diff --git a/website/readme_parser.py b/website/readme_parser.py
index 1c067d6c..cbbc30a2 100644
--- a/website/readme_parser.py
+++ b/website/readme_parser.py
@@ -62,46 +62,44 @@ def slugify(name: str) -> str:
 # --- Inline renderers -------------------------------------------------------
 
 
-def render_inline_html(children: list[SyntaxTreeNode]) -> str:
-    """Render inline AST nodes to HTML with proper escaping."""
+def _render_inline(children: list[SyntaxTreeNode], *, html: bool) -> str:
+    """Render inline AST nodes to HTML or plain text."""
     parts: list[str] = []
     for child in children:
         match child.type:
             case "text":
-                parts.append(str(escape(child.content)))
+                parts.append(str(escape(child.content)) if html else child.content)
+            case "html_inline":
+                if html:
+                    parts.append(str(escape(child.content)))
             case "softbreak":
                 parts.append(" ")
-            case "link":
-                href = str(escape(_href(child)))
-                inner = render_inline_html(child.children)
-                parts.append(
-                    f'<a href="{href}" target="_blank" rel="noopener">{inner}</a>'
-                )
-            case "em":
-                parts.append(f"<em>{render_inline_html(child.children)}</em>")
-            case "strong":
-                parts.append(f"<strong>{render_inline_html(child.children)}</strong>")
             case "code_inline":
-                parts.append(f"<code>{escape(child.content)}</code>")
-            case "html_inline":
-                parts.append(str(escape(child.content)))
+                parts.append(f"<code>{escape(child.content)}</code>" if html else child.content)
+            case "link":
+                inner = _render_inline(child.children, html=html)
+                if html:
+                    href = str(escape(_href(child)))
+                    parts.append(f'<a href="{href}" target="_blank" rel="noopener">{inner}</a>')
+                else:
+                    parts.append(inner)
+            case "em":
+                inner = _render_inline(child.children, html=html)
+                parts.append(f"<em>{inner}</em>" if html else inner)
+            case "strong":
+                inner = _render_inline(child.children, html=html)
+                parts.append(f"<strong>{inner}</strong>" if html else inner)
     return "".join(parts)
 
 
+def render_inline_html(children: list[SyntaxTreeNode]) -> str:
+    """Render inline AST nodes to HTML with proper escaping."""
+    return _render_inline(children, html=True)
+
+
 def render_inline_text(children: list[SyntaxTreeNode]) -> str:
     """Render inline AST nodes to plain text (links become their text)."""
-    parts: list[str] = []
-    for child in children:
-        match child.type:
-            case "text":
-                parts.append(child.content)
-            case "softbreak":
-                parts.append(" ")
-            case "code_inline":
-                parts.append(child.content)
-            case "em" | "strong" | "link":
-                parts.append(render_inline_text(child.children))
-    return "".join(parts)
+    return _render_inline(children, html=False)
 
 
 # --- AST helpers -------------------------------------------------------------