diff --git a/lib/rundoc/code_command.rb b/lib/rundoc/code_command.rb
index 4a9e38a..4b1ce03 100644
--- a/lib/rundoc/code_command.rb
+++ b/lib/rundoc/code_command.rb
@@ -2,6 +2,18 @@ module Rundoc
   # Generic CodeCommand class to be inherited
   #
   class CodeCommand
+
+    # Newlines are stripped and re-added, this tells the project that
+    # we're intentionally wanting an extra newline
+    NEWLINE = Object.new
+    def NEWLINE.to_s
+      ""
+    end
+
+    def NEWLINE.empty?
+      false
+    end
+
     attr_accessor :render_result, :render_command,
       :command, :contents, :keyword,
       :original_args
diff --git a/lib/rundoc/code_command/file_command/append.rb b/lib/rundoc/code_command/file_command/append.rb
index 59b68ed..8a4a88d 100644
--- a/lib/rundoc/code_command/file_command/append.rb
+++ b/lib/rundoc/code_command/file_command/append.rb
@@ -13,12 +13,13 @@ def to_md(env)
       return unless render_command?
 
       raise "must call write in its own code section" unless env[:commands].empty?
-      before = env[:before]
-      env[:before] = if @line_number
-        "In file `#{filename}`, on line #{@line_number} add:\n\n#{before}"
+
+      env[:before] << if @line_number
+        "In file `#{filename}`, on line #{@line_number} add:"
       else
-        "At the end of `#{filename}` add:\n\n#{before}"
+        "At the end of `#{filename}` add:"
       end
+      env[:before] << NEWLINE
       nil
     end
 
diff --git a/lib/rundoc/code_command/file_command/remove.rb b/lib/rundoc/code_command/file_command/remove.rb
index c0fa113..3e9db58 100644
--- a/lib/rundoc/code_command/file_command/remove.rb
+++ b/lib/rundoc/code_command/file_command/remove.rb
@@ -8,8 +8,8 @@ def initialize(filename)
 
     def to_md(env)
       raise "must call write in its own code section" unless env[:commands].empty?
-      before = env[:before]
-      env[:before] = "In file `#{filename}` remove:\n\n#{before}"
+      env[:before] << "In file `#{filename}` remove:"
+      env[:before] << NEWLINE
       nil
     end
 
diff --git a/lib/rundoc/code_command/write.rb b/lib/rundoc/code_command/write.rb
index 8e49ca0..82905d6 100644
--- a/lib/rundoc/code_command/write.rb
+++ b/lib/rundoc/code_command/write.rb
@@ -24,8 +24,8 @@ def initialize(filename)
 
       def to_md(env)
         raise "must call write in its own code section" unless env[:commands].empty?
-        before = env[:before]
-        env[:before] = "In file `#{filename}` write:\n\n#{before}"
+        env[:before] << "In file `#{filename}` write:"
+        env[:before] << NEWLINE
         nil
       end
 
diff --git a/lib/rundoc/code_section.rb b/lib/rundoc/code_section.rb
index e880089..0877934 100644
--- a/lib/rundoc/code_section.rb
+++ b/lib/rundoc/code_section.rb
@@ -44,8 +44,10 @@ def render
       result = []
       env = {}
       env[:commands] = []
-      env[:before] = +"#{fence}#{lang}"
-      env[:after] = +"#{fence}#{AUTOGEN_WARNING}"
+      env[:fence_start] = +"#{fence}#{lang}"
+      env[:fence_end] = "#{fence}#{AUTOGEN_WARNING}"
+      env[:before] = []
+      env[:after] = []
       env[:document_path] = @document_path
 
       @stack.each do |s|
@@ -71,11 +73,12 @@ def render
 
       return "" if hidden?
 
-      array = [env[:before], result, env[:after]]
+      array = [env[:before], env[:fence_start], result, env[:fence_end], env[:after]]
       array.flatten!
       array.compact!
-      array.map!(&:rstrip)
+      array.map! {|s| s.respond_to?(:rstrip) ? s.rstrip : s }
       array.reject!(&:empty?)
+      array.map!(&:to_s)
 
       array.join("\n") << "\n"
     end
diff --git a/test/rundoc/code_commands/remove_contents_test.rb b/test/rundoc/code_commands/remove_contents_test.rb
index f17ae58..c4fe206 100644
--- a/test/rundoc/code_commands/remove_contents_test.rb
+++ b/test/rundoc/code_commands/remove_contents_test.rb
@@ -29,10 +29,11 @@ def test_appends_to_a_file
 
         env = {}
         env[:commands] = []
-        env[:before] = "```ruby"
+        env[:before] = []
+        env[:fence_start] = "```ruby"
         cc.to_md(env)
 
-        assert_equal "In file `foo.rb` remove:\n\n```ruby", env[:before]
+        assert_equal ["In file `foo.rb` remove:", Rundoc::CodeCommand::NEWLINE], env[:before]
       end
     end
   end
diff --git a/test/rundoc/code_section_test.rb b/test/rundoc/code_section_test.rb
index f6720cb..38b4751 100644
--- a/test/rundoc/code_section_test.rb
+++ b/test/rundoc/code_section_test.rb
@@ -1,8 +1,6 @@
 require "test_helper"
 
 class CodeSectionTest < Minitest::Test
-  def setup
-  end
 
   def test_does_not_render_if_all_contents_hidden
     contents = <<~RUBY