diff --git a/res/css/_components.scss b/res/css/_components.scss
index fb6058df00..213d0d714c 100644
--- a/res/css/_components.scss
+++ b/res/css/_components.scss
@@ -146,6 +146,7 @@
 @import "./views/rooms/_MemberInfo.scss";
 @import "./views/rooms/_MemberList.scss";
 @import "./views/rooms/_MessageComposer.scss";
+@import "./views/rooms/_MessageComposerFormatBar.scss";
 @import "./views/rooms/_PinnedEventTile.scss";
 @import "./views/rooms/_PinnedEventsPanel.scss";
 @import "./views/rooms/_PresenceLabel.scss";
diff --git a/res/css/views/rooms/_BasicMessageComposer.scss b/res/css/views/rooms/_BasicMessageComposer.scss
index e897352d7e..b32a44219a 100644
--- a/res/css/views/rooms/_BasicMessageComposer.scss
+++ b/res/css/views/rooms/_BasicMessageComposer.scss
@@ -73,69 +73,4 @@ limitations under the License.
         position: relative;
         height: 0;
     }
-
-    .mx_BasicMessageComposer_formatBar {
-        display: none;
-        width: calc(26px * 5);
-        height: 24px;
-        position: absolute;
-        cursor: pointer;
-        border-radius: 4px;
-        background-color: $message-action-bar-bg-color;
-        user-select: none;
-
-        &.mx_BasicMessageComposer_formatBar_shown {
-            display: block;
-        }
-
-        > * {
-            white-space: nowrap;
-            display: inline-block;
-            position: relative;
-            border: 1px solid $message-action-bar-border-color;
-            margin-left: -1px;
-
-            &:hover {
-                border-color: $message-action-bar-hover-border-color;
-            }
-        }
-
-        .mx_BasicMessageComposer_formatButton {
-            width: 27px;
-            height: 24px;
-            box-sizing: border-box;
-        }
-
-        .mx_BasicMessageComposer_formatButton::after {
-            content: '';
-            position: absolute;
-            top: 0;
-            left: 0;
-            height: 100%;
-            width: 100%;
-            mask-repeat: no-repeat;
-            mask-position: center;
-            background-color: $message-action-bar-fg-color;
-        }
-
-        .mx_BasicMessageComposer_formatBold::after {
-            mask-image: url('$(res)/img/format/bold.svg');
-        }
-
-        .mx_BasicMessageComposer_formatItalic::after {
-            mask-image: url('$(res)/img/format/italics.svg');
-        }
-
-        .mx_BasicMessageComposer_formatStrikethrough::after {
-            mask-image: url('$(res)/img/format/strikethrough.svg');
-        }
-
-        .mx_BasicMessageComposer_formatQuote::after {
-            mask-image: url('$(res)/img/format/quote.svg');
-        }
-
-        .mx_BasicMessageComposer_formatCode::after {
-            mask-image: url('$(res)/img/format/code.svg');
-        }
-    }
 }
diff --git a/res/css/views/rooms/_MessageComposerFormatBar.scss b/res/css/views/rooms/_MessageComposerFormatBar.scss
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..f56214224d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/res/css/views/rooms/_MessageComposerFormatBar.scss
@@ -0,0 +1,86 @@
+/*
+Copyright 2019 The Matrix.org Foundation C.I.C.
+
+Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+You may obtain a copy of the License at
+
+    http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+
+Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+limitations under the License.
+*/
+
+.mx_MessageComposerFormatBar {
+    display: none;
+    width: calc(26px * 5);
+    height: 24px;
+    position: absolute;
+    cursor: pointer;
+    border-radius: 4px;
+    background-color: $message-action-bar-bg-color;
+    user-select: none;
+
+    &.mx_MessageComposerFormatBar_shown {
+        display: block;
+    }
+
+    > * {
+        white-space: nowrap;
+        display: inline-block;
+        position: relative;
+        border: 1px solid $message-action-bar-border-color;
+        margin-left: -1px;
+
+        &:hover {
+            border-color: $message-action-bar-hover-border-color;
+        }
+    }
+
+    .mx_MessageComposerFormatBar_button {
+        width: 27px;
+        height: 24px;
+        box-sizing: border-box;
+    }
+
+    .mx_MessageComposerFormatBar_button::after {
+        content: '';
+        position: absolute;
+        top: 0;
+        left: 0;
+        height: 100%;
+        width: 100%;
+        mask-repeat: no-repeat;
+        mask-position: center;
+        background-color: $message-action-bar-fg-color;
+    }
+
+    .mx_MessageComposerFormatBar_buttonIconBold::after {
+        mask-image: url('$(res)/img/format/bold.svg');
+    }
+
+    .mx_MessageComposerFormatBar_buttonIconItalic::after {
+        mask-image: url('$(res)/img/format/italics.svg');
+    }
+
+    .mx_MessageComposerFormatBar_buttonIconStrikethrough::after {
+        mask-image: url('$(res)/img/format/strikethrough.svg');
+    }
+
+    .mx_MessageComposerFormatBar_buttonIconQuote::after {
+        mask-image: url('$(res)/img/format/quote.svg');
+    }
+
+    .mx_MessageComposerFormatBar_buttonIconCode::after {
+        mask-image: url('$(res)/img/format/code.svg');
+    }
+}
+
+.mx_MessageComposerFormatBar_buttonTooltip {
+    white-space: nowrap;
+    font-size: 12px;
+    font-weight: 600;
+}
diff --git a/src/components/views/rooms/BasicMessageComposer.js b/src/components/views/rooms/BasicMessageComposer.js
index e0468e9969..b37552da2a 100644
--- a/src/components/views/rooms/BasicMessageComposer.js
+++ b/src/components/views/rooms/BasicMessageComposer.js
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ import TypingStore from "../../../stores/TypingStore";
 import EMOJIBASE from 'emojibase-data/en/compact.json';
 import SettingsStore from "../../../settings/SettingsStore";
 import EMOTICON_REGEX from 'emojibase-regex/emoticon';
-import { _t } from '../../../languageHandler';
+import sdk from '../../../index';
 
 const REGEX_EMOTICON_WHITESPACE = new RegExp('(?:^|\\s)(' + EMOTICON_REGEX.source + ')\\s$');
 
@@ -251,31 +251,13 @@ export default class BasicMessageEditor extends React.Component {
         if (this._hasTextSelected && selection.isCollapsed) {
             this._hasTextSelected = false;
             if (this._formatBarRef) {
-                this._formatBarRef.classList.remove("mx_BasicMessageComposer_formatBar_shown");
+                this._formatBarRef.hide();
             }
         } else if (!selection.isCollapsed) {
             this._hasTextSelected = true;
             if (this._formatBarRef) {
-                this._formatBarRef.classList.add("mx_BasicMessageComposer_formatBar_shown");
                 const selectionRect = selection.getRangeAt(0).getBoundingClientRect();
-
-                let leftOffset = 0;
-                let node = this._formatBarRef;
-                while (node.offsetParent) {
-                    node = node.offsetParent;
-                    leftOffset += node.offsetLeft;
-                }
-
-                let topOffset = 0;
-                node = this._formatBarRef;
-                while (node.offsetParent) {
-                    node = node.offsetParent;
-                    topOffset += node.offsetTop;
-                }
-
-                this._formatBarRef.style.left = `${selectionRect.left - leftOffset}px`;
-                // 12 is half the height of the bar (e.g. to center it) and 16 is an offset that felt ok.
-                this._formatBarRef.style.top = `${selectionRect.top - topOffset - 16 - 12}px`;
+                this._formatBarRef.showAt(selectionRect);
             }
         }
     }
@@ -431,40 +413,28 @@ export default class BasicMessageEditor extends React.Component {
         return caretPosition;
     }
 
-    _wrapSelectionAsInline(prefix, suffix = prefix) {
+    _onFormatAction = (action) => {
         const range = getRangeForSelection(
             this._editorRef,
             this.props.model,
             document.getSelection());
-        formatInline(range, prefix, suffix);
-    }
-
-    _formatBold = () => {
-        this._wrapSelectionAsInline("**");
-    }
-
-    _formatItalic = () => {
-        this._wrapSelectionAsInline("*");
-    }
-
-    _formatStrikethrough = () => {
-        this._wrapSelectionAsInline("<del>", "</del>");
-    }
-
-    _formatQuote = () => {
-        const range = getRangeForSelection(
-            this._editorRef,
-            this.props.model,
-            document.getSelection());
-        formatRangeAsQuote(range);
-    }
-
-    _formatCode = () => {
-        const range = getRangeForSelection(
-            this._editorRef,
-            this.props.model,
-            document.getSelection());
-        formatRangeAsCode(range);
+        switch (action) {
+            case "bold":
+                formatInline(range, "**");
+                break;
+            case "italics":
+                formatInline(range, "*");
+                break;
+            case "strikethrough":
+                formatInline(range, "<del>", "</del>");
+                break;
+            case "code":
+                formatRangeAsCode(range);
+                break;
+            case "quote":
+                formatRangeAsQuote(range);
+                break;
+        }
     }
 
     render() {
@@ -486,15 +456,12 @@ export default class BasicMessageEditor extends React.Component {
         const classes = classNames("mx_BasicMessageComposer", {
             "mx_BasicMessageComposer_input_error": this.state.showVisualBell,
         });
+
+        const MessageComposerFormatBar = sdk.getComponent('rooms.MessageComposerFormatBar');
+
         return (<div className={classes}>
             { autoComplete }
-            <div className="mx_BasicMessageComposer_formatBar" ref={ref => this._formatBarRef = ref}>
-                <span aria-label={_t("Bold")} role="button" onClick={this._formatBold} className="mx_BasicMessageComposer_formatButton mx_BasicMessageComposer_formatBold"></span>
-                <span aria-label={_t("Italics")} role="button" onClick={this._formatItalic} className="mx_BasicMessageComposer_formatButton mx_BasicMessageComposer_formatItalic"></span>
-                <span aria-label={_t("Strikethrough")} role="button" onClick={this._formatStrikethrough} className="mx_BasicMessageComposer_formatButton mx_BasicMessageComposer_formatStrikethrough"></span>
-                <span aria-label={_t("Code block")} role="button" onClick={this._formatCode} className="mx_BasicMessageComposer_formatButton mx_BasicMessageComposer_formatCode"></span>
-                <span aria-label={_t("Quote")} role="button" onClick={this._formatQuote} className="mx_BasicMessageComposer_formatButton mx_BasicMessageComposer_formatQuote"></span>
-            </div>
+            <MessageComposerFormatBar ref={ref => this._formatBarRef = ref} onAction={this._onFormatAction} />
             <div
                 className="mx_BasicMessageComposer_input"
                 contentEditable="true"
diff --git a/src/components/views/rooms/MessageComposerFormatBar.js b/src/components/views/rooms/MessageComposerFormatBar.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..154c8b0d31
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/components/views/rooms/MessageComposerFormatBar.js
@@ -0,0 +1,88 @@
+/*
+Copyright 2019 The Matrix.org Foundation C.I.C.
+
+Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+You may obtain a copy of the License at
+
+    http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+
+Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+limitations under the License.
+*/
+
+import React from 'react';
+import PropTypes from 'prop-types';
+import { _t } from '../../../languageHandler';
+import sdk from '../../../index';
+
+
+export default class MessageComposerFormatBar extends React.PureComponent {
+    static propTypes = {
+        onAction: PropTypes.func.isRequired,
+    }
+
+    render() {
+        return (<div className="mx_MessageComposerFormatBar" ref={ref => this._formatBarRef = ref}>
+            <FormatButton label={_t("Bold")} onClick={() => this.props.onAction("bold")} icon="Bold" />
+            <FormatButton label={_t("Italics")} onClick={() => this.props.onAction("italics")} icon="Italic" />
+            <FormatButton label={_t("Strikethrough")} onClick={() => this.props.onAction("strikethrough")} icon="Strikethrough" />
+            <FormatButton label={_t("Code block")} onClick={() => this.props.onAction("code")} icon="Code" />
+            <FormatButton label={_t("Quote")} onClick={() => this.props.onAction("quote")} icon="Quote" />
+        </div>);
+    }
+
+    showAt(selectionRect) {
+        this._formatBarRef.classList.add("mx_MessageComposerFormatBar_shown");
+        let leftOffset = 0;
+        let node = this._formatBarRef;
+        while (node.offsetParent) {
+            node = node.offsetParent;
+            leftOffset += node.offsetLeft;
+        }
+
+        let topOffset = 0;
+        node = this._formatBarRef;
+        while (node.offsetParent) {
+            node = node.offsetParent;
+            topOffset += node.offsetTop;
+        }
+
+        this._formatBarRef.style.left = `${selectionRect.left - leftOffset}px`;
+        // 12 is half the height of the bar (e.g. to center it) and 16 is an offset that felt ok.
+        this._formatBarRef.style.top = `${selectionRect.top - topOffset - 16 - 12}px`;
+    }
+
+    hide() {
+        this._formatBarRef.classList.remove("mx_MessageComposerFormatBar_shown");
+    }
+}
+
+class FormatButton extends React.PureComponent {
+    static propTypes = {
+        label: PropTypes.string.isRequired,
+        onClick: PropTypes.func.isRequired,
+        icon: PropTypes.string.isRequired,
+    }
+
+    render() {
+        const InteractiveTooltip = sdk.getComponent('elements.InteractiveTooltip');
+        const className = `mx_MessageComposerFormatBar_button mx_MessageComposerFormatBar_buttonIcon${this.props.icon}`;
+        const tooltipContent = (
+            <div className="mx_MessageComposerFormatBar_buttonTooltip">{this.props.label}</div>
+        );
+
+        return (
+            <InteractiveTooltip content={tooltipContent}>
+                <span aria-label={this.props.label}
+                   role="button"
+                   onClick={this.props.onClick}
+                   className={className}>
+                </span>
+            </InteractiveTooltip>
+        );
+    }
+}
diff --git a/src/i18n/strings/en_EN.json b/src/i18n/strings/en_EN.json
index d42734d5a4..6529e7322c 100644
--- a/src/i18n/strings/en_EN.json
+++ b/src/i18n/strings/en_EN.json
@@ -760,11 +760,6 @@
     " (unsupported)": " (unsupported)",
     "Join as <voiceText>voice</voiceText> or <videoText>video</videoText>.": "Join as <voiceText>voice</voiceText> or <videoText>video</videoText>.",
     "Ongoing conference call%(supportedText)s.": "Ongoing conference call%(supportedText)s.",
-    "Bold": "Bold",
-    "Italics": "Italics",
-    "Strikethrough": "Strikethrough",
-    "Code block": "Code block",
-    "Quote": "Quote",
     "Some devices for this user are not trusted": "Some devices for this user are not trusted",
     "Some devices in this encrypted room are not trusted": "Some devices in this encrypted room are not trusted",
     "All devices for this user are trusted": "All devices for this user are trusted",
@@ -836,6 +831,11 @@
     "The conversation continues here.": "The conversation continues here.",
     "This room has been replaced and is no longer active.": "This room has been replaced and is no longer active.",
     "You do not have permission to post to this room": "You do not have permission to post to this room",
+    "Bold": "Bold",
+    "Italics": "Italics",
+    "Strikethrough": "Strikethrough",
+    "Code block": "Code block",
+    "Quote": "Quote",
     "Server error": "Server error",
     "Server unavailable, overloaded, or something else went wrong.": "Server unavailable, overloaded, or something else went wrong.",
     "Command error": "Command error",