diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/components/d-editor.js.es6 b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/components/d-editor.js.es6
index 6cf612370..d4f0f7d82 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/components/d-editor.js.es6
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/components/d-editor.js.es6
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ function Toolbar() {
     id: 'italic',
     group: 'fontStyles',
     shortcut: 'I',
-    perform: e => e.applySurround('*', '*', 'italic_text')
+    perform: e => e.applySurround('_', '_', 'italic_text')
   });
 
   this.addButton({id: 'link', group: 'insertions', shortcut: 'K', action: 'showLinkModal'});
diff --git a/test/javascripts/components/d-editor-test.js.es6 b/test/javascripts/components/d-editor-test.js.es6
index e43fdf686..ecb486f3a 100644
--- a/test/javascripts/components/d-editor-test.js.es6
+++ b/test/javascripts/components/d-editor-test.js.es6
@@ -130,7 +130,7 @@ testCase(`italic button with no selection`, function(assert, textarea) {
   click(`button.italic`);
   andThen(() => {
     const example = I18n.t(`composer.italic_text`);
-    assert.equal(this.get('value'), `hello world.*${example}*`);
+    assert.equal(this.get('value'), `hello world._${example}_`);
 
     assert.equal(textarea.selectionStart, 13);
     assert.equal(textarea.selectionEnd, 13 + example.length);
@@ -143,7 +143,7 @@ testCase(`italic button with a selection`, function(assert, textarea) {
 
   click(`button.italic`);
   andThen(() => {
-    assert.equal(this.get('value'), `hello *world*.`);
+    assert.equal(this.get('value'), `hello _world_.`);
     assert.equal(textarea.selectionStart, 7);
     assert.equal(textarea.selectionEnd, 12);
   });
@@ -166,7 +166,7 @@ testCase(`italic with a multiline selection`, function (assert, textarea) {
 
   click(`button.italic`);
   andThen(() => {
-    assert.equal(this.get('value'), `*hello*\n\n*world*\n\ntest.`);
+    assert.equal(this.get('value'), `_hello_\n\n_world_\n\ntest.`);
     assert.equal(textarea.selectionStart, 0);
     assert.equal(textarea.selectionEnd, 16);
   });