diff --git a/gui/chatblockmodel.cpp b/gui/chatblockmodel.cpp
index d14f910..08406e3 100644
--- a/gui/chatblockmodel.cpp
+++ b/gui/chatblockmodel.cpp
@@ -201,9 +201,13 @@ QString ChatBlockModel::renderMarkdown(const QString &markdown) const
     auto it = fenceRe.globalMatch(markdown);
     while (it.hasNext()) {
         const auto match = it.next();
-        QTextDocument prose;
-        prose.setMarkdown(markdown.mid(cursor, match.capturedStart() - cursor));
-        result += prose.toHtml();
+        // Prose before this fence: HTML-escape and wrap in pre-wrap div to
+        // preserve newlines and whitespace. QTextDocument::setMarkdown would
+        // collapse single newlines (standard Markdown behavior).
+        const QString prose = markdown.mid(cursor, match.capturedStart() - cursor);
+        if (!prose.isEmpty())
+            result += QStringLiteral("<div style=\"white-space:pre-wrap\">")
+                + prose.toHtmlEscaped() + QStringLiteral("</div>");
         result += highlightCode(match.captured(2), match.captured(1));
         cursor = match.capturedEnd();
     }
@@ -215,16 +219,18 @@ QString ChatBlockModel::renderMarkdown(const QString &markdown) const
         R"(^```([A-Za-z0-9_+.-]*)[^\n]*\n([\s\S]*)$)",
         QRegularExpression::MultilineOption);
     const auto tail = markdown.mid(cursor);
-    const auto open = openFenceRe.match(tail);
-    if (open.hasMatch()) {
-        QTextDocument prose;
-        prose.setMarkdown(tail.left(open.capturedStart()));
-        result += prose.toHtml();
-        result += highlightCode(open.captured(2), open.captured(1));
-    } else {
-        QTextDocument prose;
-        prose.setMarkdown(tail);
-        result += prose.toHtml();
+    if (!tail.isEmpty()) {
+        const auto open = openFenceRe.match(tail);
+        if (open.hasMatch()) {
+            const QString prose = tail.left(open.capturedStart());
+            if (!prose.isEmpty())
+                result += QStringLiteral("<div style=\"white-space:pre-wrap\">")
+                    + prose.toHtmlEscaped() + QStringLiteral("</div>");
+            result += highlightCode(open.captured(2), open.captured(1));
+        } else {
+            result += QStringLiteral("<div style=\"white-space:pre-wrap\">")
+                + tail.toHtmlEscaped() + QStringLiteral("</div>");
+        }
     }
     return result;
 }