diff --git a/apps/client/src/widgets/react/hooks.tsx b/apps/client/src/widgets/react/hooks.tsx
index 09fda7b843..d507c7e962 100644
--- a/apps/client/src/widgets/react/hooks.tsx
+++ b/apps/client/src/widgets/react/hooks.tsx
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ import { CKTextEditor } from "@triliumnext/ckeditor5";
 import { FilterLabelsByType, KeyboardActionNames, NoteType, OptionNames, RelationNames } from "@triliumnext/commons";
 import { Tooltip } from "bootstrap";
 import Mark from "mark.js";
-import { RefObject, VNode } from "preact";
+import { Ref, RefObject, VNode } from "preact";
 import { CSSProperties, useSyncExternalStore } from "preact/compat";
 import { MutableRef, useCallback, useContext, useDebugValue, useEffect, useLayoutEffect, useMemo, useRef, useState } from "preact/hooks";
 
@@ -964,11 +964,13 @@ export function useLegacyImperativeHandlers(handlers: Record<string, Function>)
     }, [ handlers ]);
 }
 
-export function useSyncedRef<T>(externalRef?: RefObject<T>, initialValue: T | null = null): RefObject<T> {
+export function useSyncedRef<T>(externalRef?: Ref<T>, initialValue: T | null = null): RefObject<T> {
     const ref = useRef<T>(initialValue);
 
     useEffect(() => {
-        if (externalRef) {
+        if (typeof externalRef === "function") {
+            externalRef(ref.current);
+        } else if (externalRef) {
             externalRef.current = ref.current;
         }
     }, [ ref, externalRef ]);
diff --git a/apps/client/src/widgets/type_widgets/code/Code.tsx b/apps/client/src/widgets/type_widgets/code/Code.tsx
index 0f99d37e07..951ebcdc19 100644
--- a/apps/client/src/widgets/type_widgets/code/Code.tsx
+++ b/apps/client/src/widgets/type_widgets/code/Code.tsx
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ import "./code.css";
 
 import { default as VanillaCodeMirror, getThemeById } from "@triliumnext/codemirror";
 import { NoteType } from "@triliumnext/commons";
-import { RefObject } from "preact";
+import { Ref } from "preact";
 import { useEffect, useRef, useState } from "preact/hooks";
 
 import appContext, { CommandListenerData } from "../../../components/app_context";
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ export interface EditableCodeProps extends TypeWidgetProps, Omit<CodeEditorProps
     dataSaved?: () => void;
     placeholder?: string;
     /** Optional external ref to the underlying CodeMirror `EditorView`. Populated once the editor has initialized. */
-    editorRef?: RefObject<VanillaCodeMirror>;
+    editorRef?: Ref<VanillaCodeMirror>;
 }
 
 export function ReadOnlyCode({ note, viewScope, ntxId, parentComponent }: TypeWidgetProps) {
@@ -85,9 +85,13 @@ function formatViewSource(note: FNote, content: string) {
 }
 
 export function EditableCode({ note, ntxId, noteContext, debounceUpdate, parentComponent, updateInterval, noteType = "code", onContentChanged, dataSaved, placeholder, editorRef: externalEditorRef, ...editorProps }: EditableCodeProps) {
-    const internalEditorRef = useRef<VanillaCodeMirror>(null);
-    const editorRef = externalEditorRef ?? internalEditorRef;
+    const editorRef = useRef<VanillaCodeMirror>(null);
     const containerRef = useRef<HTMLPreElement>(null);
+    const combinedEditorRef = (view: VanillaCodeMirror | null) => {
+        editorRef.current = view;
+        if (typeof externalEditorRef === "function") externalEditorRef(view);
+        else if (externalEditorRef) externalEditorRef.current = view;
+    };
     const [ vimKeymapEnabled ] = useTriliumOptionBool("vimKeymapEnabled");
     const [ noteTabWidth ] = useNoteLabelInt(note, "tabWidth");
     const [ noteUseTabs ] = useNoteLabelOptionalBool(note, "indentWithTabs");
@@ -126,7 +130,7 @@ export function EditableCode({ note, ntxId, noteContext, debounceUpdate, parentC
         <>
             <CodeEditor
                 ntxId={ntxId} parentComponent={parentComponent}
-                editorRef={editorRef} containerRef={containerRef}
+                editorRef={combinedEditorRef} containerRef={containerRef}
                 mime={mime ?? "text/plain"}
                 className="note-detail-code-editor"
                 placeholder={placeholder ?? t("editable_code.placeholder")}
@@ -221,11 +225,13 @@ export function CodeEditor({ parentComponent, ntxId, containerRef: externalConta
         indentSize={editorProps.indentSize ?? (parseInt(codeNoteTabWidth) || 4)}
         useTabs={editorProps.useTabs ?? codeNoteIndentWithTabs}
         onInitialized={() => {
-            if (externalContainerRef && containerRef.current) {
-                externalContainerRef.current = containerRef.current;
+            if (containerRef.current) {
+                if (typeof externalContainerRef === "function") externalContainerRef(containerRef.current);
+                else if (externalContainerRef) externalContainerRef.current = containerRef.current;
             }
-            if (externalEditorRef && codeEditorRef.current) {
-                externalEditorRef.current = codeEditorRef.current;
+            if (codeEditorRef.current) {
+                if (typeof externalEditorRef === "function") externalEditorRef(codeEditorRef.current);
+                else if (externalEditorRef) externalEditorRef.current = codeEditorRef.current;
             }
             initialized.current.resolve();
             onInitialized?.();
diff --git a/apps/client/src/widgets/type_widgets/code/CodeMirror.tsx b/apps/client/src/widgets/type_widgets/code/CodeMirror.tsx
index c52c8e7676..e80a0202a2 100644
--- a/apps/client/src/widgets/type_widgets/code/CodeMirror.tsx
+++ b/apps/client/src/widgets/type_widgets/code/CodeMirror.tsx
@@ -1,14 +1,14 @@
 import { useEffect, useRef } from "preact/hooks";
 import { EditorConfig, default as VanillaCodeMirror } from "@triliumnext/codemirror";
 import { useSyncedRef } from "../../react/hooks";
-import { RefObject } from "preact";
+import { Ref } from "preact";
 
 export interface CodeMirrorProps extends Omit<EditorConfig, "parent"> {
     content?: string;
     mime: string;
     className?: string;
-    editorRef?: RefObject<VanillaCodeMirror>;
-    containerRef?: RefObject<HTMLPreElement>;
+    editorRef?: Ref<VanillaCodeMirror>;
+    containerRef?: Ref<HTMLPreElement>;
     onInitialized?: () => void;
 }
 
@@ -25,9 +25,8 @@ export default function CodeMirror({ className, content, mime, editorRef: extern
             ...extraOpts
         });
         codeEditorRef.current = codeEditor;
-        if (externalEditorRef) {
-            externalEditorRef.current = codeEditor;
-        }
+        if (typeof externalEditorRef === "function") externalEditorRef(codeEditor);
+        else if (externalEditorRef) externalEditorRef.current = codeEditor;
         onInitialized?.();
 
         return () => codeEditor.destroy();
diff --git a/apps/client/src/widgets/type_widgets/code/Markdown.tsx b/apps/client/src/widgets/type_widgets/code/Markdown.tsx
index dec85ae6e1..586baa35b2 100644
--- a/apps/client/src/widgets/type_widgets/code/Markdown.tsx
+++ b/apps/client/src/widgets/type_widgets/code/Markdown.tsx
@@ -4,8 +4,8 @@ import VanillaCodeMirror from "@triliumnext/codemirror";
 import { renderToHtml } from "@triliumnext/commons";
 import DOMPurify from "dompurify";
 import { Marked } from "marked";
-import { RefObject } from "preact";
-import { useEffect, useMemo, useRef, useState } from "preact/hooks";
+import { createContext } from "preact";
+import { useContext, useEffect, useMemo, useState } from "preact/hooks";
 
 import SplitEditor from "../helpers/SplitEditor";
 import { ReadOnlyTextContent } from "../text/ReadOnlyText";
@@ -13,29 +13,55 @@ import { TypeWidgetProps } from "../type_widget";
 
 const marked = new Marked({ breaks: true, gfm: true });
 
+interface MarkdownContextValue {
+    html: string;
+    setEditorView: (view: VanillaCodeMirror | null) => void;
+    setPreviewEl: (el: HTMLDivElement | null) => void;
+}
+
+const MarkdownContext = createContext<MarkdownContextValue | null>(null);
+
+function useMarkdownContext() {
+    const ctx = useContext(MarkdownContext);
+    if (!ctx) throw new Error("useMarkdownContext must be used within a Markdown component");
+    return ctx;
+}
+
 export default function Markdown(props: TypeWidgetProps) {
     const [ content, setContent ] = useState("");
+    const [ editorView, setEditorView ] = useState<VanillaCodeMirror | null>(null);
+    const [ previewEl, setPreviewEl ] = useState<HTMLDivElement | null>(null);
     const html = useMemo(() => renderWithSourceLines(content), [ content ]);
-    const previewRef = useRef<HTMLDivElement>(null);
-    const editorRef = useRef<VanillaCodeMirror>(null);
 
-    useSyncedScrolling(editorRef, previewRef);
-    useSyncedHighlight(editorRef, previewRef, html);
+    useSyncedScrolling(editorView, previewEl);
+    useSyncedHighlight(editorView, previewEl, html);
+
+    const ctx = useMemo<MarkdownContextValue>(
+        () => ({ html, setEditorView, setPreviewEl }),
+        [ html ]
+    );
 
     return (
-        <SplitEditor
-            noteType="code"
-            {...props}
-            editorRef={editorRef}
-            onContentChanged={setContent}
-            previewContent={(
-                <ReadOnlyTextContent
-                    html={html}
-                    ntxId={props.ntxId}
-                    className="markdown-preview"
-                    contentRef={previewRef}
-                />
-            )}
+        <MarkdownContext.Provider value={ctx}>
+            <SplitEditor
+                noteType="code"
+                {...props}
+                editorRef={setEditorView}
+                onContentChanged={setContent}
+                previewContent={<MarkdownPreview ntxId={props.ntxId} />}
+            />
+        </MarkdownContext.Provider>
+    );
+}
+
+function MarkdownPreview({ ntxId }: { ntxId: TypeWidgetProps["ntxId"] }) {
+    const { html, setPreviewEl } = useMarkdownContext();
+    return (
+        <ReadOnlyTextContent
+            html={html}
+            ntxId={ntxId}
+            className="markdown-preview"
+            contentRef={setPreviewEl}
         />
     );
 }
@@ -47,10 +73,8 @@ export default function Markdown(props: TypeWidgetProps) {
  * preview so the block tagged with that line is at the top — interpolating to
  * the next block for smoothness.
  */
-function useSyncedScrolling(editorRef: RefObject<VanillaCodeMirror>, previewRef: RefObject<HTMLDivElement>) {
+function useSyncedScrolling(view: VanillaCodeMirror | null, preview: HTMLDivElement | null) {
     useEffect(() => {
-        const view = editorRef.current;
-        const preview = previewRef.current;
         if (!view || !preview) return;
 
         const scroller = view.scrollDOM;
@@ -86,7 +110,7 @@ function useSyncedScrolling(editorRef: RefObject<VanillaCodeMirror>, previewRef:
 
         scroller.addEventListener("scroll", onScroll, { passive: true });
         return () => scroller.removeEventListener("scroll", onScroll);
-    }, [ editorRef, previewRef ]);
+    }, [ view, preview ]);
 }
 
 /**
@@ -94,10 +118,8 @@ function useSyncedScrolling(editorRef: RefObject<VanillaCodeMirror>, previewRef:
  * matching the built-in `cm-activeLine` behavior. Re-runs when the rendered
  * HTML changes so newly inserted blocks pick up the current cursor position.
  */
-function useSyncedHighlight(editorRef: RefObject<VanillaCodeMirror>, previewRef: RefObject<HTMLDivElement>, html: string) {
+function useSyncedHighlight(view: VanillaCodeMirror | null, preview: HTMLDivElement | null, html: string) {
     useEffect(() => {
-        const view = editorRef.current;
-        const preview = previewRef.current;
         if (!view || !preview) return;
 
         let current: HTMLElement | null = null;
@@ -124,7 +146,7 @@ function useSyncedHighlight(editorRef: RefObject<VanillaCodeMirror>, previewRef:
             if (v.selectionSet || v.docChanged) update();
         });
         return unsubscribe;
-    }, [ editorRef, previewRef, html ]);
+    }, [ view, preview, html ]);
 }
 
 /** Token types the parser emits but which don't produce top-level block HTML. */
diff --git a/apps/client/src/widgets/type_widgets/text/ReadOnlyText.tsx b/apps/client/src/widgets/type_widgets/text/ReadOnlyText.tsx
index 49249e1753..da7e08ebab 100644
--- a/apps/client/src/widgets/type_widgets/text/ReadOnlyText.tsx
+++ b/apps/client/src/widgets/type_widgets/text/ReadOnlyText.tsx
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ import "./ReadOnlyText.css";
 import "@triliumnext/ckeditor5";
 
 import clsx from "clsx";
-import { RefObject } from "preact";
+import { Ref } from "preact";
 import { useEffect, useLayoutEffect, useMemo } from "preact/hooks";
 
 import appContext from "../../../components/app_context";
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ interface ReadOnlyTextContentProps {
     /** Extra classes appended to the content div. */
     className?: string;
     /** Optional external ref to the rendered content div (e.g. to drive scroll sync). */
-    contentRef?: RefObject<HTMLDivElement>;
+    contentRef?: Ref<HTMLDivElement>;
 }
 
 /**