diff --git a/markup/templates.go b/markup/templates.go
index cfabe15..3468b22 100644
--- a/markup/templates.go
+++ b/markup/templates.go
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ import (
 )
 
 const FM_SEPARATOR = "---"
+const NO_SYNTAX_HIGHLIGHTING = ""
 
 type Engine = liquid.Engine
 
@@ -125,10 +126,18 @@ func (templ Template) IsPost() bool {
 	return ok
 }
 
+// Renders the liquid template with default bindings.
+func (templ Template) Render() ([]byte, error) {
+	ctx := map[string]interface{}{
+		"page": templ.Metadata,
+	}
+	return templ.RenderWith(ctx, NO_SYNTAX_HIGHLIGHTING)
+}
+
 // Renders the liquid template with the given context as bindings.
 // If the template source is org or md, convert them to html after the
 // liquid rendering.
-func (templ Template) Render(context map[string]interface{}, hlTheme string) ([]byte, error) {
+func (templ Template) RenderWith(context map[string]interface{}, hlTheme string) ([]byte, error) {
 	// liquid rendering
 	content, err := templ.liquidTemplate.Render(context)
 	if err != nil {
@@ -142,7 +151,9 @@ func (templ Template) Render(context map[string]interface{}, hlTheme string) ([]
 
 		// make * -> h1, ** -> h2, etc
 		htmlWriter.TopLevelHLevel = 1
-		htmlWriter.HighlightCodeBlock = highlightCodeBlock(hlTheme)
+		if hlTheme != NO_SYNTAX_HIGHLIGHTING {
+			htmlWriter.HighlightCodeBlock = highlightCodeBlock(hlTheme)
+		}
 
 		contentStr, err := doc.Write(htmlWriter)
 		if err != nil {
@@ -152,11 +163,14 @@ func (templ Template) Render(context map[string]interface{}, hlTheme string) ([]
 	} else if templ.SrcExt() == ".md" {
 		// markdown rendering
 		var buf bytes.Buffer
-		md := goldmark.New(goldmark.WithExtensions(
-			gm_highlight.NewHighlighting(
+
+		options := make([]goldmark.Option, 0)
+		if hlTheme != NO_SYNTAX_HIGHLIGHTING {
+			options = append(options, goldmark.WithExtensions(gm_highlight.NewHighlighting(
 				gm_highlight.WithStyle(hlTheme),
-			),
-		))
+			)))
+		}
+		md := goldmark.New(options...)
 		if err := md.Convert(content, &buf); err != nil {
 			return nil, err
 		}
diff --git a/markup/templates_test.go b/markup/templates_test.go
index b70d425..1da4c8f 100644
--- a/markup/templates_test.go
+++ b/markup/templates_test.go
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ tags: ["software", "web"]
 	assertEqual(t, templ.Metadata["tags"].([]interface{})[0], "software")
 	assertEqual(t, templ.Metadata["tags"].([]interface{})[1], "web")
 
-	content, err := templ.Render(nil, "github")
+	content, err := templ.Render()
 	assertEqual(t, err, nil)
 	assertEqual(t, string(content), "<p>Hello World!</p>")
 }
@@ -102,8 +102,7 @@ tags: ["software", "web"]
 
 	templ, err := Parse(NewEngine("https://olano.dev", "includes"), file.Name())
 	assertEqual(t, err, nil)
-	ctx := map[string]interface{}{"page": templ.Metadata}
-	content, err := templ.Render(ctx, "github")
+	content, err := templ.Render()
 	assertEqual(t, err, nil)
 	expected := `<h1>my new post</h1>
 <h2>a blog post</h2>
@@ -133,7 +132,7 @@ tags: ["software", "web"]
 	templ, err := Parse(NewEngine("https://olano.dev", "includes"), file.Name())
 	assertEqual(t, err, nil)
 
-	content, err := templ.Render(nil, "github")
+	content, err := templ.Render()
 	assertEqual(t, err, nil)
 	expected := `<div id="outline-container-headline-1" class="outline-1">
 <h1 id="headline-1">
@@ -175,7 +174,7 @@ tags: ["software", "web"]
 	templ, err := Parse(NewEngine("https://olano.dev", "includes"), file.Name())
 	assertEqual(t, err, nil)
 
-	content, err := templ.Render(nil, "github")
+	content, err := templ.Render()
 	assertEqual(t, err, nil)
 	expected := `<h1>My title</h1>
 <h2>my Subtitle</h2>
diff --git a/site/site.go b/site/site.go
index 9542037..3532944 100644
--- a/site/site.go
+++ b/site/site.go
@@ -306,7 +306,7 @@ func (site *Site) render(templ *markup.Template) ([]byte, error) {
 	}
 
 	ctx["page"] = templ.Metadata
-	content, err := templ.Render(ctx, site.Config.HighlightTheme)
+	content, err := templ.RenderWith(ctx, site.Config.HighlightTheme)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
@@ -317,7 +317,7 @@ func (site *Site) render(templ *markup.Template) ([]byte, error) {
 		if layout_templ, ok := site.layouts[layout.(string)]; ok {
 			ctx["layout"] = layout_templ.Metadata
 			ctx["content"] = content
-			content, err = layout_templ.Render(ctx, site.Config.HighlightTheme)
+			content, err = layout_templ.RenderWith(ctx, site.Config.HighlightTheme)
 			if err != nil {
 				return nil, err
 			}
@@ -372,10 +372,7 @@ func getExcerpt(templ *markup.Template) string {
 		return ""
 	}
 
-	ctx := map[string]interface{}{
-		"page": templ.Metadata,
-	}
-	content, err := templ.Render(ctx, "tango")
+	content, err := templ.Render()
 	if err != nil {
 		return ""
 	}