diff --git a/modules/lang/markdown/config.el b/modules/lang/markdown/config.el
index 2119c420d..63d5bd0f0 100644
--- a/modules/lang/markdown/config.el
+++ b/modules/lang/markdown/config.el
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ capture, the end position, and the output buffer.")
         markdown-gfm-additional-languages '("sh")
         markdown-make-gfm-checkboxes-buttons t
         markdown-fontify-whole-heading-line t
+        markdown-fontify-code-blocks-natively t
 
         ;; `+markdown-compile' offers support for many transpilers (see
         ;; `+markdown-compile-functions'), which it tries until one succeeds.
@@ -73,6 +74,13 @@ capture, the end position, and the output buffer.")
     :override #'markdown-match-generic-metadata
     (ignore (goto-char (point-max))))
 
+  ;; HACK: markdown-mode calls a major mode without inhibiting its hooks, which
+  ;;   could contain expensive functionality. I suppress it to speed up their
+  ;;   fontification.
+  (defadvice! +markdown-optimize-src-buffer-modes-a (fn &rest args)
+    :around #'markdown-fontify-code-block-natively
+    (delay-mode-hooks (apply fn args)))
+
   (map! :map markdown-mode-map
         :localleader
         "'" #'markdown-edit-code-block