diff --git a/public/cohort/externallib.php b/public/cohort/externallib.php
index 83ea6249cb8..0a759b5f550 100644
--- a/public/cohort/externallib.php
+++ b/public/cohort/externallib.php
@@ -145,6 +145,8 @@ class core_cohort_external extends external_api {
 
             $cohort->id = cohort_add_cohort($cohort);
 
+            $cohort->name = \core_external\util::format_string($cohort->name, $context);
+
             list($cohort->description, $cohort->descriptionformat) =
                 \core_external\util::format_text($cohort->description, $cohort->descriptionformat,
                         $context, 'cohort', 'description', $cohort->id);
@@ -284,6 +286,8 @@ class core_cohort_external extends external_api {
                 throw new required_capability_exception($context, 'moodle/cohort:view', 'nopermissions', '');
             }
 
+            $cohort->name = \core_external\util::format_string($cohort->name, $context);
+
             // Only return theme when $CFG->allowcohortthemes is enabled.
             if (!empty($cohort->theme) && empty($CFG->allowcohortthemes)) {
                 $cohort->theme = null;
@@ -427,6 +431,8 @@ class core_cohort_external extends external_api {
         foreach ($results as $key => $cohort) {
             $cohortcontext = context::instance_by_id($cohort->contextid);
 
+            $cohort->name = \core_external\util::format_string($cohort->name, $cohortcontext);
+
             // Only return theme when $CFG->allowcohortthemes is enabled.
             if (!empty($cohort->theme) && empty($CFG->allowcohortthemes)) {
                 $cohort->theme = null;