseDiscordMarkdown, stripDiscordMarkdown } from './discordMarkdown'
+import { segmentStyledText } from './segment'
 
 describe('stripDiscordMarkdown', () => {
   it('leaves plain text alone', () => {
@@ -202,4 +203,44 @@ describe('parseDiscordMarkdown', () => {
   it('reveals a spoiler as plain, unstyled text', () => {
     expect(parseDiscordMarkdown('||spoiler||')).toEqual([{ value: 'spoiler' }])
   })
+
+  it('keeps a custom emoji bracketed, not stripped to its bare shortcode:id', () => {
+    expect(parseDiscordMarkdown('<:blob_x:1245750752115167293>')).toEqual([
+      { value: '<:blob_x:1245750752115167293>' },
+    ])
+    expect(parseDiscordMarkdown('<a:spin:123456789012345678>')).toEqual([
+      { value: '<a:spin:123456789012345678>' },
+    ])
+  })
+
+  it('keeps a mention bracketed, not stripped to its bare id', () => {
+    expect(parseDiscordMarkdown('<@123456789012345678>')).toEqual([
+      { value: '<@123456789012345678>' },
+    ])
+    expect(parseDiscordMarkdown('<@!123456789012345678>')).toEqual([
+      { value: '<@!123456789012345678>' },
+    ])
+    expect(parseDiscordMarkdown('<@&123456789012345678>')).toEqual([
+      { value: '<@&123456789012345678>' },
+    ])
+    expect(parseDiscordMarkdown('<#123456789012345678>')).toEqual([
+      { value: '<#123456789012345678>' },
+    ])
+  })
+
+  it('keeps a custom emoji bracketed within stripDiscordMarkdown too', () => {
+    expect(stripDiscordMarkdown('<:blob_x:1245750752115167293> hi')).toBe(
+      '<:blob_x:1245750752115167293> hi',
+    )
+  })
+
+  it('resolves to an actual emoji segment once fed through segmentStyledText, matching the raw path', () => {
+    const raw = segmentStyledText([{ value: '<:blob_x:1245750752115167293> hi' }])
+    const viaDiscordMode = segmentStyledText(
+      parseDiscordMarkdown('<:blob_x:1245750752115167293> hi'),
+    )
+
+    expect(viaDiscordMode).toEqual(raw)
+    expect(viaDiscordMode[0]).toMatchObject({ kind: 'emoji', source: 'discord' })
+  })
 })
diff --git a/src/text/discordMarkdown.ts b/src/text/discordMarkdown.ts
index ee0b175..fa9310a 100644
--- a/src/text/discordMarkdown.ts
+++ b/src/text/discordMarkdown.ts
@@ -29,12 +29,25 @@ const WRAPPER_ELEMENTS = new Set<ParsedElement>([
   'list',
 ])
 
+/**
+ * Element kinds whose delimiters are the whole point — `.content` strips exactly the `<`/`>` that later stages (`segment.ts`'s `splitDiscord()`, for `emoji`) need to recognize the construct, so `.raw` has to survive instead. `code`/`codeBlock` are the opposite: their fence is not meant to display, so `.content` (the body without it) is correct for those.
+ */
+const RAW_ELEMENTS = new Set<ParsedElement>([
+  'emoji',
+  'mention',
+  'globalMention',
+  'roleMention',
+  'gameMention',
+  'channelMention',
+  'slashCommand',
+])
+
 function parseInto(text: string, style: TextStyle | undefined): StyledRun[] {
   const out: StyledRun[] = []
 
   for (const token of parse(text)) {
     if (!WRAPPER_ELEMENTS.has(token.element)) {
-      pushStyledRun(out, token.content, style)
+      pushStyledRun(out, RAW_ELEMENTS.has(token.element) ? token.raw : token.content, style)
       continue
     }
     const addedStyle = styleFor(token.element)