diff --git a/apps/web/src/markdown-clipboard.test.ts b/apps/web/src/markdown-clipboard.test.ts
index 7265e8b6043..1e337f628c8 100644
--- a/apps/web/src/markdown-clipboard.test.ts
+++ b/apps/web/src/markdown-clipboard.test.ts
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ class FakeText {
 class FakeElement {
   readonly nodeType = ELEMENT_NODE;
   readonly childNodes: Array<FakeElement | FakeText> = [];
+  parentElement: FakeElement | null = null;
   readonly classList = {
     contains: (name: string) => this.classNames.includes(name),
   };
@@ -33,10 +34,24 @@ class FakeElement {
   }
 
   append(...children: Array<FakeElement | FakeText>): this {
+    for (const child of children) {
+      if (child instanceof FakeElement) child.parentElement = this;
+    }
     this.childNodes.push(...children);
     return this;
   }
 
+  hasChildNodes(): boolean {
+    return this.childNodes.length > 0;
+  }
+
+  remove(): void {
+    if (!this.parentElement) return;
+    const index = this.parentElement.childNodes.indexOf(this);
+    if (index >= 0) this.parentElement.childNodes.splice(index, 1);
+    this.parentElement = null;
+  }
+
   getAttribute(): string | null {
     return null;
   }
@@ -44,10 +59,28 @@ class FakeElement {
   hasAttribute(): boolean {
     return false;
   }
+
+  closest(): FakeElement | null {
+    return null;
+  }
+
+  querySelector(): FakeElement | null {
+    return null;
+  }
+
+  querySelectorAll(selector: string): FakeElement[] {
+    const matches: FakeElement[] = [];
+    for (const child of this.childNodes) {
+      if (!(child instanceof FakeElement)) continue;
+      if (child.tagName === selector.toUpperCase()) matches.push(child);
+      matches.push(...child.querySelectorAll(selector));
+    }
+    return matches;
+  }
 }
 
-function asNode(element: FakeElement): Node {
-  return element as unknown as Node;
+function asElement(element: FakeElement): Element {
+  return element as unknown as Element;
 }
 
 function shikiCodeLine(text: string): FakeElement {
@@ -72,7 +105,7 @@ describe("serializeRenderedMarkdownFragment", () => {
     );
     const container = new FakeElement("DIV").append(paragraph);
 
-    expect(serializeRenderedMarkdownFragment(asNode(container))).toBe("run `git status` first");
+    expect(serializeRenderedMarkdownFragment(asElement(container))).toBe("run `git status` first");
   });
 
   it("keeps a highlighted block code selection plain when its pre wrapper is outside the range", () => {
@@ -81,7 +114,7 @@ describe("serializeRenderedMarkdownFragment", () => {
     );
     const container = new FakeElement("DIV").append(code);
 
-    expect(serializeRenderedMarkdownFragment(asNode(container))).toBe(
+    expect(serializeRenderedMarkdownFragment(asElement(container))).toBe(
       "git show-ref --verify refs/remotes/origin/opt/deploy/dev",
     );
   });
@@ -90,6 +123,45 @@ describe("serializeRenderedMarkdownFragment", () => {
     const code = new FakeElement("CODE").append(new FakeText("first line\nsecond line"));
     const container = new FakeElement("DIV").append(code);
 
-    expect(serializeRenderedMarkdownFragment(asNode(container))).toBe("first line\nsecond line");
+    expect(serializeRenderedMarkdownFragment(asElement(container))).toBe("first line\nsecond line");
+  });
+
+  it("keeps a code-only selection plain when its cloned range contains pre wrappers", () => {
+    const container = new FakeElement("DIV").append(
+      new FakeElement("PRE").append(new FakeText("npx vp pack --watch")),
+      new FakeElement("PRE"),
+    );
+
+    expect(serializeRenderedMarkdownFragment(asElement(container))).toBe("npx vp pack --watch");
+  });
+
+  it("preserves an empty rendered code block", () => {
+    const container = new FakeElement("DIV").append(
+      new FakeElement("PRE").append(new FakeElement("CODE")),
+    );
+
+    expect(serializeRenderedMarkdownFragment(asElement(container))).toBe("```\n\n```");
+  });
+
+  it("preserves fences when a selection includes prose and a code block", () => {
+    const container = new FakeElement("DIV").append(
+      new FakeElement("P").append(new FakeText("Run this:")),
+      new FakeElement("PRE").append(new FakeText("npx vp pack --watch")),
+    );
+
+    expect(serializeRenderedMarkdownFragment(asElement(container))).toBe(
+      "Run this:\n\n```\nnpx vp pack --watch\n```",
+    );
+  });
+
+  it("preserves non-text content selected with a code block", () => {
+    const container = new FakeElement("DIV").append(
+      new FakeElement("PRE").append(new FakeText("npx vp pack --watch")),
+      new FakeElement("HR"),
+    );
+
+    expect(serializeRenderedMarkdownFragment(asElement(container))).toBe(
+      "```\nnpx vp pack --watch\n```\n\n---",
+    );
   });
 });
diff --git a/apps/web/src/markdown-clipboard.ts b/apps/web/src/markdown-clipboard.ts
index 069d161a188..52174056de1 100644
--- a/apps/web/src/markdown-clipboard.ts
+++ b/apps/web/src/markdown-clipboard.ts
@@ -267,8 +267,17 @@ function tidyMarkdown(markdown: string): string {
     .trim();
 }
 
-export function serializeRenderedMarkdownFragment(container: Node): string {
-  return tidyMarkdown(serializeChildren(container));
+export function serializeRenderedMarkdownFragment(container: Element): string {
+  for (const pre of container.querySelectorAll("pre")) {
+    if (!pre.hasChildNodes()) pre.remove();
+  }
+  const markdown = tidyMarkdown(serializeChildren(container));
+  const codeBlocks = [...container.querySelectorAll("pre")].filter((pre) =>
+    pre.textContent?.trim(),
+  );
+  const codeBlock = codeBlocks.length === 1 ? codeBlocks[0] : null;
+  if (!codeBlock || markdown !== serializeCodeBlock(codeBlock).trim()) return markdown;
+  return (codeBlock.textContent ?? "").replace(/\n$/, "");
 }
 
 export function serializeTableElementToMarkdown(table: Element): string {