diff --git a/internal/cmd/preprocessor/cmd/code_node.go b/internal/cmd/preprocessor/cmd/code_node.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..c66845b1f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/cmd/preprocessor/cmd/code_node.go
@@ -0,0 +1,84 @@
+// Copyright 2023 The CUE Authors
+//
+// Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+// you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+// You may obtain a copy of the License at
+//
+//     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+//
+// Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+// distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+// WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+// See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+// limitations under the License.
+
+package cmd
+
+import (
+	"bytes"
+	"fmt"
+)
+
+const (
+	fnCode = "code"
+)
+
+// A codeNode is used to create a simple ```-based code block for a single file
+// whose contents are formatted. This ensures good formatting but also valid
+// code.
+type codeNode struct {
+	txtarNode
+}
+
+func (c *codeNode) nodeType() string {
+	return fnCode
+}
+
+var _ runnableNode = (*codeNode)(nil)
+
+type codeNodeRunContext struct {
+	*txtarRunContext
+}
+
+func (s *codeNode) validate() error {
+	if l := len(s.analysis.fileNames); l != 1 {
+		return fmt.Errorf("code nodes can only contain one file in the txtar archive")
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
+func (s *codeNode) run() runnable {
+	return &codeNodeRunContext{
+		txtarRunContext: &txtarRunContext{
+			txtarNode:        s.txtarNode,
+			executionContext: s.executionContext,
+			bufferedErrorContext: &errorContextBuffer{
+				executionContext: s.executionContext,
+			},
+		},
+	}
+}
+
+func (s *codeNodeRunContext) run() (err error) {
+	defer recoverFatalError(&err)
+
+	if err := s.formatFiles(); err != nil {
+		return errorIfInError(s)
+	}
+
+	return nil
+}
+
+func (s *codeNode) writeTransformTo(b *bytes.Buffer) error {
+	p := bufPrintf(b)
+
+	// There will only be one file
+	a := s.analysis.fileNames[0]
+	f := s.effectiveArchive.Files[0]
+
+	// TODO tidy up templating etc
+	p("```%s\n", a.Language)
+	p("%s", f.Data)
+	p("```")
+	return nil
+}
diff --git a/internal/cmd/preprocessor/cmd/parse.go b/internal/cmd/preprocessor/cmd/parse.go
index 3ce4d60a4..6c092a636 100644
--- a/internal/cmd/preprocessor/cmd/parse.go
+++ b/internal/cmd/preprocessor/cmd/parse.go
@@ -192,6 +192,12 @@ func (rf *rootFile) parse_WithNode(n *parse.WithNode) (node, error) {
 			return nil, err
 		}
 		return &sidebysideNode{txtarNode: t}, nil
+	case fnCode:
+		t, err := rf.parse_txtarNode(n, fn.Ident, c.Args[1:])
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, err
+		}
+		return &codeNode{txtarNode: t}, nil
 	case fnStep:
 		// Increment first because we are numbering from 1
 		rf.stepNumber++
diff --git a/internal/cmd/preprocessor/cmd/rootfile.go b/internal/cmd/preprocessor/cmd/rootfile.go
index 8968ab661..186f1f52a 100644
--- a/internal/cmd/preprocessor/cmd/rootfile.go
+++ b/internal/cmd/preprocessor/cmd/rootfile.go
@@ -43,6 +43,7 @@ var (
 	// were function calls.
 	templateFunctions = map[string]any{
 		fnSidebyside: true,
+		fnCode:       true,
 		fnStep:       true,
 		fnUpload:     true,
 		fnScript:     true,
diff --git a/internal/cmd/preprocessor/cmd/testdata/execute_transform.txtar b/internal/cmd/preprocessor/cmd/testdata/execute_transform.txtar
index 9dadd9dfd..d73c003b2 100644
--- a/internal/cmd/preprocessor/cmd/testdata/execute_transform.txtar
+++ b/internal/cmd/preprocessor/cmd/testdata/execute_transform.txtar
@@ -65,6 +65,10 @@ package site
 >
 >{{{with step}}}
 >some text
+>{{{with code "en" "x.cue example"}}}
+>-- x.cue --
+>x: 5
+>{{{end}}}
 >{{{end}}}
 >
 >Some text after
@@ -98,6 +102,9 @@ map: {
 
 {{< step stepNumber="2" >}}
 some text
+```text
+x: 5
+```
 {{< /step >}}
 
 Some text after