diff --git a/block.go b/block.go
index 8681e63..7ff1142 100644
--- a/block.go
+++ b/block.go
@@ -86,7 +86,7 @@ func (p *parser) block(out *bytes.Buffer, data []byte) {
 		// }
 		// ```
 		if p.flags&EXTENSION_FENCED_CODE != 0 {
-			if i := p.fencedCode(out, data); i > 0 {
+			if i := p.fencedCode(out, data, true); i > 0 {
 				data = data[i:]
 				continue
 			}
@@ -584,7 +584,7 @@ func (p *parser) isFencedCode(data []byte, syntax **string, oldmarker string) (s
 	return
 }
 
-func (p *parser) fencedCode(out *bytes.Buffer, data []byte) int {
+func (p *parser) fencedCode(out *bytes.Buffer, data []byte, doRender bool) int {
 	var lang *string
 	beg, marker := p.isFencedCode(data, &lang, "")
 	if beg == 0 || beg >= len(data) {
@@ -616,7 +616,9 @@ func (p *parser) fencedCode(out *bytes.Buffer, data []byte) int {
 		}
 
 		// verbatim copy to the working buffer
-		work.Write(data[beg:end])
+		if doRender {
+			work.Write(data[beg:end])
+		}
 		beg = end
 	}
 
@@ -625,7 +627,9 @@ func (p *parser) fencedCode(out *bytes.Buffer, data []byte) int {
 		syntax = *lang
 	}
 
-	p.r.BlockCode(out, work.Bytes(), syntax)
+	if doRender {
+		p.r.BlockCode(out, work.Bytes(), syntax)
+	}
 
 	return beg
 }
diff --git a/block_test.go b/block_test.go
index ae4e1cc..9321a41 100644
--- a/block_test.go
+++ b/block_test.go
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ func doTestsBlock(t *testing.T, tests []string, extensions int) {
 	var candidate string
 	defer func() {
 		if err := recover(); err != nil {
-			t.Errorf("\npanic while processing [%#v]\n", candidate)
+			t.Errorf("\npanic while processing [%#v]: %s\n", candidate, err)
 		}
 	}()
 
@@ -642,6 +642,15 @@ func TestFencedCodeBlock(t *testing.T) {
 
 		"    ``` oz\nleading spaces\n    ```\n",
 		"<pre><code>``` oz\n</code></pre>\n\n<p>leading spaces\n    ```</p>\n",
+
+		"Bla bla\n\n``` oz\ncode blocks breakup paragraphs\n```\n\nBla Bla\n",
+		"<p>Bla bla</p>\n\n<pre><code class=\"oz\">code blocks breakup paragraphs\n</code></pre>\n\n<p>Bla Bla</p>\n",
+
+		"Some text before a fenced code block\n``` oz\ncode blocks breakup paragraphs\n```\nAnd some text after a fenced code block",
+		"<p>Some text before a fenced code block</p>\n\n<pre><code class=\"oz\">code blocks breakup paragraphs\n</code></pre>\n\n<p>And some text after a fenced code block</p>\n",
+
+		"`",
+		"<p>`</p>\n",
 	}
 	doTestsBlock(t, tests, EXTENSION_FENCED_CODE)
 }
diff --git a/markdown.go b/markdown.go
index 1b170e4..606b53b 100644
--- a/markdown.go
+++ b/markdown.go
@@ -305,6 +305,7 @@ func Markdown(input []byte, renderer Renderer, extensions int) []byte {
 // - expand tabs
 // - normalize newlines
 // - copy everything else
+// - add missing newlines before fenced code blocks
 func firstPass(p *parser, input []byte) []byte {
 	var out bytes.Buffer
 	tabSize := TAB_SIZE_DEFAULT
@@ -312,6 +313,8 @@ func firstPass(p *parser, input []byte) []byte {
 		tabSize = TAB_SIZE_EIGHT
 	}
 	beg, end := 0, 0
+	lastLineWasBlank := false
+	lastFencedCodeBlockEnd := 0
 	for beg < len(input) { // iterate over lines
 		if end = isReference(p, input[beg:], tabSize); end > 0 {
 			beg += end
@@ -321,6 +324,17 @@ func firstPass(p *parser, input []byte) []byte {
 				end++
 			}
 
+			if p.flags&EXTENSION_FENCED_CODE != 0 {
+				// when last line was none blank and a fenced code block comes after
+				if !lastLineWasBlank && beg >= lastFencedCodeBlockEnd {
+					if i := p.fencedCode(&out, append(input[beg:], '\n'), false); i > 0 {
+						out.WriteByte('\n') // need to inject additional linebreak
+						lastFencedCodeBlockEnd = beg + i
+					}
+				}
+				lastLineWasBlank = end == beg
+			}
+
 			// add the line body if present
 			if end > beg {
 				expandTabs(&out, input[beg:end], tabSize)
diff --git a/upskirtref_test.go b/upskirtref_test.go
index 8205e48..42a0bdd 100644
--- a/upskirtref_test.go
+++ b/upskirtref_test.go
@@ -50,18 +50,21 @@ func doTestsReference(t *testing.T, files []string, flag int) {
 		}
 		expected := string(expectedBytes)
 
+		// fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "processing %s ...", filename)
 		actual := string(runMarkdownReference(input, flag))
 		if actual != expected {
 			t.Errorf("\n    [%#v]\nExpected[%#v]\nActual  [%#v]",
 				basename+".text", expected, actual)
 		}
+		// fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, " ok\n")
 
 		// now test every prefix of every input to check for
 		// bounds checking
 		if !testing.Short() {
-			start := 0
-			for end := start + 1; end <= len(input); end++ {
+			start, max := 0, len(input)
+			for end := start + 1; end <= max; end++ {
 				candidate = input[start:end]
+				// fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "  %s %d:%d/%d\n", filename, start, end, max)
 				_ = runMarkdownReference(candidate, flag)
 			}
 		}