diff --git a/css/agent-chat.css b/css/agent-chat.css
index 17ca372..97a10f0 100644
--- a/css/agent-chat.css
+++ b/css/agent-chat.css
@@ -143,3 +143,58 @@
         font-size: 0.72rem;
     }
 }
+
+/* =========================================
+   PHASE 2 — Markdown rendering in chat
+   ========================================= */
+.chat-msg-body strong { color: var(--accent); font-weight: 700; }
+.chat-msg-body em { color: var(--text-dim); font-style: italic; }
+.chat-msg-body code {
+    background: rgba(20, 241, 149, 0.1);
+    padding: 0 0.3rem;
+    border-radius: 2px;
+    color: var(--status-green, #14f195);
+    font-family: 'JetBrains Mono', 'Courier New', monospace;
+    font-size: 0.85em;
+    border: 1px solid rgba(20, 241, 149, 0.2);
+}
+.chat-msg-body pre {
+    background: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.45);
+    padding: 0.6rem 0.75rem;
+    border-radius: 4px;
+    overflow-x: auto;
+    border-left: 2px solid var(--accent);
+    margin: 0.5rem 0;
+    max-width: 100%;
+}
+.chat-msg-body pre code {
+    background: transparent;
+    border: none;
+    padding: 0;
+    color: var(--text, #e8e8e8);
+    font-size: 0.8em;
+    white-space: pre;
+}
+.chat-msg-body a {
+    color: var(--accent);
+    text-decoration: underline;
+    text-underline-offset: 2px;
+    transition: color 0.15s ease;
+}
+.chat-msg-body a:hover { color: var(--status-green, #14f195); }
+.chat-msg-body h2,
+.chat-msg-body h3,
+.chat-msg-body h4 {
+    color: var(--accent);
+    margin: 0.5rem 0 0.25rem;
+    font-weight: 600;
+    letter-spacing: 0.5px;
+}
+.chat-msg-body h2 { font-size: 1.1em; }
+.chat-msg-body h3 { font-size: 1.0em; }
+.chat-msg-body h4 { font-size: 0.95em; }
+.chat-msg-body ul, .chat-msg-body ol {
+    margin: 0.3rem 0 0.3rem 1.25rem;
+    padding: 0;
+}
+.chat-msg-body li { margin: 0.15rem 0; list-style: disc; }
diff --git a/js/chat.js b/js/chat.js
index a7b0a09..5924ba8 100644
--- a/js/chat.js
+++ b/js/chat.js
@@ -28,6 +28,36 @@
         });
     }
 
+    // ─── Minimal safe Markdown → HTML (assistant messages only) ──
+    function md(text) {
+        if (!text) return '';
+        let html = String(text).replace(/&/g, '&amp;').replace(/</g, '&lt;').replace(/>/g, '&gt;');
+        // Fenced code blocks ```...```
+        html = html.replace(/```([\s\S]*?)```/g, function (_m, code) {
+            return '<pre><code>' + code + '</code></pre>';
+        });
+        // Inline code
+        html = html.replace(/`([^`\n]+)`/g, '<code>$1</code>');
+        // Bold **...**
+        html = html.replace(/\*\*([^*\n]+)\*\*/g, '<strong>$1</strong>');
+        // Italic *...* (avoid double-asterisk leftovers)
+        html = html.replace(/(^|[^*])\*([^*\n]+)\*(?!\*)/g, '$1<em>$2</em>');
+        // Links [text](url)
+        html = html.replace(/\[([^\]]+)\]\(([^)\s]+)\)/g, '<a href="$2" target="_blank" rel="noopener">$1</a>');
+        // Headings
+        html = html.replace(/^### (.+)$/gm, '<h4>$1</h4>');
+        html = html.replace(/^## (.+)$/gm, '<h3>$1</h3>');
+        html = html.replace(/^# (.+)$/gm, '<h2>$1</h2>');
+        // Bullet list lines: "- item" / "* item" → <li>
+        html = html.replace(/^(?:-|\*) (.+)$/gm, '<li>$1</li>');
+        html = html.replace(/(<li>[\s\S]*?<\/li>)(?!\s*<li>)/g, '<ul>$1</ul>');
+        // Line breaks (avoid inside <pre>)
+        html = html.replace(/(<pre>[\s\S]*?<\/pre>)|\n/g, function (m, pre) {
+            return pre ? pre : '<br>';
+        });
+        return html;
+    }
+
     // ─── Render a message bubble ──────────────────────
     function addMessage(role, text) {
         const welcome = chatMessages.querySelector('.chat-welcome');
@@ -42,7 +72,7 @@
 
         const body = document.createElement('div');
         body.className = 'chat-msg-body';
-        body.textContent = text;
+        if (role === 'assistant') { body.innerHTML = md(text); } else { body.textContent = text; }
 
         msg.appendChild(label);
         msg.appendChild(body);
@@ -101,22 +131,24 @@
     // ─── Typewriter effect ────────────────────────────
     function typewriterEffect(element, text, speed) {
         speed = speed || 10;
-        // If reply is too long, bypass animation
+        element.innerHTML = '';
+        // Bypass animation for long replies — render full markdown immediately
         if (!text || text.length > 600) {
-            element.textContent = text || '';
+            element.innerHTML = md(text || '');
             chatMessages.scrollTop = chatMessages.scrollHeight;
             return Promise.resolve();
         }
         let i = 0;
-        element.textContent = '';
         return new Promise(function (resolve) {
             function tick() {
                 if (i < text.length) {
-                    element.textContent += text.charAt(i);
                     i++;
+                    element.innerHTML = md(text.slice(0, i));
                     chatMessages.scrollTop = chatMessages.scrollHeight;
                     setTimeout(tick, speed);
                 } else {
+                    // Dispatch event so voice-mode / others can hook
+                    try { document.dispatchEvent(new CustomEvent('jae-agent-reply', { detail: { text: text } })); } catch (e) {}
                     resolve();
                 }
             }
@@ -138,7 +170,7 @@
             label.textContent = role === 'user' ? 'YOU' : 'JAE-AI';
             const body = document.createElement('div');
             body.className = 'chat-msg-body';
-            body.textContent = m.content || '';
+            if (role === 'assistant') { body.innerHTML = md(m.content || ''); } else { body.textContent = m.content || ''; }
             const el = document.createElement('div');
             el.className = `chat-msg chat-msg-${role}`;
             el.appendChild(label);
@@ -296,7 +328,7 @@
                         const body = addMessage('assistant', '');
                         const msgEl = body && body.parentElement;
                         if (msgEl) msgEl.classList.add('chat-msg-cli');
-                        body.textContent = res.output;
+                        body.innerHTML = md(res.output);
                         chatMessages.scrollTop = chatMessages.scrollHeight;
                     }
                 }