diff --git a/extensions/qa-lab/src/live-transports/telegram/telegram-live.runtime.test.ts b/extensions/qa-lab/src/live-transports/telegram/telegram-live.runtime.test.ts
index 88e2491511f..cf08c531e13 100644
--- a/extensions/qa-lab/src/live-transports/telegram/telegram-live.runtime.test.ts
+++ b/extensions/qa-lab/src/live-transports/telegram/telegram-live.runtime.test.ts
@@ -286,6 +286,43 @@ describe("telegram live qa runtime", () => {
     });
   });
 
+  it("normalizes Telegram rich messages as observed text", () => {
+    expect(
+      testing.normalizeTelegramObservedMessage({
+        update_id: 8,
+        message: {
+          message_id: 10,
+          date: 1_700_000_001,
+          rich_message: { markdown: "**hello** rich" },
+          chat: { id: -100123 },
+          from: {
+            id: 88,
+            is_bot: true,
+            username: "sut_bot",
+          },
+          reply_to_message: { message_id: 9 },
+        },
+      })?.text,
+    ).toBe("**hello** rich");
+
+    expect(
+      testing.normalizeTelegramObservedMessage({
+        update_id: 9,
+        message: {
+          message_id: 11,
+          date: 1_700_000_002,
+          rich_message: { html: "<b>hello</b> rich" },
+          chat: { id: -100123 },
+          from: {
+            id: 88,
+            is_bot: true,
+            username: "sut_bot",
+          },
+        },
+      })?.text,
+    ).toBe("<b>hello</b> rich");
+  });
+
   it("ignores unrelated sut replies when matching the canary response", () => {
     expect(
       testing.classifyCanaryReply({
diff --git a/extensions/qa-lab/src/live-transports/telegram/telegram-live.runtime.ts b/extensions/qa-lab/src/live-transports/telegram/telegram-live.runtime.ts
index 237d0fc06a5..98ec600fba9 100644
--- a/extensions/qa-lab/src/live-transports/telegram/telegram-live.runtime.ts
+++ b/extensions/qa-lab/src/live-transports/telegram/telegram-live.runtime.ts
@@ -203,11 +203,17 @@ type TelegramReplyMarkup = {
   inline_keyboard?: Array<Array<{ text?: string }>>;
 };
 
+type TelegramRichMessage = {
+  markdown?: string;
+  html?: string;
+};
+
 type TelegramMessage = {
   message_id: number;
   date: number;
   text?: string;
   caption?: string;
+  rich_message?: TelegramRichMessage;
   reply_markup?: TelegramReplyMarkup;
   reply_to_message?: { message_id?: number };
   from?: {
@@ -697,6 +703,16 @@ function detectMediaKinds(message: TelegramMessage) {
   return kinds;
 }
 
+function selectTelegramObservedText(message: TelegramMessage) {
+  return (
+    message.text ||
+    message.caption ||
+    message.rich_message?.markdown ||
+    message.rich_message?.html ||
+    ""
+  );
+}
+
 function normalizeTelegramObservedMessage(update: TelegramUpdate): TelegramObservedMessage | null {
   const message = update.message ?? update.edited_message;
   if (!message?.from?.id) {
@@ -709,7 +725,7 @@ function normalizeTelegramObservedMessage(update: TelegramUpdate): TelegramObser
     senderId: message.from.id,
     senderIsBot: message.from.is_bot === true,
     senderUsername: message.from.username,
-    text: message.text ?? message.caption ?? "",
+    text: selectTelegramObservedText(message),
     caption: message.caption,
     replyToMessageId: message.reply_to_message?.message_id,
     timestamp: message.date * 1000,