diff --git a/include/menu/menu.h b/include/menu/menu.h
index e0e39cf5..3d546efa 100644
--- a/include/menu/menu.h
+++ b/include/menu/menu.h
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ struct menuitem {
 	struct menu *parent;
 	struct menu *submenu;
 	bool selectable;
+	bool use_markup;
 	enum menuitem_type type;
 	int native_width;
 	struct wlr_scene_tree *tree;
diff --git a/include/scaled-buffer/scaled-font-buffer.h b/include/scaled-buffer/scaled-font-buffer.h
index a5e95087..a76fe03f 100644
--- a/include/scaled-buffer/scaled-font-buffer.h
+++ b/include/scaled-buffer/scaled-font-buffer.h
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ struct scaled_font_buffer {
 
 	/* Private */
 	char *text;
+	bool use_markup;
 	int max_width;
 	float color[4];
 	float bg_color[4];
@@ -71,6 +72,6 @@ scaled_font_buffer_create_for_titlebar(struct wlr_scene_tree *parent,
  */
 void scaled_font_buffer_update(struct scaled_font_buffer *self, const char *text,
 	int max_width, struct font *font, const float *color,
-	const float *bg_color);
+	const float *bg_color, bool use_markup);
 
 #endif /* LABWC_SCALED_FONT_BUFFER_H */
diff --git a/src/cycle/osd-classic.c b/src/cycle/osd-classic.c
index 7e5abfb6..685b58b8 100644
--- a/src/cycle/osd-classic.c
+++ b/src/cycle/osd-classic.c
@@ -58,8 +58,8 @@ create_fields_scene(struct view *view,
 				struct scaled_font_buffer *font_buffer =
 					scaled_font_buffer_create(parent);
 				scaled_font_buffer_update(font_buffer,
-					buf.data, field_width,
-					&rc.font_osd, text_color, bg_color);
+					buf.data, field_width, &rc.font_osd,
+					text_color, bg_color, false);
 				node = &font_buffer->scene_buffer->node;
 				height = font_height(&rc.font_osd);
 			}
@@ -143,7 +143,7 @@ cycle_osd_classic_init(struct cycle_osd_output *osd_output)
 		wlr_scene_node_set_position(&font_buffer->scene_buffer->node,
 			x, y + (switcher_theme->item_height - font_height(&font)) / 2);
 		scaled_font_buffer_update(font_buffer, workspace_name, 0,
-			&font, text_color, bg_color);
+			&font, text_color, bg_color, false);
 		y += switcher_theme->item_height;
 	}
 
diff --git a/src/cycle/osd-thumbnail.c b/src/cycle/osd-thumbnail.c
index 623708a0..eba0249e 100644
--- a/src/cycle/osd-thumbnail.c
+++ b/src/cycle/osd-thumbnail.c
@@ -112,7 +112,7 @@ create_label(struct wlr_scene_tree *parent, struct view *view,
 		scaled_font_buffer_create(parent);
 	scaled_font_buffer_update(buffer, buf.data,
 		switcher_theme->item_width - 2 * switcher_theme->item_padding,
-		&rc.font_osd, text_color, bg_color);
+		&rc.font_osd, text_color, bg_color, false);
 	buf_reset(&buf);
 	wlr_scene_node_set_position(&buffer->scene_buffer->node,
 		(switcher_theme->item_width - buffer->width) / 2, y);
diff --git a/src/menu/menu.c b/src/menu/menu.c
index 372f662f..58a2b96a 100644
--- a/src/menu/menu.c
+++ b/src/menu/menu.c
@@ -155,22 +155,16 @@ item_create(struct menu *menu, char *text, const char *icon_name, bool show_arro
 			size_t bytes = mbrtoc32(&codepoint, it + 1,
 				MB_CUR_MAX, &state);
 			if (bytes > 0 && bytes <= 4) {
-				accelerator =
-					(uint32_t)towlower((wint_t)codepoint);
+				accelerator = (uint32_t)towlower((wint_t)codepoint);
 			}
 
 			if (*(it + 1) != '\0') {
 				int underscore_index = it - text;
-				new_text = malloc(strlen(text) + 8);
-				if (!new_text) {
-					break;
-				}
-				memcpy(new_text, text, underscore_index);
-				sprintf(new_text + underscore_index, "<u>%c</u>%s",
-					*(it + 1), it + 2);
+				new_text = strdup_printf("%.*s<u>%.*s</u>%s",
+					underscore_index, text, (int)bytes,
+					it + 1, it + 1 + bytes);
+				break;
 			}
-
-			break;
 		}
 		it++;
 	}
@@ -189,8 +183,10 @@ item_create(struct menu *menu, char *text, const char *icon_name, bool show_arro
 	menuitem->accelerator = accelerator;
 	if (new_text) {
 		menuitem->text = xstrdup(new_text);
+		menuitem->use_markup = true;
 	} else {
 		menuitem->text = xstrdup(text);
+		menuitem->use_markup = false;
 	}
 
 #if HAVE_LIBSFDO
@@ -263,7 +259,7 @@ item_create_scene_for_state(struct menuitem *item, float *text_color,
 	struct scaled_font_buffer *label_buffer = scaled_font_buffer_create(tree);
 	assert(label_buffer);
 	scaled_font_buffer_update(label_buffer, item->text, label_max_width,
-		&rc.font_menuitem, text_color, bg_color);
+		&rc.font_menuitem, text_color, bg_color, item->use_markup);
 	/* Vertically center and left-align label */
 	int x = theme->menu_items_padding_x + icon_width;
 	int y = (theme->menu_item_height - label_buffer->height) / 2;
@@ -277,7 +273,7 @@ item_create_scene_for_state(struct menuitem *item, float *text_color,
 	struct scaled_font_buffer *arrow_buffer = scaled_font_buffer_create(tree);
 	assert(arrow_buffer);
 	scaled_font_buffer_update(arrow_buffer, item->arrow, -1,
-		&rc.font_menuitem, text_color, bg_color);
+		&rc.font_menuitem, text_color, bg_color, false);
 	/* Vertically center and right-align arrow */
 	x += label_max_width + theme->menu_items_padding_x;
 	y = (theme->menu_item_height - label_buffer->height) / 2;
@@ -416,7 +412,7 @@ title_create_scene(struct menuitem *menuitem, int *item_y)
 		scaled_font_buffer_create(menuitem->normal_tree);
 	assert(title_font_buffer);
 	scaled_font_buffer_update(title_font_buffer, menuitem->text,
-		text_width, &rc.font_menuheader, text_color, bg_color);
+		text_width, &rc.font_menuheader, text_color, bg_color, false);
 
 	int title_x = 0;
 	switch (theme->menu_title_text_justify) {
diff --git a/src/scaled-buffer/scaled-font-buffer.c b/src/scaled-buffer/scaled-font-buffer.c
index 49c9d840..229d97d9 100644
--- a/src/scaled-buffer/scaled-font-buffer.c
+++ b/src/scaled-buffer/scaled-font-buffer.c
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ _create_buffer(struct scaled_buffer *scaled_buffer, double scale)
 
 	/* Buffer gets free'd automatically along the backing wlr_buffer */
 	font_buffer_create(&buffer, self->max_width, self->height, self->text,
-		&self->font, self->color, bg_pattern, scale, true);
+		&self->font, self->color, bg_pattern, scale, self->use_markup);
 
 	if (!buffer) {
 		wlr_log(WLR_ERROR, "font_buffer_create() failed");
@@ -56,6 +56,7 @@ _equal(struct scaled_buffer *scaled_buffer_a,
 	struct scaled_font_buffer *b = scaled_buffer_b->data;
 
 	return str_equal(a->text, b->text)
+		&& a->use_markup == b->use_markup
 		&& a->max_width == b->max_width
 		&& str_equal(a->font.name, b->font.name)
 		&& a->font.size == b->font.size
@@ -107,7 +108,7 @@ scaled_font_buffer_create_for_titlebar(struct wlr_scene_tree *parent,
 void
 scaled_font_buffer_update(struct scaled_font_buffer *self, const char *text,
 		int max_width, struct font *font, const float *color,
-		const float *bg_color)
+		const float *bg_color, bool use_markup)
 {
 	assert(self);
 	assert(text);
@@ -120,6 +121,7 @@ scaled_font_buffer_update(struct scaled_font_buffer *self, const char *text,
 
 	/* Update internal state */
 	self->text = xstrdup(text);
+	self->use_markup = use_markup;
 	self->max_width = max_width;
 	if (font->name) {
 		self->font.name = xstrdup(font->name);
diff --git a/src/ssd/resize-indicator.c b/src/ssd/resize-indicator.c
index fa1166a3..45df44e1 100644
--- a/src/ssd/resize-indicator.c
+++ b/src/ssd/resize-indicator.c
@@ -202,7 +202,7 @@ resize_indicator_update(struct view *view)
 	wlr_scene_node_set_position(&indicator->tree->node, x, y);
 
 	scaled_font_buffer_update(indicator->text, text, width, &rc.font_osd,
-		rc.theme->osd_label_text_color, rc.theme->osd_bg_color);
+		rc.theme->osd_label_text_color, rc.theme->osd_bg_color, false);
 }
 
 void
diff --git a/src/ssd/ssd-titlebar.c b/src/ssd/ssd-titlebar.c
index d1a08810..816221db 100644
--- a/src/ssd/ssd-titlebar.c
+++ b/src/ssd/ssd-titlebar.c
@@ -473,7 +473,7 @@ ssd_update_title(struct ssd *ssd)
 		const float bg_color[4] = {0, 0, 0, 0}; /* ignored */
 		scaled_font_buffer_update(subtree->title, view->title,
 			title_bg_width, font,
-			text_color, bg_color);
+			text_color, bg_color, false);
 
 		/* And finally update the cache */
 		dstate->width = subtree->title->width;