diff --git a/scripts/panvimdoc.lua b/scripts/panvimdoc.lua
index c0194ef..88dffcd 100644
--- a/scripts/panvimdoc.lua
+++ b/scripts/panvimdoc.lua
@@ -51,6 +51,14 @@ local function indent(s, fl, ol)
   return table.concat(ret, "\n")
 end
 
+-- Vim help code fences must start at column 1; list indentation can also
+-- swallow the blank line before the opening fence, so normalize both markers.
+local function normalize_list_codeblock_fences(s)
+  s = s:gsub("\n +(>[^ \n]*)", "\n\n%1")
+  s = s:gsub("\n +(<)", "\n%1")
+  return s
+end
+
 Writer = pandoc.scaffolding.Writer
 
 local function inlines(ils)
@@ -323,7 +331,8 @@ end
 Writer.Block.BulletList = function(items)
   local buffer = {}
   items.content:map(function(item)
-    table.insert(buffer, indent(blocks(item, "\n"), "- ", "    "))
+    local rendered = indent(blocks(item, "\n"), "- ", "    ")
+    table.insert(buffer, normalize_list_codeblock_fences(rendered))
   end)
   return table.concat(buffer, "\n") .. "\n\n"
 end
diff --git a/tests/fixtures/render/codeblocks_in_nested_lists_1.md b/tests/fixtures/render/codeblocks_in_nested_lists_1.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..bf3d1d0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/fixtures/render/codeblocks_in_nested_lists_1.md
@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+# test code blocks
+
+```lua
+    print('code block at root')
+    print('code block at root')
+    print('code block at root')
+```
+
+- list
+
+    ```lua
+        print('code block in list')
+        print('code block in list')
+        print('code block in list')
+    ```
+
+  - sublist
+    - a
+
+        ```lua
+            print('a')
+            print('a')
+            print('a')
+        ```
+
+    - b
+
+        ```lua
+            print('b')
+            print('b')
+            print('b')
+        ```
diff --git a/tests/fixtures/render/codeblocks_in_nested_lists_1.txt b/tests/fixtures/render/codeblocks_in_nested_lists_1.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f2059ab
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/fixtures/render/codeblocks_in_nested_lists_1.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,43 @@
+*test.txt*                                                    Test Description
+                                 For NVIM v0.8.0    Last change: 2026 April 12
+
+==============================================================================
+Table of Contents                                     *test-table-of-contents*
+
+1. test code blocks                                    |test-test-code-blocks|
+
+==============================================================================
+1. test code blocks                                    *test-test-code-blocks*
+
+>lua
+        print('code block at root')
+        print('code block at root')
+        print('code block at root')
+<
+
+- list
+
+>lua
+            print('code block in list')
+            print('code block in list')
+            print('code block in list')
+<
+    - sublist
+        - a
+
+>lua
+                    print('a')
+                    print('a')
+                    print('a')
+<
+        - b
+
+>lua
+                    print('b')
+                    print('b')
+                    print('b')
+<
+
+Generated by panvimdoc <https://github.com/kdheepak/panvimdoc>
+
+vim:tw=78:ts=8:noet:ft=help:norl:
diff --git a/tests/fixtures/render_cases.json b/tests/fixtures/render_cases.json
index 3f6e666..efe9764 100644
--- a/tests/fixtures/render_cases.json
+++ b/tests/fixtures/render_cases.json
@@ -1,4 +1,22 @@
 [
+  {
+    "name": "codeblocks_in_nested_lists_1",
+    "input": "fixtures/render/codeblocks_in_nested_lists_1.md",
+    "expected": "fixtures/render/codeblocks_in_nested_lists_1.txt",
+    "options": {
+      "toc": true,
+      "dedup_subheadings": false,
+      "treesitter": true,
+      "demojify": false,
+      "description": "Test Description",
+      "vimversion": "NVIM v0.8.0",
+      "ignore_rawblocks": true,
+      "shift_heading_level_by": 0,
+      "increment_heading_level_by": 0,
+      "doc_mapping": true,
+      "doc_mapping_project_name": true
+    }
+  },
   {
     "name": "dedupheadings_1",
     "input": "fixtures/render/dedupheadings_1.md",