diff --git a/modules/lang/markdown/autoload.el b/modules/lang/markdown/autoload.el
index f1c2c3904..7e1d2b23a 100644
--- a/modules/lang/markdown/autoload.el
+++ b/modules/lang/markdown/autoload.el
@@ -40,3 +40,46 @@ Return nil if on a link url, markup, html, or references."
                       for face in faces
                       if (memq face unsafe-faces)
                       return t)))))
+
+;;;###autoload
+(defun +markdown-compile (beg end output-buffer)
+  "Compile markdown into html.
+
+Runs `+markdown-compile-functions' until the first function to return non-nil,
+otherwise throws an error."
+  (or (run-hook-with-args-until-success '+markdown-compile-functions
+                                        beg end output-buffer)
+      (user-error "No markdown program could be found. Install marked, pandoc or markdown.")))
+
+;;;###autoload
+(defun +markdown-compile-marked (beg end output-buffer)
+  "Compiles markdown with the marked program, if available.
+Returns its exit code."
+  (when (executable-find "marked")
+    (apply #'call-process-region
+           beg end
+           shell-file-name nil output-buffer nil
+           shell-command-switch
+           "marked"
+           (when (eq major-mode 'gfm-mode)
+             (list "--gfm" "--tables" "--breaks")))))
+
+;;;###autoload
+(defun +markdown-compile-pandoc (beg end output-buffer)
+  "Compiles markdown with the pandoc program, if available.
+Returns its exit code."
+  (when (executable-find "pandoc")
+    (call-process-region beg end
+                         shell-file-name nil output-buffer nil
+                         shell-command-switch
+                         "pandoc" "--smart" "-f" "markdown" "-t" "html")))
+
+;;;###autoload
+(defun +markdown-compile-markdown (beg end output-buffer)
+  "Compiles markdown using the markdown program, if available.
+Returns its exit code."
+  (when (executable-find "markdown")
+    (call-process-region beg end
+                         shell-file-name nil output-buffer nil
+                         shell-command-switch
+                         "markdown")))
diff --git a/modules/lang/markdown/config.el b/modules/lang/markdown/config.el
index 09148e0d3..2cf556b6c 100644
--- a/modules/lang/markdown/config.el
+++ b/modules/lang/markdown/config.el
@@ -1,5 +1,19 @@
 ;;; lang/markdown/config.el -*- lexical-binding: t; -*-
 
+(defvar +markdown-compile-functions
+  '(+markdown-compile-marked
+    +markdown-compile-pandoc
+    +markdown-compile-markdown)
+  "A list of commands to try when attempting to build a markdown file with
+`markdown-open' or `markdown-preview', stopping at the first one to return non-nil.
+
+Each function takes three argument. The beginning position of the region to
+capture, the end position, and the output buffer.")
+
+
+;;
+;;; Packages
+
 (def-package! markdown-mode
   :mode ("/README\\(?:\\.\\(?:markdown\\|md\\)\\)?\\'" . gfm-mode)
   :init
@@ -11,7 +25,11 @@
         markdown-fontify-code-blocks-natively t
         markdown-hide-urls nil ; trigger with `markdown-toggle-url-hiding'
         markdown-enable-math t ; syntax highlighting for latex fragments
-        markdown-gfm-uppercase-checkbox t) ; for compat with org-mode
+        markdown-gfm-uppercase-checkbox t ; for compat with org-mode
+        markdown-command #'+markdown-compile
+        markdown-open-command
+        (cond (IS-MAC "open")
+              (IS-LINUX "xdg-open")))
 
   :config
   (set-flyspell-predicate! '(markdown-mode gfm-mode)