diff --git a/frontend/src/components/Chat.test.tsx b/frontend/src/components/Chat.test.tsx
index 6ebf89d..cecf20b 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/Chat.test.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/components/Chat.test.tsx
@@ -1097,9 +1097,13 @@ describe("Remove bubble styling from streaming messages (Story 163)", () => {
 			]);
 		});
 
-		// findByText returns the styled div itself for user messages (text is direct child)
-		const userStyledDiv = await screen.findByText("I am a user message");
-		const styleAttr = userStyledDiv.getAttribute("style") ?? "";
+		// findByText finds the text element; traverse up to the styled bubble div
+		const userText = await screen.findByText("I am a user message");
+		// User messages are rendered via markdown, so text is inside a <p> inside .user-markdown-body
+		// Walk up to find the styled bubble container
+		const bubbleDiv = userText.closest("[style*='padding: 10px 16px']");
+		expect(bubbleDiv).toBeTruthy();
+		const styleAttr = bubbleDiv?.getAttribute("style") ?? "";
 		// User messages retain bubble: distinct background, padding, rounded corners
 		expect(styleAttr).toContain("padding: 10px 16px");
 		expect(styleAttr).toContain("border-radius: 20px");
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/MessageItem.test.tsx b/frontend/src/components/MessageItem.test.tsx
index 85e4638..036d685 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/MessageItem.test.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/components/MessageItem.test.tsx
@@ -71,3 +71,45 @@ describe("MessageItem component (Story 178 AC3)", () => {
 		expect(typeofStr).toContain("memo");
 	});
 });
+
+describe("MessageItem user message code fence rendering (Story 196)", () => {
+	it("renders code fences in user messages as code blocks", () => {
+		const { container } = render(
+			<MessageItem
+				msg={{
+					role: "user",
+					content: "Here is some code:\n```js\nconsole.log('hi');\n```",
+				}}
+			/>,
+		);
+
+		// Syntax highlighter renders a pre > div > code structure
+		const codeEl = container.querySelector("pre code");
+		expect(codeEl).toBeInTheDocument();
+		expect(codeEl?.textContent).toContain("console.log");
+	});
+
+	it("renders inline code with single backticks in user messages", () => {
+		render(
+			<MessageItem
+				msg={{ role: "user", content: "Use `npm install` to install." }}
+			/>,
+		);
+
+		const codeEl = screen.getByText("npm install");
+		expect(codeEl.tagName.toLowerCase()).toBe("code");
+	});
+
+	it("renders user messages with code blocks inside user-markdown-body class", () => {
+		const { container } = render(
+			<MessageItem
+				msg={{
+					role: "user",
+					content: "```js\nconsole.log('hi');\n```",
+				}}
+			/>,
+		);
+
+		expect(container.querySelector(".user-markdown-body")).toBeTruthy();
+	});
+});
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/MessageItem.tsx b/frontend/src/components/MessageItem.tsx
index 07a148c..686cd92 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/MessageItem.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/components/MessageItem.tsx
@@ -58,7 +58,9 @@ function MessageItemInner({ msg }: MessageItemProps) {
 				}}
 			>
 				{msg.role === "user" ? (
-					msg.content
+					<div className="user-markdown-body">
+						<Markdown components={{ code: CodeBlock }}>{msg.content}</Markdown>
+					</div>
 				) : msg.role === "tool" ? (
 					<details style={{ cursor: "pointer" }}>
 						<summary