diff --git a/plugins/base/src/main/kotlin/translators/documentables/PageContentBuilder.kt b/plugins/base/src/main/kotlin/translators/documentables/PageContentBuilder.kt
index 363b6a3ff2..02b2e0d90d 100644
--- a/plugins/base/src/main/kotlin/translators/documentables/PageContentBuilder.kt
+++ b/plugins/base/src/main/kotlin/translators/documentables/PageContentBuilder.kt
@@ -382,7 +382,7 @@ open class PageContentBuilder(
         }
 
         fun codeInline(
-            language: String,
+            language: String = "",
             kind: Kind = ContentKind.Main,
             sourceSets: Set<DokkaSourceSet> = mainSourcesetData,
             styles: Set<Style> = mainStyles,
diff --git a/plugins/gfm/src/main/kotlin/org/jetbrains/dokka/gfm/renderer/CommonmarkRenderer.kt b/plugins/gfm/src/main/kotlin/org/jetbrains/dokka/gfm/renderer/CommonmarkRenderer.kt
index d192b9a637..a1853899d5 100644
--- a/plugins/gfm/src/main/kotlin/org/jetbrains/dokka/gfm/renderer/CommonmarkRenderer.kt
+++ b/plugins/gfm/src/main/kotlin/org/jetbrains/dokka/gfm/renderer/CommonmarkRenderer.kt
@@ -315,7 +315,17 @@ open class CommonmarkRenderer(
         append("```")
         append(code.language.ifEmpty { "kotlin" })
         buildNewLine()
-        code.children.forEach { it.build(this, pageContext) }
+        code.children.forEach {
+            if (it is ContentText) {
+                // since this is a code block where text will be rendered as is,
+                // no need to escape text, apply styles, etc. Just need the plain value
+                append(it.text)
+            } else if (it is ContentBreakLine) {
+                // since this is a code block where text will be rendered as is,
+                // there's no need to add tailing slash for line breaks
+                buildNewLine()
+            }
+        }
         buildNewLine()
         append("```")
         buildNewLine()
@@ -323,7 +333,7 @@ open class CommonmarkRenderer(
 
     override fun StringBuilder.buildCodeInline(code: ContentCodeInline, pageContext: ContentPage) {
         append("`")
-        code.children.forEach { it.build(this, pageContext) }
+        code.children.filterIsInstance<ContentText>().forEach { append(it.text) }
         append("`")
     }
 
diff --git a/plugins/gfm/src/test/kotlin/renderers/gfm/CodeWrappingTest.kt b/plugins/gfm/src/test/kotlin/renderers/gfm/CodeWrappingTest.kt
index ce0c3d0c7f..a8b263eb17 100644
--- a/plugins/gfm/src/test/kotlin/renderers/gfm/CodeWrappingTest.kt
+++ b/plugins/gfm/src/test/kotlin/renderers/gfm/CodeWrappingTest.kt
@@ -24,15 +24,33 @@ class CodeWrappingTest : GfmRenderingOnlyTestBase() {
         assertEquals(expect, renderedContent)
     }
 
+    @Test
+    fun `should preserve original text without escaping`() {
+        val page = testPage {
+            codeBlock {
+                text("<----> **text** & ~~this~~  and \"that\"")
+            }
+        }
+        val expect = """|//[testPage](test-page.md)
+                        |
+                        |```kotlin
+                        |<----> **text** & ~~this~~  and "that"
+                        |```""".trimMargin()
+
+        CommonmarkRenderer(context).render(page)
+        assertEquals(expect, renderedContent)
+    }
+
+
     @Test
     fun wrappedInlineCode() {
         val page = testPage {
             text("This function adds the values of ")
-            codeInline("") { 
+            codeInline {
                 text("left") 
             }
             text(" and ")
-            codeInline("") {
+            codeInline {
                 text("right")
             }
             text(".\nBoth numbers must be finite, or an exception occurs.\n")
@@ -45,4 +63,21 @@ class CodeWrappingTest : GfmRenderingOnlyTestBase() {
         CommonmarkRenderer(context).render(page)
         assertEquals(expect, renderedContent)
     }
+
+    @Test
+    fun `should not add trailing backslash to newline elements for code inline code`() {
+        val page = testPage {
+            text("This adds some symbols (")
+            codeInline {
+                text("<----> **text** & ~~this~~  and \"that\"")
+            }
+            text(") to the test")
+        }
+        val expect = """|//[testPage](test-page.md)
+                        |
+                        |This adds some symbols (`<----> **text** & ~~this~~  and "that"`) to the test""".trimMargin()
+
+        CommonmarkRenderer(context).render(page)
+        assertEquals(expect, renderedContent)
+    }
 }