diff --git a/alerting/provider/matrix/matrix.go b/alerting/provider/matrix/matrix.go
index ef2746eb..7fcc59c5 100644
--- a/alerting/provider/matrix/matrix.go
+++ b/alerting/provider/matrix/matrix.go
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package matrix
 
 import (
 	"bytes"
+	"encoding/json"
 	"fmt"
 	"io"
 	"math/rand"
@@ -61,7 +62,7 @@ func (provider *AlertProvider) IsValid() bool {
 
 // Send an alert using the provider
 func (provider *AlertProvider) Send(endpoint *core.Endpoint, alert *alert.Alert, result *core.Result, resolved bool) error {
-	buffer := bytes.NewBuffer([]byte(provider.buildRequestBody(endpoint, alert, result, resolved)))
+	buffer := bytes.NewBuffer(provider.buildRequestBody(endpoint, alert, result, resolved))
 	config := provider.getConfigForGroup(endpoint.Group)
 	if config.ServerURL == "" {
 		config.ServerURL = defaultHomeserverURL
@@ -94,17 +95,22 @@ func (provider *AlertProvider) Send(endpoint *core.Endpoint, alert *alert.Alert,
 	return err
 }
 
+type Body struct {
+	MsgType       string `json:"msgtype"`
+	Format        string `json:"format"`
+	Body          string `json:"body"`
+	FormattedBody string `json:"formatted_body"`
+}
+
 // buildRequestBody builds the request body for the provider
-func (provider *AlertProvider) buildRequestBody(endpoint *core.Endpoint, alert *alert.Alert, result *core.Result, resolved bool) string {
-	return fmt.Sprintf(`{
-	"msgtype": "m.text",
-	"format": "org.matrix.custom.html",
-	"body": "%s",
-	"formatted_body": "%s"
-}`,
-		buildPlaintextMessageBody(endpoint, alert, result, resolved),
-		buildHTMLMessageBody(endpoint, alert, result, resolved),
-	)
+func (provider *AlertProvider) buildRequestBody(endpoint *core.Endpoint, alert *alert.Alert, result *core.Result, resolved bool) []byte {
+	body, _ := json.Marshal(Body{
+		MsgType:       "m.text",
+		Format:        "org.matrix.custom.html",
+		Body:          buildPlaintextMessageBody(endpoint, alert, result, resolved),
+		FormattedBody: buildHTMLMessageBody(endpoint, alert, result, resolved),
+	})
+	return body
 }
 
 // buildPlaintextMessageBody builds the message body in plaintext to include in request
@@ -122,13 +128,13 @@ func buildPlaintextMessageBody(endpoint *core.Endpoint, alert *alert.Alert, resu
 		} else {
 			prefix = "✕"
 		}
-		results += fmt.Sprintf("\\n%s - %s", prefix, conditionResult.Condition)
+		results += fmt.Sprintf("\n%s - %s", prefix, conditionResult.Condition)
 	}
 	var description string
 	if alertDescription := alert.GetDescription(); len(alertDescription) > 0 {
-		description = "\\n" + alertDescription
+		description = "\n" + alertDescription
 	}
-	return fmt.Sprintf("%s%s\\n%s", message, description, results)
+	return fmt.Sprintf("%s%s\n%s", message, description, results)
 }
 
 // buildHTMLMessageBody builds the message body in HTML to include in request
@@ -150,9 +156,9 @@ func buildHTMLMessageBody(endpoint *core.Endpoint, alert *alert.Alert, result *c
 	}
 	var description string
 	if alertDescription := alert.GetDescription(); len(alertDescription) > 0 {
-		description = fmt.Sprintf("\\n<blockquote>%s</blockquote>", alertDescription)
+		description = fmt.Sprintf("\n<blockquote>%s</blockquote>", alertDescription)
 	}
-	return fmt.Sprintf("<h3>%s</h3>%s\\n<h5>Condition results</h5><ul>%s</ul>", message, description, results)
+	return fmt.Sprintf("<h3>%s</h3>%s\n<h5>Condition results</h5><ul>%s</ul>", message, description, results)
 }
 
 // getConfigForGroup returns the appropriate configuration for a given group
diff --git a/alerting/provider/matrix/matrix_test.go b/alerting/provider/matrix/matrix_test.go
index 12ba6042..7241d989 100644
--- a/alerting/provider/matrix/matrix_test.go
+++ b/alerting/provider/matrix/matrix_test.go
@@ -184,14 +184,14 @@ func TestAlertProvider_buildRequestBody(t *testing.T) {
 			Provider:     AlertProvider{},
 			Alert:        alert.Alert{Description: &firstDescription, SuccessThreshold: 5, FailureThreshold: 3},
 			Resolved:     false,
-			ExpectedBody: "{\n\t\"msgtype\": \"m.text\",\n\t\"format\": \"org.matrix.custom.html\",\n\t\"body\": \"An alert for `endpoint-name` has been triggered due to having failed 3 time(s) in a row\\ndescription-1\\n\\n✕ - [CONNECTED] == true\\n✕ - [STATUS] == 200\",\n\t\"formatted_body\": \"<h3>An alert for <code>endpoint-name</code> has been triggered due to having failed 3 time(s) in a row</h3>\\n<blockquote>description-1</blockquote>\\n<h5>Condition results</h5><ul><li>❌ - <code>[CONNECTED] == true</code></li><li>❌ - <code>[STATUS] == 200</code></li></ul>\"\n}",
+			ExpectedBody: "{\"msgtype\":\"m.text\",\"format\":\"org.matrix.custom.html\",\"body\":\"An alert for `endpoint-name` has been triggered due to having failed 3 time(s) in a row\\ndescription-1\\n\\n✕ - [CONNECTED] == true\\n✕ - [STATUS] == 200\",\"formatted_body\":\"\\u003ch3\\u003eAn alert for \\u003ccode\\u003eendpoint-name\\u003c/code\\u003e has been triggered due to having failed 3 time(s) in a row\\u003c/h3\\u003e\\n\\u003cblockquote\\u003edescription-1\\u003c/blockquote\\u003e\\n\\u003ch5\\u003eCondition results\\u003c/h5\\u003e\\u003cul\\u003e\\u003cli\\u003e❌ - \\u003ccode\\u003e[CONNECTED] == true\\u003c/code\\u003e\\u003c/li\\u003e\\u003cli\\u003e❌ - \\u003ccode\\u003e[STATUS] == 200\\u003c/code\\u003e\\u003c/li\\u003e\\u003c/ul\\u003e\"}",
 		},
 		{
 			Name:         "resolved",
 			Provider:     AlertProvider{},
 			Alert:        alert.Alert{Description: &secondDescription, SuccessThreshold: 5, FailureThreshold: 3},
 			Resolved:     true,
-			ExpectedBody: "{\n\t\"msgtype\": \"m.text\",\n\t\"format\": \"org.matrix.custom.html\",\n\t\"body\": \"An alert for `endpoint-name` has been resolved after passing successfully 5 time(s) in a row\\ndescription-2\\n\\n✓ - [CONNECTED] == true\\n✓ - [STATUS] == 200\",\n\t\"formatted_body\": \"<h3>An alert for <code>endpoint-name</code> has been resolved after passing successfully 5 time(s) in a row</h3>\\n<blockquote>description-2</blockquote>\\n<h5>Condition results</h5><ul><li>✅ - <code>[CONNECTED] == true</code></li><li>✅ - <code>[STATUS] == 200</code></li></ul>\"\n}",
+			ExpectedBody: "{\"msgtype\":\"m.text\",\"format\":\"org.matrix.custom.html\",\"body\":\"An alert for `endpoint-name` has been resolved after passing successfully 5 time(s) in a row\\ndescription-2\\n\\n✓ - [CONNECTED] == true\\n✓ - [STATUS] == 200\",\"formatted_body\":\"\\u003ch3\\u003eAn alert for \\u003ccode\\u003eendpoint-name\\u003c/code\\u003e has been resolved after passing successfully 5 time(s) in a row\\u003c/h3\\u003e\\n\\u003cblockquote\\u003edescription-2\\u003c/blockquote\\u003e\\n\\u003ch5\\u003eCondition results\\u003c/h5\\u003e\\u003cul\\u003e\\u003cli\\u003e✅ - \\u003ccode\\u003e[CONNECTED] == true\\u003c/code\\u003e\\u003c/li\\u003e\\u003cli\\u003e✅ - \\u003ccode\\u003e[STATUS] == 200\\u003c/code\\u003e\\u003c/li\\u003e\\u003c/ul\\u003e\"}",
 		},
 	}
 	for _, scenario := range scenarios {
@@ -207,11 +207,11 @@ func TestAlertProvider_buildRequestBody(t *testing.T) {
 				},
 				scenario.Resolved,
 			)
-			if body != scenario.ExpectedBody {
-				t.Errorf("expected %s, got %s", scenario.ExpectedBody, body)
+			if string(body) != scenario.ExpectedBody {
+				t.Errorf("expected:\n%s\ngot:\n%s", scenario.ExpectedBody, body)
 			}
 			out := make(map[string]interface{})
-			if err := json.Unmarshal([]byte(body), &out); err != nil {
+			if err := json.Unmarshal(body, &out); err != nil {
 				t.Error("expected body to be valid JSON, got error:", err.Error())
 			}
 		})