diff --git a/helix-term/src/ui/markdown.rs b/helix-term/src/ui/markdown.rs
index b01e7935..41021fde 100644
--- a/helix-term/src/ui/markdown.rs
+++ b/helix-term/src/ui/markdown.rs
@@ -17,6 +17,95 @@ use helix_view::{
     Theme,
 };
 
+fn styled_multiline_text<'a>(text: String, style: Style) -> Text<'a> {
+    let spans: Vec<_> = text
+        .lines()
+        .map(|line| Span::styled(line.to_string(), style))
+        .map(Spans::from)
+        .collect();
+    Text::from(spans)
+}
+
+pub fn highlighted_code_block<'a>(
+    text: String,
+    language: &str,
+    theme: Option<&Theme>,
+    config_loader: Arc<syntax::Loader>,
+) -> Text<'a> {
+    let mut spans = Vec::new();
+    let mut lines = Vec::new();
+
+    let get_theme = |key: &str| -> Style { theme.map(|t| t.get(key)).unwrap_or_default() };
+    let text_style = get_theme(Markdown::TEXT_STYLE);
+    let code_style = get_theme(Markdown::BLOCK_STYLE);
+
+    let theme = match theme {
+        Some(t) => t,
+        None => return styled_multiline_text(text, code_style),
+    };
+
+    let rope = Rope::from(text.as_ref());
+    let syntax = config_loader
+        .language_configuration_for_injection_string(language)
+        .and_then(|config| config.highlight_config(theme.scopes()))
+        .map(|config| Syntax::new(&rope, config, Arc::clone(&config_loader)));
+
+    let syntax = match syntax {
+        Some(s) => s,
+        None => return styled_multiline_text(text, code_style),
+    };
+
+    let mut highlights = Vec::new();
+
+    for event in syntax.highlight_iter(rope.slice(..), None, None) {
+        match event.unwrap() {
+            HighlightEvent::HighlightStart(span) => {
+                highlights.push(span);
+            }
+            HighlightEvent::HighlightEnd => {
+                highlights.pop();
+            }
+            HighlightEvent::Source { start, end } => {
+                let style = match highlights.first() {
+                    Some(span) => theme.get(&theme.scopes()[span.0]),
+                    None => text_style,
+                };
+
+                let mut slice = &text[start..end];
+                // TODO: do we need to handle all unicode line endings
+                // here, or is just '\n' okay?
+                while let Some(end) = slice.find('\n') {
+                    // emit span up to newline
+                    let text = &slice[..end];
+                    let text = text.replace('\t', "    "); // replace tabs
+                    let span = Span::styled(text, style);
+                    spans.push(span);
+
+                    // truncate slice to after newline
+                    slice = &slice[end + 1..];
+
+                    // make a new line
+                    let spans = std::mem::take(&mut spans);
+                    lines.push(Spans::from(spans));
+                }
+
+                // if there's anything left, emit it too
+                if !slice.is_empty() {
+                    let span = Span::styled(slice.replace('\t', "    "), style);
+                    spans.push(span);
+                }
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    if !spans.is_empty() {
+        let spans = std::mem::take(&mut spans);
+        lines.push(Spans::from(spans));
+    }
+
+    Text::from(lines)
+}
+
 pub struct Markdown {
     contents: String,
 
@@ -101,75 +190,13 @@ impl Markdown {
                 Event::Text(text) => {
                     // TODO: temp workaround
                     if let Some(Tag::CodeBlock(CodeBlockKind::Fenced(language))) = tags.last() {
-                        if let Some(theme) = theme {
-                            let rope = Rope::from(text.as_ref());
-                            let syntax = self
-                                .config_loader
-                                .language_configuration_for_injection_string(language)
-                                .and_then(|config| config.highlight_config(theme.scopes()))
-                                .map(|config| {
-                                    Syntax::new(&rope, config, self.config_loader.clone())
-                                });
-
-                            if let Some(syntax) = syntax {
-                                // if we have a syntax available, highlight_iter and generate spans
-                                let mut highlights = Vec::new();
-
-                                for event in syntax.highlight_iter(rope.slice(..), None, None) {
-                                    match event.unwrap() {
-                                        HighlightEvent::HighlightStart(span) => {
-                                            highlights.push(span);
-                                        }
-                                        HighlightEvent::HighlightEnd => {
-                                            highlights.pop();
-                                        }
-                                        HighlightEvent::Source { start, end } => {
-                                            let style = match highlights.first() {
-                                                Some(span) => theme.get(&theme.scopes()[span.0]),
-                                                None => text_style,
-                                            };
-
-                                            let mut slice = &text[start..end];
-                                            // TODO: do we need to handle all unicode line endings
-                                            // here, or is just '\n' okay?
-                                            while let Some(end) = slice.find('\n') {
-                                                // emit span up to newline
-                                                let text = &slice[..end];
-                                                let text = text.replace('\t', "    "); // replace tabs
-                                                let span = Span::styled(text, style);
-                                                spans.push(span);
-
-                                                // truncate slice to after newline
-                                                slice = &slice[end + 1..];
-
-                                                // make a new line
-                                                let spans = std::mem::take(&mut spans);
-                                                lines.push(Spans::from(spans));
-                                            }
-
-                                            // if there's anything left, emit it too
-                                            if !slice.is_empty() {
-                                                let span = Span::styled(
-                                                    slice.replace('\t', "    "),
-                                                    style,
-                                                );
-                                                spans.push(span);
-                                            }
-                                        }
-                                    }
-                                }
-                            } else {
-                                for line in text.lines() {
-                                    let span = Span::styled(line.to_string(), code_style);
-                                    lines.push(Spans::from(span));
-                                }
-                            }
-                        } else {
-                            for line in text.lines() {
-                                let span = Span::styled(line.to_string(), code_style);
-                                lines.push(Spans::from(span));
-                            }
-                        }
+                        let tui_text = highlighted_code_block(
+                            text.to_string(),
+                            language,
+                            theme,
+                            Arc::clone(&self.config_loader),
+                        );
+                        lines.extend(tui_text.lines.into_iter());
                     } else {
                         let style = if let Some(Tag::Heading(level, ..)) = tags.last() {
                             match level {