diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/components/assistant-ui/markdown-text.tsx b/apps/desktop/src/components/assistant-ui/markdown-text.tsx
index c243b2d2d1693..e6245d8584244 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/components/assistant-ui/markdown-text.tsx
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/components/assistant-ui/markdown-text.tsx
@@ -422,6 +422,12 @@ const MARKDOWN_CONTAINER_CLASS_NAME = cn(
   'aui-md prose w-full max-w-none overflow-hidden text-[length:var(--conversation-text-font-size)] leading-(--dt-line-height) text-foreground',
   'prose-p:leading-(--dt-line-height) prose-li:leading-(--dt-line-height)',
   'prose-headings:text-foreground prose-strong:text-foreground',
+  // Typography styles `pre` as a dark slab: light text (`--tw-prose-pre-code`,
+  // gray-200) on a dark bg. We strip its bg for our own light code card but its
+  // near-white foreground survives — invisible under Shiki's opaque token
+  // spans, but it's what un-highlighted text inherits (streaming delay,
+  // Suspense fallback, budget-exceeded blocks): unreadable in light mode.
+  'prose-pre:text-foreground',
   'prose-a:break-words prose-p:[overflow-wrap:anywhere]',
   'prose-li:marker:text-muted-foreground/70',
   'prose-code:rounded-[0.25rem] prose-code:px-[0.1875rem] prose-code:py-px prose-code:font-mono prose-code:text-[0.9em] prose-code:font-normal prose-code:before:content-none prose-code:after:content-none',