diff --git a/app/models/project_services/chat_message/pipeline_message.rb b/app/models/project_services/chat_message/pipeline_message.rb
index 3edc395033c..d63d4ec2b12 100644
--- a/app/models/project_services/chat_message/pipeline_message.rb
+++ b/app/models/project_services/chat_message/pipeline_message.rb
@@ -70,7 +70,7 @@ module ChatMessage
     end
 
     def branch_link
-      "`[#{ref}](#{branch_url})`"
+      "[#{ref}](#{branch_url})"
     end
 
     def project_link
diff --git a/app/models/project_services/chat_message/push_message.rb b/app/models/project_services/chat_message/push_message.rb
index 04a59d559ca..c52dd6ef8ef 100644
--- a/app/models/project_services/chat_message/push_message.rb
+++ b/app/models/project_services/chat_message/push_message.rb
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ module ChatMessage
     end
 
     def removed_branch_message
-      "#{user_name} removed #{ref_type} `#{ref}` from #{project_link}"
+      "#{user_name} removed #{ref_type} #{ref} from #{project_link}"
     end
 
     def push_message
@@ -102,7 +102,7 @@ module ChatMessage
     end
 
     def branch_link
-      "`[#{ref}](#{branch_url})`"
+      "[#{ref}](#{branch_url})"
     end
 
     def project_link
diff --git a/spec/models/project_services/chat_message/pipeline_message_spec.rb b/spec/models/project_services/chat_message/pipeline_message_spec.rb
index 7d2599dc703..43b02568cb9 100644
--- a/spec/models/project_services/chat_message/pipeline_message_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/models/project_services/chat_message/pipeline_message_spec.rb
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ describe ChatMessage::PipelineMessage do
     def build_message(status_text = status, name = user[:name])
       "<http://example.gitlab.com|project_name>:" \
         " Pipeline <http://example.gitlab.com/pipelines/123|#123>" \
-        " of branch `<http://example.gitlab.com/commits/develop|develop>`" \
+        " of branch <http://example.gitlab.com/commits/develop|develop>" \
         " by #{name} #{status_text} in 02:00:10"
     end
   end
@@ -81,7 +81,7 @@ describe ChatMessage::PipelineMessage do
         expect(subject.pretext).to be_empty
         expect(subject.attachments).to eq(message)
         expect(subject.activity).to eq({
-          title: 'Pipeline [#123](http://example.gitlab.com/pipelines/123) of branch `[develop](http://example.gitlab.com/commits/develop)` by hacker passed',
+          title: 'Pipeline [#123](http://example.gitlab.com/pipelines/123) of branch [develop](http://example.gitlab.com/commits/develop) by hacker passed',
           subtitle: 'in [project_name](http://example.gitlab.com)',
           text: 'in 02:00:10',
           image: ''
@@ -98,7 +98,7 @@ describe ChatMessage::PipelineMessage do
         expect(subject.pretext).to be_empty
         expect(subject.attachments).to eq(message)
         expect(subject.activity).to eq({
-          title: 'Pipeline [#123](http://example.gitlab.com/pipelines/123) of branch `[develop](http://example.gitlab.com/commits/develop)` by hacker failed',
+          title: 'Pipeline [#123](http://example.gitlab.com/pipelines/123) of branch [develop](http://example.gitlab.com/commits/develop) by hacker failed',
           subtitle: 'in [project_name](http://example.gitlab.com)',
           text: 'in 02:00:10',
           image: ''
@@ -113,7 +113,7 @@ describe ChatMessage::PipelineMessage do
           expect(subject.pretext).to be_empty
           expect(subject.attachments).to eq(message)
           expect(subject.activity).to eq({
-            title: 'Pipeline [#123](http://example.gitlab.com/pipelines/123) of branch `[develop](http://example.gitlab.com/commits/develop)` by API failed',
+            title: 'Pipeline [#123](http://example.gitlab.com/pipelines/123) of branch [develop](http://example.gitlab.com/commits/develop) by API failed',
             subtitle: 'in [project_name](http://example.gitlab.com)',
             text: 'in 02:00:10',
             image: ''
@@ -125,7 +125,7 @@ describe ChatMessage::PipelineMessage do
     def build_markdown_message(status_text = status, name = user[:name])
       "[project_name](http://example.gitlab.com):" \
         " Pipeline [#123](http://example.gitlab.com/pipelines/123)" \
-        " of branch `[develop](http://example.gitlab.com/commits/develop)`" \
+        " of branch [develop](http://example.gitlab.com/commits/develop)" \
         " by #{name} #{status_text} in 02:00:10"
     end
   end
diff --git a/spec/models/project_services/chat_message/push_message_spec.rb b/spec/models/project_services/chat_message/push_message_spec.rb
index e38117b75f6..c794f659c41 100644
--- a/spec/models/project_services/chat_message/push_message_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/models/project_services/chat_message/push_message_spec.rb
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ describe ChatMessage::PushMessage, models: true do
     context 'without markdown' do
       it 'returns a message regarding pushes' do
         expect(subject.pretext).to eq(
-          'test.user pushed to branch `<http://url.com/commits/master|master>` of '\
+          'test.user pushed to branch <http://url.com/commits/master|master> of '\
             '<http://url.com|project_name> (<http://url.com/compare/before...after|Compare changes>)')
         expect(subject.attachments).to eq([{
           text: "<http://url1.com|abcdefgh>: message1 - author1\n\n"\
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ describe ChatMessage::PushMessage, models: true do
 
       it 'returns a message regarding pushes' do
         expect(subject.pretext).to eq(
-          'test.user pushed to branch `[master](http://url.com/commits/master)` of [project_name](http://url.com) ([Compare changes](http://url.com/compare/before...after))')
+          'test.user pushed to branch [master](http://url.com/commits/master) of [project_name](http://url.com) ([Compare changes](http://url.com/compare/before...after))')
         expect(subject.attachments).to eq(
           "[abcdefgh](http://url1.com): message1 - author1\n\n[12345678](http://url2.com): message2 - author2")
         expect(subject.activity).to eq({
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ describe ChatMessage::PushMessage, models: true do
     context 'without markdown' do
       it 'returns a message regarding pushes' do
         expect(subject.pretext).to eq('test.user pushed new tag ' \
-          '`<http://url.com/commits/new_tag|new_tag>` to ' \
+          '<http://url.com/commits/new_tag|new_tag> to ' \
           '<http://url.com|project_name>')
         expect(subject.attachments).to be_empty
       end
@@ -87,7 +87,7 @@ describe ChatMessage::PushMessage, models: true do
 
       it 'returns a message regarding pushes' do
         expect(subject.pretext).to eq(
-          'test.user pushed new tag `[new_tag](http://url.com/commits/new_tag)` to [project_name](http://url.com)')
+          'test.user pushed new tag [new_tag](http://url.com/commits/new_tag) to [project_name](http://url.com)')
         expect(subject.attachments).to be_empty
         expect(subject.activity).to eq({
           title: 'test.user created tag',
@@ -107,7 +107,7 @@ describe ChatMessage::PushMessage, models: true do
     context 'without markdown' do
       it 'returns a message regarding a new branch' do
         expect(subject.pretext).to eq(
-          'test.user pushed new branch `<http://url.com/commits/master|master>` to '\
+          'test.user pushed new branch <http://url.com/commits/master|master> to '\
             '<http://url.com|project_name>')
         expect(subject.attachments).to be_empty
       end
@@ -120,7 +120,7 @@ describe ChatMessage::PushMessage, models: true do
 
       it 'returns a message regarding a new branch' do
         expect(subject.pretext).to eq(
-          'test.user pushed new branch `[master](http://url.com/commits/master)` to [project_name](http://url.com)')
+          'test.user pushed new branch [master](http://url.com/commits/master) to [project_name](http://url.com)')
         expect(subject.attachments).to be_empty
         expect(subject.activity).to eq({
           title: 'test.user created branch',
@@ -140,7 +140,7 @@ describe ChatMessage::PushMessage, models: true do
     context 'without markdown' do
       it 'returns a message regarding a removed branch' do
         expect(subject.pretext).to eq(
-          'test.user removed branch `master` from <http://url.com|project_name>')
+          'test.user removed branch master from <http://url.com|project_name>')
         expect(subject.attachments).to be_empty
       end
     end
@@ -152,7 +152,7 @@ describe ChatMessage::PushMessage, models: true do
 
       it 'returns a message regarding a removed branch' do
         expect(subject.pretext).to eq(
-          'test.user removed branch `master` from [project_name](http://url.com)')
+          'test.user removed branch master from [project_name](http://url.com)')
         expect(subject.attachments).to be_empty
         expect(subject.activity).to eq({
           title: 'test.user removed branch',