diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index cb8b3051..7dddce96 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@
   },
   "devDependencies": {
     "@eslint/js": "9.29.0",
-    "@storybook/react-vite": "9.0.11",
+    "@storybook/react-vite": "9.0.12",
     "@testing-library/react": "16.3.0",
     "@types/node": "24.0.3",
     "@types/react": "19.1.8",
@@ -73,12 +73,12 @@
     "eslint-plugin-react": "7.37.5",
     "eslint-plugin-react-hooks": "5.2.0",
     "eslint-plugin-react-refresh": "0.4.20",
-    "eslint-plugin-storybook": "9.0.11",
+    "eslint-plugin-storybook": "9.0.12",
     "globals": "16.2.0",
     "jsdom": "26.1.0",
     "nodemon": "3.1.10",
     "npm-run-all": "4.1.5",
-    "storybook": "9.0.11",
+    "storybook": "9.0.12",
     "typescript": "5.8.3",
     "typescript-eslint": "8.34.1",
     "vite": "6.3.5",
diff --git a/src/components/Markdown/Markdown.test.tsx b/src/components/Markdown/Markdown.test.tsx
index 67c8689d..fae194c2 100644
--- a/src/components/Markdown/Markdown.test.tsx
+++ b/src/components/Markdown/Markdown.test.tsx
@@ -449,14 +449,14 @@ describe('Markdown with tables', () => {
   })
 
   it('keeps surrounding paragraphs intact', () => {
-    const text = 'Above\n\n| H1 | H2 |\n|----|----|\n| a  | b  |\n\nBelow'
-    const { getByText, getByRole } = render(<Markdown text={text} />)
-    expect(getByText('Above').tagName).toBe('P')
-    expect(getByText('Below').tagName).toBe('P')
-    expect(getByRole('table')).toBeDefined()
+    const text = 'alpha | beta\n---\ngamma'
+    const { getByText, queryByRole } = render(<Markdown text={text} />)
+    expect(getByText('alpha | beta').tagName).toBe('P')
+    expect(getByText('gamma').tagName).toBe('P')
+    expect(queryByRole('table')).toBeNull()
   })
 
-  it('ignores pipe‑separated text that lacks a separator line', () => {
+  it('ignores pipe-separated text that lacks a separator line', () => {
     const bogus = 'not | a | table'
     const { queryByRole, getByText } = render(<Markdown text={bogus} />)
     expect(queryByRole('table')).toBeNull() // no table
@@ -478,4 +478,30 @@ describe('Markdown with tables', () => {
     expect(getByText('Header1')).toBeDefined()
     expect(getByText('Data2')).toBeDefined()
   })
+
+  it('keeps a pipe that is inside inline code in a table', () => {
+    const text = 'Header1 | Header2\n------- | -------\n| Here is some `inline | code` with a pipe. |'
+    const { getByText, getByRole } = render(<Markdown text={text} />)
+    expect(getByRole('table')).toBeDefined()
+    expect(getByText('inline | code')).toBeDefined()
+  })
+
+  it('does not treat --- as a table separator', () => {
+    const text = 'Column 1 | Column 2\n---\nData 1 | Data 2'
+    const { queryByRole, getByRole, getByText } = render(<Markdown text={text} />)
+    expect(queryByRole('table')).toBeNull() // no table
+    expect(getByText('Column 1 | Column 2')).toBeDefined()
+    expect(getByRole('separator')).toBeDefined() // horizontal rule
+    expect(getByText('Data 1 | Data 2')).toBeDefined()
+  })
+
+  it('handles escaped pipes in table cells', () => {
+    const text = '| Header \\| 1 | Header 2 |\n|----------|----------|\n| Cell with \\| escaped pipe | Normal cell |'
+    const { getByText, getByRole } = render(<Markdown text={text} />)
+    expect(getByRole('table')).toBeDefined()
+    expect(getByText('Header | 1')).toBeDefined()
+    expect(getByText('Header 2')).toBeDefined()
+    expect(getByText('Cell with | escaped pipe')).toBeDefined()
+    expect(getByText('Normal cell')).toBeDefined()
+  })
 })
diff --git a/src/components/Markdown/Markdown.tsx b/src/components/Markdown/Markdown.tsx
index ac12311b..ffc7ea9b 100644
--- a/src/components/Markdown/Markdown.tsx
+++ b/src/components/Markdown/Markdown.tsx
@@ -113,7 +113,7 @@ function parseMarkdown(text: string): Token[] {
       // Check if the next line is a valid table separator
       // Extended markdown alignment syntax: |:--|, |:--:|, |--:|
       const tableSepRegex = /^\s*\|?\s*:?-+:?\s*(\|\s*:?-+:?\s*)*\|?\s*$/
-      if (tableSepRegex.test(sepLine)) {
+      if (sepLine.includes('|') && tableSepRegex.test(sepLine)) {
         // collect header cells
         const headerCells = splitTableRow(line)
         i += 2
@@ -446,12 +446,40 @@ function parseInlineRecursive(text: string, stop?: string): [Token[], number] {
 
 /** Split a table row, trimming outer pipes and whitespace */
 function splitTableRow(row: string): string[] {
-  return row
-    .trim()
-    .replace(/^\|/, '')
-    .replace(/\|$/, '')
-    .split('|')
-    .map(cell => cell.trim())
+  const cells: string[] = []
+  let current = ''
+  let inCode = false
+
+  // strip a single leading / trailing pipe so we don't create empty edge‑cells
+  const trimmed = row.trim()
+  const start = trimmed.startsWith('|') ? 1 : 0
+  const end = trimmed.endsWith('|') ? trimmed.length - 1 : trimmed.length
+
+  for (let i = start; i < end; i++) {
+    const ch = trimmed[i] ?? ''
+
+    if (ch === '`') {
+      inCode = !inCode
+      current += ch
+      continue
+    }
+
+    if (ch === '|' && !inCode) {
+      // escaped pipe \| becomes |
+      if (i > start && trimmed[i - 1] === '\\') {
+        current = current.slice(0, -1) + '|'
+        continue
+      }
+      cells.push(current.trim())
+      current = ''
+      continue
+    }
+
+    current += ch
+  }
+
+  cells.push(current.trim())
+  return cells
 }
 
 function isOpeningUnderscore(text: string, pos: number): boolean {
@@ -591,6 +619,10 @@ function renderTokens(tokens: Token[], keyPrefix = ''): ReactNode[] {
   })
 }
 
+/**
+ * Markdown component. Converts markdown text to React elements.
+ * Designed to handle streaming markdown input gracefully.
+ */
 export default function Markdown({ text, className }: MarkdownProps) {
   const tokens = parseMarkdown(text)
   return createElement('div', { className }, renderTokens(tokens))
diff --git a/src/components/MarkdownView/MarkdownView.module.css b/src/components/MarkdownView/MarkdownView.module.css
index be129583..a1284e2e 100644
--- a/src/components/MarkdownView/MarkdownView.module.css
+++ b/src/components/MarkdownView/MarkdownView.module.css
@@ -37,14 +37,16 @@
 }
 .markdownView th,
 .markdownView td {
-  border-bottom: 1px solid #333;
   padding: 8px;
   text-align: left;
 }
 .markdownView th {
-  border-bottom: 2px solid #333;
+  border-bottom: 2px solid #888;
   font-weight: 500;
 }
+.markdownView td {
+  border-bottom: 1px solid #666;
+}
 .markdownView tr:last-child td {
   border-bottom: none;
 }