diff --git a/src/applications/metamta/storage/PhabricatorMetaMTAMail.php b/src/applications/metamta/storage/PhabricatorMetaMTAMail.php
--- a/src/applications/metamta/storage/PhabricatorMetaMTAMail.php
+++ b/src/applications/metamta/storage/PhabricatorMetaMTAMail.php
@@ -634,7 +634,7 @@
       }
       $mailer->setBody($body);
 
-      $html_emails = false;
+      $html_emails = true;
       if ($use_prefs && $prefs) {
         $html_emails = $prefs->getPreference(
           PhabricatorUserPreferences::PREFERENCE_HTML_EMAILS,
diff --git a/src/applications/settings/panel/PhabricatorEmailFormatSettingsPanel.php b/src/applications/settings/panel/PhabricatorEmailFormatSettingsPanel.php
--- a/src/applications/settings/panel/PhabricatorEmailFormatSettingsPanel.php
+++ b/src/applications/settings/panel/PhabricatorEmailFormatSettingsPanel.php
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@
       ? pht('Vary')
       : pht('Do Not Vary');
 
-    $html_emails_default = pht('Plain Text');
+    $html_emails_default = pht('HTML');
 
     $re_prefix_value = $preferences->getPreference($pref_re_prefix);
     if ($re_prefix_value === null) {