diff --git a/packages/mermaid/src/diagrams/flowchart/flowDiagram.ts b/packages/mermaid/src/diagrams/flowchart/flowDiagram.ts
index 588e9f3ba..80ddebb76 100644
--- a/packages/mermaid/src/diagrams/flowchart/flowDiagram.ts
+++ b/packages/mermaid/src/diagrams/flowchart/flowDiagram.ts
@@ -21,7 +21,13 @@ export const diagram = {
     if (cnf.layout) {
       setConfig({ layout: cnf.layout });
     }
+    cnf.flowchart.htmlLabels = cnf?.htmlLabels ?? cnf.flowchart?.htmlLabels;
     cnf.flowchart.arrowMarkerAbsolute = cnf.arrowMarkerAbsolute;
-    setConfig({ flowchart: { arrowMarkerAbsolute: cnf.arrowMarkerAbsolute } });
+    setConfig({
+      flowchart: {
+        arrowMarkerAbsolute: cnf.arrowMarkerAbsolute,
+        htmlLabels: cnf.flowchart.htmlLabels,
+      },
+    });
   },
 };
diff --git a/packages/mermaid/src/rendering-util/rendering-elements/edges.js b/packages/mermaid/src/rendering-util/rendering-elements/edges.js
index 9e308631a..7bad1a409 100644
--- a/packages/mermaid/src/rendering-util/rendering-elements/edges.js
+++ b/packages/mermaid/src/rendering-util/rendering-elements/edges.js
@@ -1,5 +1,4 @@
 import { getConfig } from '../../diagram-api/diagramAPI.js';
-import { evaluate } from '../../diagrams/common/common.js';
 import { log } from '../../logger.js';
 import { createText } from '../createText.js';
 import utils from '../../utils.js';
@@ -45,8 +44,8 @@ export const getLabelStyles = (styleArray) => {
 };
 
 export const insertEdgeLabel = async (elem, edge) => {
-  let useHtmlLabels = evaluate(getConfig().flowchart.htmlLabels);
-
+  const config = getConfig();
+  let useHtmlLabels = config.flowchart.htmlLabels;
   const { labelStyles } = styles2String(edge);
   edge.labelStyle = labelStyles;
   const labelElement = await createText(elem, edge.label, {