diff --git a/lib/classes/formatting.php b/lib/classes/formatting.php
index cc4bafa266c..a5c87aa7810 100644
--- a/lib/classes/formatting.php
+++ b/lib/classes/formatting.php
@@ -30,6 +30,9 @@ class formatting {
     /** @var bool Whether to apply striptags */
     protected ?bool $striptags;
 
+    /** @var bool Whether to apply filters */
+    protected ?bool $filterall;
+
     /**
      * Given a simple string, this function returns the string
      * processed by enabled string filters if $CFG->filterall is enabled
@@ -111,7 +114,7 @@ class formatting {
         // Regular expression moved to its own method for easier unit testing.
         $string = $options['escape'] ? replace_ampersands_not_followed_by_entity($string) : $string;
 
-        if (!empty($CFG->filterall) && $options['filter']) {
+        if (!empty($this->get_filterall()) && $options['filter']) {
             $filtermanager = \filter_manager::instance();
             $filtermanager->setup_page_for_filters($PAGE, $options['context']); // Setup global stuff filters may have.
             $string = $filtermanager->filter_string($string, $options['context']);
@@ -415,4 +418,33 @@ class formatting {
 
         return $CFG->formatstringstriptags;
     }
+
+    /**
+     * Set the value of the filterall setting.
+     *
+     * @param bool $filterall
+     * @return formatting
+     */
+    public function set_filterall(bool $filterall): self {
+        $this->filterall = $filterall;
+
+        return $this;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Get the current filterall value.
+     *
+     * Reverts to CFG->filterall if not set.
+     *
+     * @return bool
+     */
+    public function get_filterall(): bool {
+        global $CFG;
+
+        if (isset($this->filterall)) {
+            return $this->filterall;
+        }
+
+        return $CFG->filterall;
+    }
 }
diff --git a/lib/tests/formatting_test.php b/lib/tests/formatting_test.php
index 887e465e5fd..1bc42a53f7b 100644
--- a/lib/tests/formatting_test.php
+++ b/lib/tests/formatting_test.php
@@ -148,15 +148,32 @@ class formatting_test extends \advanced_testcase {
         $this->assertEquals($expectednofilter, $nofilterresult);
 
         // Add the multilang filter. Make sure it's enabled globally.
-        $CFG->filterall = true;
         $CFG->stringfilters = 'multilang';
         filter_set_global_state('multilang', TEXTFILTER_ON);
         filter_set_local_state('multilang', $context->id, TEXTFILTER_ON);
-        // This time we want to apply the filters.
+
+        // Even after setting the filters, no filters are applied yet.
+        $nofilterresult = $formatting->format_string($rawstring, $striplinks, $options);
+        $this->assertEquals($expectednofilter, $nofilterresult);
+
+        // Apply the filter as an option.
         $options['filter'] = true;
         $filterresult = $formatting->format_string($rawstring, $striplinks, $options);
         $this->assertMatchesRegularExpression("/$expectedfilter/", $filterresult);
 
+        // Apply it as a formatting setting.
+        unset($options['filter']);
+        $formatting->set_filterall(true);
+        $filterresult = $formatting->format_string($rawstring, $striplinks, $options);
+        $this->assertMatchesRegularExpression("/$expectedfilter/", $filterresult);
+
+        // Unset it and we do not filter.
+        $formatting->set_filterall(false);
+        $nofilterresult = $formatting->format_string($rawstring, $striplinks, $options);
+        $this->assertEquals($expectednofilter, $nofilterresult);
+
+        // Set it again.
+        $formatting->set_filterall(true);
         filter_set_local_state('multilang', $context->id, TEXTFILTER_OFF);
 
         // Confirm that we get back the cached string. The result should be