diff --git a/cmd/server/assets/email/_plainheader.html b/cmd/server/assets/email/_plainheader.txt
similarity index 100%
rename from cmd/server/assets/email/_plainheader.html
rename to cmd/server/assets/email/_plainheader.txt
diff --git a/cmd/server/assets/email/default_email_verify.html b/cmd/server/assets/email/default_email_verify.txt
similarity index 92%
rename from cmd/server/assets/email/default_email_verify.html
rename to cmd/server/assets/email/default_email_verify.txt
index 9aa135a76..acd5410c5 100644
--- a/cmd/server/assets/email/default_email_verify.html
+++ b/cmd/server/assets/email/default_email_verify.txt
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 
 Click the link below to verify your email address for {{.RealmName}} on the COVID-19 exposure notifications verification server:
 
-{{safeHTML .VerifyLink}}
+{{.VerifyLink}}
 
 If you did not request verification of this email, please disregard this message.
 {{end}}
diff --git a/cmd/server/assets/email/default_invite.html b/cmd/server/assets/email/default_invite.txt
similarity index 100%
rename from cmd/server/assets/email/default_invite.html
rename to cmd/server/assets/email/default_invite.txt
diff --git a/cmd/server/assets/email/default_reset_password.html b/cmd/server/assets/email/default_reset_password.txt
similarity index 100%
rename from cmd/server/assets/email/default_reset_password.html
rename to cmd/server/assets/email/default_reset_password.txt
diff --git a/pkg/render/email.go b/pkg/render/email.go
index 84567f553..5bbf1b4b9 100644
--- a/pkg/render/email.go
+++ b/pkg/render/email.go
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ func (r *Renderer) RenderEmail(tmpl string, data interface{}) ([]byte, error) {
 	defer r.rendererPool.Put(b)
 
 	// Render into the renderer
-	if err := r.templates.ExecuteTemplate(b, tmpl, data); err != nil {
+	if err := r.textTemplates.ExecuteTemplate(b, tmpl, data); err != nil {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("error executing email template %v", err)
 	}
 	return b.Bytes(), nil
diff --git a/pkg/render/render.go b/pkg/render/render.go
index c0c98c94f..308afcb35 100644
--- a/pkg/render/render.go
+++ b/pkg/render/render.go
@@ -19,11 +19,12 @@ import (
 	"bytes"
 	"context"
 	"fmt"
-	"html/template"
+	htmltemplate "html/template"
 	"os"
 	"path/filepath"
 	"strings"
 	"sync"
+	texttemplate "text/template"
 
 	"github.com/google/exposure-notifications-server/pkg/logging"
 
@@ -31,7 +32,7 @@ import (
 )
 
 // allowedResponseCodes are the list of allowed response codes. This is
-// primarily here to catch if someone, in the future, accidentially includes a
+// primarily here to catch if someone, in the future, accidentally includes a
 // bad status code.
 var allowedResponseCodes = map[int]struct{}{
 	200: {},
@@ -62,7 +63,8 @@ type Renderer struct {
 	// templates is the actually collection of templates. templatesLoader is a
 	// function for (re)loading templates. templatesLock is a mutex to prevent
 	// concurrent modification of the templates field.
-	templates     *template.Template
+	templates     *htmltemplate.Template
+	textTemplates *texttemplate.Template
 	templatesRoot string
 }
 
@@ -95,18 +97,20 @@ func (r *Renderer) loadTemplates() error {
 		return nil
 	}
 
-	tmpl := template.New("").
+	tmpl := htmltemplate.New("").
 		Option("missingkey=zero").
 		Funcs(templateFuncs())
-	if err := loadTemplates(tmpl, r.templatesRoot); err != nil {
+	txttmpl := texttemplate.New("")
+	if err := loadTemplates(tmpl, txttmpl, r.templatesRoot); err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("failed to load templates: %w", err)
 	}
 
 	r.templates = tmpl
+	r.textTemplates = txttmpl
 	return nil
 }
 
-func loadTemplates(tmpl *template.Template, root string) error {
+func loadTemplates(tmpl *htmltemplate.Template, txttmpl *texttemplate.Template, root string) error {
 	return filepath.Walk(root, func(path string, info os.FileInfo, err error) error {
 		if err != nil {
 			return err
@@ -116,12 +120,16 @@ func loadTemplates(tmpl *template.Template, root string) error {
 			return nil
 		}
 
-		if !strings.HasSuffix(info.Name(), ".html") {
-			return nil
+		if strings.HasSuffix(info.Name(), ".html") {
+			if _, err := tmpl.ParseFiles(path); err != nil {
+				return fmt.Errorf("failed to parse %s: %w", path, err)
+			}
 		}
 
-		if _, err := tmpl.ParseFiles(path); err != nil {
-			return fmt.Errorf("failed to parse %s: %w", path, err)
+		if strings.HasSuffix(info.Name(), ".txt") {
+			if _, err := txttmpl.ParseFiles(path); err != nil {
+				return fmt.Errorf("failed to parse %s: %w", path, err)
+			}
 		}
 
 		return nil
@@ -129,11 +137,11 @@ func loadTemplates(tmpl *template.Template, root string) error {
 }
 
 // safeHTML un-escapes known safe html.
-func safeHTML(s string) template.HTML {
-	return template.HTML(s)
+func safeHTML(s string) htmltemplate.HTML {
+	return htmltemplate.HTML(s)
 }
 
-func templateFuncs() template.FuncMap {
+func templateFuncs() htmltemplate.FuncMap {
 	return map[string]interface{}{
 		"joinStrings":    strings.Join,
 		"trimSpace":      strings.TrimSpace,