diff --git a/ecosystem.config.js b/ecosystem.config.js
index 6d57b8f4..1d42fa45 100644
--- a/ecosystem.config.js
+++ b/ecosystem.config.js
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ module.exports = {
 	apps : [{
 		name: 'build-worker',
 		script: 'worker.js',
-		instances: 1,
+		instances: 2,
 		/*
 			increase instances if building is getting backed up,
 			best to keep at numCPUs-1 to prevent server choke under high load though.
diff --git a/gulp/res/css/solarized-dark.css b/gulp/res/css/solarized-dark.css
new file mode 120000
index 00000000..0f42824b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/gulp/res/css/solarized-dark.css
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+/home/tom/jschan/node_modules/highlight.js/styles/solarized-dark.css
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/gulp/res/css/style.css b/gulp/res/css/style.css
index 031f338c..41020577 100644
--- a/gulp/res/css/style.css
+++ b/gulp/res/css/style.css
@@ -83,7 +83,6 @@ pre {
 	border-color: var(--darken);
 	display: block;
 	margin: 0.5em 0;
-	display: flex;
 	overflow-x: auto;
 	white-space: pre;
 }
diff --git a/gulpfile.js b/gulpfile.js
index cc9d274d..1bd8a5f5 100644
--- a/gulpfile.js
+++ b/gulpfile.js
@@ -110,7 +110,12 @@ async function wipe() {
 
 //update the css file
 function css() {
-	return gulp.src(paths.styles.src)
+	try {
+		fs.symlinkSync(__dirname+'/node_modules/highlight.js/styles/solarized-dark.css', __dirname+'/gulp/res/css/solarized-dark.css', 'file');
+	} catch (e) {
+		//already exists, ignore error
+	}
+	gulp.src(paths.styles.src)
 		.pipe(less())
 		.pipe(cleanCSS())
 		.pipe(gulp.dest(paths.styles.dest));
diff --git a/helpers/posting/markdown.js b/helpers/posting/markdown.js
index 01ee4ca4..2f8b0cd5 100644
--- a/helpers/posting/markdown.js
+++ b/helpers/posting/markdown.js
@@ -11,23 +11,22 @@ const greentextRegex = /^>((?!>).+)/gm
 	, spoilerRegex = /\|\|([\s\S]+?)\|\|/gm
 	, detectedRegex = /(\(\(\(.+?\)\)\))/gm
 	, linkRegex = /https?\:&#x2F;&#x2F;[^\s<>\[\]{}|\\^]+/g
-	, codeRegex = /&#x60;&#x60;&#x60;([\s\S]+?)&#x60;&#x60;&#x60;/gm
+	, codeRegex = /```([\s\S]+?)```/gm
 	, diceRegex = /##(?<numdice>\d+)d(?<numsides>\d+)(?:(?<operator>[+-])(?<modifier>\d+))?/gmi
 	, getDomain = (string) => string.split(/\/\/|\//)[1] //unused atm
-	, diceRoll = require(__dirname+'/diceroll.js');
+	, diceRoll = require(__dirname+'/diceroll.js')
+	, escape = require(__dirname+'/escape.js')
+	, { highlightAuto } = require('highlight.js');
 
 module.exports = {
 
 	markdown: (text) => {
 		const chunks = text.split(codeRegex);
-		if (chunks.length === 1) {
-			//length of 1 means no code chunks
-			return module.exports.processRegularChunk(text);
-		}
 		for (let i = 0; i < chunks.length; i++) {
 			//every other chunk will be a code block
 			if (i % 2 === 0) {
-				const newlineFix = chunks[i].replace(/^\r?\n/,''); //fix ending newline because of codeblock
+				const escaped = escape(chunks[i]);
+				const newlineFix = escaped.replace(/^\r?\n/,''); //fix ending newline because of codeblock
 				chunks[i] = module.exports.processRegularChunk(newlineFix);
 			} else {
 				chunks[i] = module.exports.processCodeChunk(chunks[i]);
@@ -37,8 +36,9 @@ module.exports = {
 	},
 
 	processCodeChunk: (text) => {
-		const trimFix = text.replace(/^\s*\r?\n/g, ''); //remove extra whitespace/newline at start
-		return `<span class='code'>${trimFix}</span>`;
+		const trimFix = text.replace(/^\s*(\r?\n)*|(\r?\n)*$/g, ''); //remove extra whitespace/newlines at ends
+		const { language, relevance, value } = highlightAuto(trimFix);
+		return `<span class='code'>${value}\n<small>language: ${language}, confidence: ${relevance}</small></span>`;
 	},
 
 	processRegularChunk: (text) => {
diff --git a/helpers/posting/sanitizeoptions.js b/helpers/posting/sanitizeoptions.js
index 9fea1af6..bb4c4418 100644
--- a/helpers/posting/sanitizeoptions.js
+++ b/helpers/posting/sanitizeoptions.js
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ module.exports = {
 	},
 
 	after: {
-		allowedTags: [ 'span', 'a', 'em', 'strong', 'img', 'small'],
+		allowedTags: [ 'span', 'a', 'img', 'small'],
 		allowedAttributes: {
 			'a': [ 'href', 'rel', 'class', 'referrerpolicy', 'target' ],
 			'span': [ 'class' ],
diff --git a/models/forms/addnews.js b/models/forms/addnews.js
index b081fc11..1423b2cc 100644
--- a/models/forms/addnews.js
+++ b/models/forms/addnews.js
@@ -5,14 +5,12 @@ const { News } = require(__dirname+'/../../db/')
 	, buildQueue = require(__dirname+'/../../queue.js')
 	, linkQuotes = require(__dirname+'/../../helpers/posting/quotes.js')
 	, { markdown } = require(__dirname+'/../../helpers/posting/markdown.js')
-	, escape = require(__dirname+'/../../helpers/posting/escape.js')
 	, sanitizeOptions = require(__dirname+'/../../helpers/posting/sanitizeoptions.js')
 	, sanitize = require('sanitize-html');
 
 module.exports = async (req, res, next) => {
 
-	const escaped = escape(req.body.message);
-	const styled = markdown(escaped);
+	const styled = markdown(req.body.message);
 	const quoted = (await linkQuotes(null, styled, null)).quotedMessage;
 	const sanitized = sanitize(quoted, sanitizeOptions.after);
 
diff --git a/models/forms/changeboardsettings.js b/models/forms/changeboardsettings.js
index 0aa9cabd..44f85fb9 100644
--- a/models/forms/changeboardsettings.js
+++ b/models/forms/changeboardsettings.js
@@ -7,7 +7,6 @@ const { Boards, Posts, Accounts } = require(__dirname+'/../../db/')
 	, deletePosts = require(__dirname+'/deletepost.js')
 	, linkQuotes = require(__dirname+'/../../helpers/posting/quotes.js')
 	, { markdown } = require(__dirname+'/../../helpers/posting/markdown.js')
-	, escape = require(__dirname+'/../../helpers/posting/escape.js')
 	, sanitizeOptions = require(__dirname+'/../../helpers/posting/sanitizeoptions.js')
 	, sanitize = require('sanitize-html');
 
@@ -18,8 +17,7 @@ module.exports = async (req, res, next) => {
 	let markdownAnnouncement;
 	if (req.body.announcement !== oldSettings.announcement.raw) {
 		//remarkup the announcement if it changes
-		const escaped = escape(req.body.announcement);
-		const styled = markdown(escaped);
+		const styled = markdown(req.body.announcement);
 		const quoted = (await linkQuotes(req.params.board, styled, null)).quotedMessage;
 		const sanitized = sanitize(quoted, sanitizeOptions.after);
 		markdownAnnouncement = sanitized;
diff --git a/models/forms/deletepost.js b/models/forms/deletepost.js
index 178ec28b..0c1f6501 100644
--- a/models/forms/deletepost.js
+++ b/models/forms/deletepost.js
@@ -5,7 +5,6 @@ const uploadDirectory = require(__dirname+'/../../helpers/files/uploadDirectory.
 	, Mongo = require(__dirname+'/../../db/db.js')
 	, { Posts, Files } = require(__dirname+'/../../db/')
 	, linkQuotes = require(__dirname+'/../../helpers/posting/quotes.js')
-	, escape = require(__dirname+'/../../helpers/posting/escape.js')
 	, { markdown } = require(__dirname+'/../../helpers/posting/markdown.js')
 	, sanitize = require('sanitize-html')
 	, sanitizeOptions = require(__dirname+'/../../helpers/posting/sanitizeoptions.js');
@@ -114,7 +113,7 @@ module.exports = async (posts, board, all=false) => {
 			await Promise.all(remarkupPosts.map(async post => { //doing these all at once
 				if (post.nomarkup && post.nomarkup.length > 0) { //is this check even necessary? how would it have a quote with no message
 					//redo the markup
-					let message = markdown(escape(post.nomarkup));
+					let message = markdown(post.nomarkup);
 					const { quotedMessage, threadQuotes, crossQuotes } = await linkQuotes(post.board, message, post.thread);
 					message = sanitize(quotedMessage, sanitizeOptions.after);
 					bulkWrites.push({
diff --git a/models/forms/makepost.js b/models/forms/makepost.js
index b714e161..5638c02b 100644
--- a/models/forms/makepost.js
+++ b/models/forms/makepost.js
@@ -9,7 +9,6 @@ const path = require('path')
 	, { Stats, Posts, Boards, Files, Bans } = require(__dirname+'/../../db/')
 	, getTripCode = require(__dirname+'/../../helpers/posting/tripcode.js')
 	, linkQuotes = require(__dirname+'/../../helpers/posting/quotes.js')
-	, escape = require(__dirname+'/../../helpers/posting/escape.js')
 	, { markdown } = require(__dirname+'/../../helpers/posting/markdown.js')
 	, sanitizeOptions = require(__dirname+'/../../helpers/posting/sanitizeoptions.js')
 	, sanitize = require('sanitize-html')
@@ -314,7 +313,6 @@ module.exports = async (req, res, next) => {
 	let quotes = [];
 	let crossquotes = [];
 	if (message && message.length > 0) {
-		message = escape(message);
 		message = markdown(message);
 		const { quotedMessage, threadQuotes, crossQuotes } = await linkQuotes(req.params.board, message, req.body.thread || null);
 		message = quotedMessage;
diff --git a/models/forms/moveposts.js b/models/forms/moveposts.js
index 2eda394a..9c270f66 100644
--- a/models/forms/moveposts.js
+++ b/models/forms/moveposts.js
@@ -4,7 +4,6 @@ const uploadDirectory = require(__dirname+'/../../helpers/files/uploadDirectory.
 	, { remove } = require('fs-extra')
 	, { Posts } = require(__dirname+'/../../db/')
 	, linkQuotes = require(__dirname+'/../../helpers/posting/quotes.js')
-	, escape = require(__dirname+'/../../helpers/posting/escape.js')
 	, { markdown } = require(__dirname+'/../../helpers/posting/markdown.js')
 	, sanitize = require('sanitize-html')
 	, sanitizeOptions = require(__dirname+'/../../helpers/posting/sanitizeoptions.js');
@@ -113,7 +112,7 @@ module.exports = async (req, res) => {
 		await Promise.all(remarkupPosts.map(async post => { //doing these all at once
 			if (post.nomarkup && post.nomarkup.length > 0) {
 				//redo the markup
-				let message = markdown(escape(post.nomarkup));
+				let message = markdown(post.nomarkup);
 				const { quotedMessage, threadQuotes, crossQuotes } = await linkQuotes(post.board, message, req.body.move_to_thread);
 				message = sanitize(quotedMessage, sanitizeOptions.after);
 				bulkWrites.push({
diff --git a/package-lock.json b/package-lock.json
index 43916e1e..0535d244 100644
--- a/package-lock.json
+++ b/package-lock.json
@@ -3727,6 +3727,11 @@
         }
       }
     },
+    "highlight.js": {
+      "version": "9.15.10",
+      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/highlight.js/-/highlight.js-9.15.10.tgz",
+      "integrity": "sha512-RoV7OkQm0T3os3Dd2VHLNMoaoDVx77Wygln3n9l5YV172XonWG6rgQD3XnF/BuFFZw9A0TJgmMSO8FEWQgvcXw=="
+    },
     "homedir-polyfill": {
       "version": "1.0.3",
       "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/homedir-polyfill/-/homedir-polyfill-1.0.3.tgz",
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index e8b983bd..4579b4cf 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@
     "gulp-less": "^4.0.1",
     "gulp-pug": "^4.0.1",
     "gulp-uglify-es": "^1.0.4",
+    "highlight.js": "^9.15.10",
     "ioredis": "^4.14.1",
     "mongodb": "^3.3.2",
     "node-fetch": "^2.6.0",
diff --git a/views/includes/head.pug b/views/includes/head.pug
index a6021919..b0abe443 100644
--- a/views/includes/head.pug
+++ b/views/includes/head.pug
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 meta(charset='utf-8')
 meta(name='viewport', content='width=device-width, initial-scale=1')
 link(rel='stylesheet' href='/css/style.css')
+link(rel='stylesheet' href='/css/solarized-dark.css')
 - const theme = board ? board.settings.theme : defaultTheme;
 link#theme(rel='stylesheet' data-theme=theme href=`/css/themes/${theme}.css`)
 noscript