diff --git a/.changeset/render-inline-markdown.md b/.changeset/render-inline-markdown.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..6576b1aa2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/render-inline-markdown.md
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+---
+'@doc-kit/generator-react': patch
+'@doc-kit/core': patch
+---
+
+Render markdown summaries as markup instead of as their source
diff --git a/packages/core/src/utils/__tests__/inline.test.mjs b/packages/core/src/utils/__tests__/inline.test.mjs
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..8ad0d7692
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/core/src/utils/__tests__/inline.test.mjs
@@ -0,0 +1,39 @@
+import assert from 'node:assert/strict';
+import { describe, it } from 'node:test';
+
+import { parseInline, renderAsHTML } from '../inline.mjs';
+
+describe('parseInline', () => {
+  it('drops the paragraph a line of prose is parsed into', () => {
+    const nodes = parseInline('Some `code` here.');
+
+    assert.deepEqual(
+      nodes.map(node => node.type),
+      ['text', 'inlineCode', 'text']
+    );
+  });
+
+  it('replaces links with their text when asked', () => {
+    const markdown = 'Superseded by [DEP0111](#DEP0111).';
+
+    assert.equal(parseInline(markdown)[1].type, 'link');
+    assert.deepEqual(
+      parseInline(markdown, true).map(node => node.type),
+      ['text', 'text', 'text']
+    );
+  });
+});
+
+describe('renderAsHTML', () => {
+  it('renders nodes without whitespace between them', () => {
+    const html = renderAsHTML(parseInline('Now returns `undefined`.'));
+
+    assert.equal(html, 'Now returns <code>undefined</code>.');
+  });
+
+  it('drops raw HTML rather than passing it through', () => {
+    const html = renderAsHTML(parseInline('A <b>bold</b> claim.'));
+
+    assert.equal(html, 'A bold claim.');
+  });
+});
diff --git a/packages/core/src/utils/inline.mjs b/packages/core/src/utils/inline.mjs
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..27849a129
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/core/src/utils/inline.mjs
@@ -0,0 +1,82 @@
+'use strict';
+
+import rehypeStringify from 'rehype-stringify';
+import remarkParse from 'remark-parse';
+import remarkRehype from 'remark-rehype';
+import { unified } from 'unified';
+import { u as createTree } from 'unist-builder';
+import { SKIP, visit } from 'unist-util-visit';
+
+import { lazy } from './misc.mjs';
+
+/**
+ * Renders a `root` as just its children, since content placed directly on one
+ * is otherwise rendered with a line break between each node, which surfaces as
+ * stray whitespace.
+ *
+ * @param {import('mdast-util-to-hast').State} state
+ * @param {import('unist').Parent} node
+ */
+const inlineRoot = (state, node) => ({
+  type: 'root',
+  children: state.all(node),
+});
+
+/**
+ * Retrieves an instance of Remark configured to parse plain markdown, without
+ * the extensions that only apply to whole documents.
+ */
+const getInlineParser = lazy(() => unified().use(remarkParse));
+
+/**
+ * Retrieves an instance of Remark configured to render inline nodes as an HTML
+ * string. Raw HTML is dropped rather than passed through, since the result is
+ * inserted into the page as-is.
+ */
+const getInlineRenderer = lazy(() =>
+  unified()
+    .use(remarkRehype, { handlers: { root: inlineRoot } })
+    .use(rehypeStringify)
+);
+
+/**
+ * Parses a single line of markdown (a change description, a summary, ...) into
+ * the inline nodes it is made of.
+ *
+ * @param {string} markdown - The markdown to parse.
+ * @param {boolean} [dropLinks] - Replace links with their text? Anchors cannot
+ * nest, so content rendered inside a link must not contain one.
+ * @returns {Array<import('mdast').PhrasingContent>} The parsed nodes.
+ */
+export const parseInline = (markdown, dropLinks = false) => {
+  const tree = getInlineParser().parse(markdown);
+
+  if (dropLinks) {
+    visit(tree, 'link', (node, index, parent) => {
+      parent.children.splice(index, 1, ...node.children);
+
+      return [SKIP, index];
+    });
+  }
+
+  const [first] = tree.children;
+
+  // A single line of prose parses into one paragraph, which is dropped so the
+  // nodes can be rendered inline
+  return tree.children.length === 1 && first.type === 'paragraph'
+    ? first.children
+    : tree.children;
+};
+
+/**
+ * Renders inline nodes as an HTML string, for the places that hand rendered
+ * markup to a component through a data channel rather than as an AST.
+ *
+ * @param {Array<import('mdast').PhrasingContent>} nodes - The nodes to render.
+ * @returns {string} The rendered HTML.
+ */
+export const renderAsHTML = nodes => {
+  const renderer = getInlineRenderer();
+
+  return renderer.stringify(renderer.runSync(createTree('root', nodes)));
+};
diff --git a/packages/react/package.json b/packages/react/package.json
index 1e7d63ff8..3fb38a6fd 100644
--- a/packages/react/package.json
+++ b/packages/react/package.json
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@
     "@heroicons/react": "^2.2.0",
     "@doc-kit/core": "workspace:*",
     "@node-core/rehype-shiki": "^1.4.3",
-    "@node-core/ui-components": "^1.7.4",
+    "@node-core/ui-components": "^1.7.6",
     "@orama/orama": "^3.1.18",
     "@orama/ui": "^1.5.4",
     "estree-util-to-js": "^2.0.0",
diff --git a/packages/react/src/html/ui/components/DocumentationIndex/index.jsx b/packages/react/src/html/ui/components/DocumentationIndex/index.jsx
index 83b90b91a..d809c82fb 100644
--- a/packages/react/src/html/ui/components/DocumentationIndex/index.jsx
+++ b/packages/react/src/html/ui/components/DocumentationIndex/index.jsx
@@ -10,7 +10,8 @@ import { documentationIndex } from '#theme/config';
  * @property {string} api - Basename of the document, linked as `${api}.html`
  * @property {string} name - Human-readable name from the document's heading
  * @property {string} index - Stability index (e.g. `'2'` or `'1.1'`)
- * @property {string} [description] - The document's `llm_description`, or its first paragraph
+ * @property {string} [description] - The document's `llm_description`, or its
+ * first paragraph, rendered to HTML at build time
  */
 
 /**
@@ -34,7 +35,13 @@ const IndexEntry = ({ api, name, index, description }) => {
         </Badge>
       </span>
 
-      {description && <span className={styles.summary}>{description}</span>}
+      {description && (
+        <span
+          className={styles.summary}
+          // Rendered from the document's own markdown at build time
+          dangerouslySetInnerHTML={{ __html: description }}
+        />
+      )}
     </a>
   );
 };
diff --git a/packages/react/src/html/utils/__tests__/config.test.mjs b/packages/react/src/html/utils/__tests__/config.test.mjs
index ba87f86c7..294a22933 100644
--- a/packages/react/src/html/utils/__tests__/config.test.mjs
+++ b/packages/react/src/html/utils/__tests__/config.test.mjs
@@ -185,6 +185,29 @@ describe('buildDocumentationIndex', () => {
       },
     ]);
   });
+
+  it('renders descriptions to HTML, without the links entries cannot nest', () => {
+    const input = [
+      {
+        data: {
+          api: 'fs',
+          path: '/fs',
+          heading: { depth: 1, data: { name: 'File System' } },
+          stability: { data: { index: '2' } },
+          llm_description:
+            'Enables interacting with the `file system`, see [fs](/fs).',
+          content: { type: 'root', children: [] },
+        },
+      },
+    ];
+
+    const [{ description }] = buildDocumentationIndex(input);
+
+    assert.equal(
+      description,
+      'Enables interacting with the <code>file system</code>, see fs.'
+    );
+  });
 });
 
 describe('buildLanguageDisplayNameMap', () => {
diff --git a/packages/react/src/html/utils/config.mjs b/packages/react/src/html/utils/config.mjs
index 5df89a213..e8851d42e 100644
--- a/packages/react/src/html/utils/config.mjs
+++ b/packages/react/src/html/utils/config.mjs
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import {
   getEntryDescription,
   getVersionFromSemVer,
 } from '@doc-kit/core/utils/generators.mjs';
+import { parseInline, renderAsHTML } from '@doc-kit/core/utils/inline.mjs';
 import { omitKeys } from '@doc-kit/core/utils/misc.mjs';
 import { LANGS } from '@node-core/rehype-shiki';
 
@@ -58,7 +59,7 @@ export function buildDocumentationIndex(input) {
       api: entry.api,
       name: entry.heading.data.name,
       index: entry.stability.data.index,
-      description: getEntryDescription(entry),
+      description: renderAsHTML(parseInline(getEntryDescription(entry), true)),
     }));
 }
 
diff --git a/packages/react/src/jsx-ast/utils/__tests__/buildContent.test.mjs b/packages/react/src/jsx-ast/utils/__tests__/buildContent.test.mjs
index 225f8b857..1be679643 100644
--- a/packages/react/src/jsx-ast/utils/__tests__/buildContent.test.mjs
+++ b/packages/react/src/jsx-ast/utils/__tests__/buildContent.test.mjs
@@ -22,6 +22,18 @@ const makeParent = typeText => ({
   ],
 });
 
+/**
+ * Collects the tag names of every JSX element within a JSX AST node.
+ *
+ * @param {import('estree-jsx').JSXFragment} node
+ */
+const jsxElementNames = node =>
+  (node.children ?? []).flatMap(child =>
+    child.type === 'JSXElement'
+      ? [child.openingElement.name.name, ...jsxElementNames(child)]
+      : jsxElementNames(child)
+  );
+
 await setConfig({});
 
 describe('transformHeadingNode (deprecation Type -> AlertBox level)', () => {
@@ -111,6 +123,42 @@ describe('gatherChangeEntries', () => {
     assert.deepEqual(result[0].versions, ['v25.0.0']);
   });
 
+  it('renders the markdown description as JSX content', () => {
+    const [change] = gatherChangeEntries({
+      changes: [
+        {
+          version: 'v25.0.0',
+          description: 'Add `modifyPrototype` option.',
+        },
+      ],
+    });
+
+    assert.equal(change.content.type, 'JSXFragment');
+    assert.deepEqual(jsxElementNames(change.content), ['code']);
+  });
+
+  it('unwraps description links when the change links to its pull request', () => {
+    const description = 'Superseded by [DEP0111](#DEP0111).';
+
+    const [linked] = gatherChangeEntries({
+      changes: [
+        {
+          version: 'v1.0.0',
+          description,
+          'pr-url': 'https://example.com/pr/1',
+        },
+      ],
+    });
+
+    const [unlinked] = gatherChangeEntries({
+      changes: [{ version: 'v1.0.0', description }],
+    });
+
+    assert.deepEqual(jsxElementNames(linked.content), []);
+    assert.deepEqual(jsxElementNames(unlinked.content), ['a']);
+    assert.equal(linked.label, 'Superseded by DEP0111.');
+  });
+
   it('produces a string label, not an object (regression for [object Object])', () => {
     const result = gatherChangeEntries({
       changes: [
diff --git a/packages/react/src/jsx-ast/utils/buildContent.mjs b/packages/react/src/jsx-ast/utils/buildContent.mjs
index ec2a17904..5b29a2f9c 100644
--- a/packages/react/src/jsx-ast/utils/buildContent.mjs
+++ b/packages/react/src/jsx-ast/utils/buildContent.mjs
@@ -6,13 +6,12 @@ import {
   GITHUB_BLOB_URL,
   populate,
 } from '@doc-kit/core/utils/configuration/templates.mjs';
+import { parseInline } from '@doc-kit/core/utils/inline.mjs';
 import { omitKeys } from '@doc-kit/core/utils/misc.mjs';
 import { UNIST } from '@doc-kit/core/utils/queries/index.mjs';
 import { transformNodesToString } from '@doc-kit/core/utils/unist.mjs';
 import { h as createElement } from 'hastscript';
 import { slice } from 'mdast-util-slice-markdown';
-import remarkParse from 'remark-parse';
-import { unified } from 'unified';
 import { u as createTree } from 'unist-builder';
 import { SKIP, visit } from 'unist-util-visit';
 
@@ -20,6 +19,7 @@ import { createJSXElement } from './ast.mjs';
 import { extractHeadings, extractTextContent } from './buildBarProps.mjs';
 import { annotateOverloads } from './overloads.mjs';
 import { getRemarkRecma as remark } from './remark.mjs';
+import { renderAsJSX } from './render.mjs';
 import { JSX_IMPORTS } from '../../html/constants.mjs';
 import {
   STABILITY_LEVELS,
@@ -37,18 +37,6 @@ import {
   getFullName,
 } from './signature.mjs';
 
-/**
- * Converts a markdown string to plain text by parsing it and extracting
- * text and inline code values.
- *
- * @param {string} markdown - The markdown string to convert.
- * @returns {string} The plain text representation.
- */
-const toPlainText = markdown =>
-  transformNodesToString(
-    unified().use(remarkParse).parse(markdown).children
-  ).trim();
-
 /**
  *
  */
@@ -68,12 +56,21 @@ export const gatherChangeEntries = entry => {
       label: `${label}: ${enforceArray(entry[field]).join(', ')}`,
     }));
 
-  // Explicit changes with plain-text labels extracted from markdown
-  const explicitChanges = (entry.changes || []).map(change => ({
-    versions: enforceArray(change.version),
-    label: toPlainText(change.description),
-    url: change['pr-url'],
-  }));
+  // Explicit changes, whose markdown descriptions are rendered as JSX
+  const explicitChanges = (entry.changes || []).map(change => {
+    const url = change['pr-url'];
+    const nodes = parseInline(change.description, Boolean(url));
+
+    return {
+      versions: enforceArray(change.version),
+      // The plain text backs the change's `aria-label` and React key
+      label: transformNodesToString(nodes).trim(),
+      // `content` takes a ReactNode, so inline code, emphasis and links are
+      // displayed as markup instead of as their markdown source
+      content: renderAsJSX(nodes),
+      url,
+    };
+  });
 
   return [...lifecycleChanges, ...explicitChanges];
 };
diff --git a/packages/react/src/jsx-ast/utils/render.mjs b/packages/react/src/jsx-ast/utils/render.mjs
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..bab668ea6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/react/src/jsx-ast/utils/render.mjs
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+'use strict';
+
+import { u as createTree } from 'unist-builder';
+
+import { createJSXElement } from './ast.mjs';
+import { getRemarkRecma as remark } from './remark.mjs';
+
+/**
+ * Renders inline nodes as a JSX fragment
+ *
+ * @param {Array<import('mdast').PhrasingContent>} nodes - The nodes to render.
+ * @returns {import('estree-jsx').JSXFragment} The rendered nodes.
+ */
+export const renderAsJSX = nodes =>
+  remark().runSync(
+    createTree('root', [createJSXElement(null, { children: nodes })])
+  ).body[0].expression;
diff --git a/packages/react/src/jsx-ast/utils/types.mjs b/packages/react/src/jsx-ast/utils/types.mjs
index 3f72d5090..d5dc23d5f 100644
--- a/packages/react/src/jsx-ast/utils/types.mjs
+++ b/packages/react/src/jsx-ast/utils/types.mjs
@@ -1,9 +1,8 @@
 import { QUERIES, UNIST } from '@doc-kit/core/utils/queries/index.mjs';
 import { DEFAULT_EXPRESSION } from '@doc-kit/core/utils/signature/constants.mjs';
 import { transformNodesToString } from '@doc-kit/core/utils/unist.mjs';
-import { u as createTree } from 'unist-builder';
 
-import { getRemarkRecma as remark } from './remark.mjs';
+import { renderAsJSX } from './render.mjs';
 import { TRIMMABLE_PADDING_REGEX } from '../constants.mjs';
 
 /**
@@ -70,8 +69,7 @@ export const extractTypeAnnotation = nodes => {
     return undefined;
   }
 
-  return remark().runSync(createTree('root', [nodes.shift()])).body[0]
-    .expression;
+  return renderAsJSX([nodes.shift()]);
 };
 
 /**
@@ -101,9 +99,7 @@ export const parseListIntoProperties = node =>
         transformNodesToString(children)
       );
 
-      current.description = remark().runSync(
-        createTree('root', children)
-      ).body[0].expression;
+      current.description = renderAsJSX(children);
     }
 
     current.children = parseListIntoProperties(
diff --git a/pnpm-lock.yaml b/pnpm-lock.yaml
index 3c6191fc3..e37cb71b5 100644
--- a/pnpm-lock.yaml
+++ b/pnpm-lock.yaml
@@ -236,8 +236,8 @@ importers:
         specifier: ^1.4.3
         version: 1.4.3(supports-color@7.2.0)
       '@node-core/ui-components':
-        specifier: ^1.7.4
-        version: 1.7.4(@orama/core@1.2.19)(@types/react@19.2.18)(react-dom@19.2.8(react@19.2.8))(supports-color@7.2.0)
+        specifier: ^1.7.6
+        version: 1.7.6(@orama/core@1.2.19)(@types/react@19.2.18)(react-dom@19.2.8(react@19.2.8))(supports-color@7.2.0)
       '@orama/orama':
         specifier: ^3.1.18
         version: 3.1.18
@@ -707,8 +707,8 @@ packages:
     resolution: {integrity: sha512-3LnysU0F1MacdHc+1VHswySfD+smk2bHGob2IlqtHc9VrL5yCC+gbIBbALZYtOOSdmY9J65XvJilFm8XbXJZgA==}
     engines: {node: '>=20'}
 
-  '@node-core/ui-components@1.7.4':
-    resolution: {integrity: sha512-HmSqvXKOk8xBBpFAjWzx6FNCVYmyWSvqwqwfUVaJVAbNGyRNwtziV6HaBjW/ebhD8pqJlhIsrTYO5SFdnQ8WIQ==}
+  '@node-core/ui-components@1.7.6':
+    resolution: {integrity: sha512-4HUQKbcSAAXF/wBVHdfGrf0FW2krKfdtVDMRWWR/cELEEgVWV5TLBVqvYA9+NbiOnNvPkpTgBlMjjCJpVh7tAg==}
     engines: {node: '>=20'}
 
   '@nodelib/fs.scandir@2.1.5':
@@ -4044,7 +4044,7 @@ snapshots:
     transitivePeerDependencies:
       - supports-color
 
-  '@node-core/ui-components@1.7.4(@orama/core@1.2.19)(@types/react@19.2.18)(react-dom@19.2.8(react@19.2.8))(supports-color@7.2.0)':
+  '@node-core/ui-components@1.7.6(@orama/core@1.2.19)(@types/react@19.2.18)(react-dom@19.2.8(react@19.2.8))(supports-color@7.2.0)':
     dependencies:
       '@heroicons/react': 2.2.0(react@19.2.8)
       '@orama/orama': 3.1.18
diff --git a/pnpm-workspace.yaml b/pnpm-workspace.yaml
index ce5a6586f..40e71261f 100644
--- a/pnpm-workspace.yaml
+++ b/pnpm-workspace.yaml
@@ -3,3 +3,6 @@ packages:
 
 allowBuilds:
   unrs-resolver: false
+
+minimumReleaseAgeExclude:
+  - '@node-core/ui-components@1.7.6'