diff --git a/network/network_chat_protocol.gd b/network/network_chat_protocol.gd
index ef7294d..6538295 100644
--- a/network/network_chat_protocol.gd
+++ b/network/network_chat_protocol.gd
@@ -15,8 +15,8 @@ enum Kind { PLAYER, SYSTEM }
 static func sanitize_body(value: Variant) -> String:
 	if typeof(value) != TYPE_STRING:
 		return ""
-	var result: String = str(value).replace("\r", " ").replace("\n", " ")
-	result = result.replace("\t", " ").strip_edges()
+	var strippable_whitespace = RegEx.create_from_string("^[\\s\\p{Z}\\p{Cf}\\x{2800}]+|[\\s\\p{Z}\\p{Cf}\\x{2800}]+$")
+	var result := strippable_whitespace.sub(value, "")
 	if result.is_empty() or result.length() > MAX_VISIBLE_CHARACTERS:
 		return ""
 	if result.to_utf8_buffer().size() > MAX_UTF8_BYTES:
diff --git a/ui/chat_ui.gd b/ui/chat_ui.gd
index d43d212..7cf2728 100644
--- a/ui/chat_ui.gd
+++ b/ui/chat_ui.gd
@@ -893,13 +893,12 @@ func _on_entry_text_submitted(_value: String) -> void:
 func _send() -> void:
 	if _send_pending:
 		return
-	var strippable_spaces := RegEx.create_from_string("(^\\s+|\\s+$)")
-	var body := strippable_spaces.sub(_entry.text, "", true)
+	var body := NetworkChatProtocol.sanitize_body(_entry.text)
 	if body.is_empty():
 		close_chat()
 		return
 	_send_pending = true
-	_pending_send_body = NetworkChatProtocol.sanitize_body(body)
+	_pending_send_body = body
 	_entry.editable = false
 	if not _service.send_local_message(
 		body,