diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index d367327..ff6bbf1 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -69,10 +69,12 @@ stackvox speak --normalize --file post.md       # normalize, then synthesize
 stackvox say   --normalize "**Shipped** 1,198.9 MPG"   # normalize, then send to daemon
 ```
 
-`--normalize` is off by default on `speak`/`say`, so notification phrases synthesize exactly as before. The tuning flags mirror the library defaults (all on except emoji-strip): `--no-markdown`, `--no-dev-terms`, `--no-expand-units`, `--no-expand-numbers`, `--no-pauses`, `--tables {drop,csv}`, `--strip-emoji`, `--no-terminal-stops`, `--locale`, and a `--pronunciations FILE` (a JSON `{"written": "spoken"}` map, applied whole-word and case-insensitively).
+`--normalize` is off by default on `speak`/`say`, so notification phrases synthesize exactly as before. The tuning flags mirror the library defaults (all on except emoji-strip): `--no-markdown`, `--no-dev-terms`, `--no-expand-units`, `--no-expand-numbers`, `--no-pauses`, `--tables {drop,csv}`, `--code-blocks {drop,placeholder}`, `--strip-emoji`, `--no-terminal-stops`, `--locale`, and a `--pronunciations FILE` (a JSON `{"written": "spoken"}` map, applied whole-word and case-insensitively).
 
 **Dev-output handling** (on by default; `--no-dev-terms` to disable) covers two things espeak reads badly: acronyms it says as words (`CLI` → "C L I", `AWS`, `URI`, `IAM`, …) and file-line references, which it voices literally as "dot py colon". A `file.ext:line` ref is re-spoken lead-with-the-line: `engine.py:42` → "line 42 of engine py", `cli.py:100-118` → "lines 100 to 118 of cli py", `foo.ts:666:10` → "line 666, column 10 of foo ts". Times, ratios, and versions (`12:30`, `3:1`, `1.2.3`) are left alone.
 
+Fenced code blocks are dropped by default. `--code-blocks placeholder` instead speaks a short stand-in so a skipped block doesn't sound disjointed (ChatGPT-style) — set the wording with `--code-placeholder` (e.g. `--code-blocks placeholder --code-placeholder "you can see the code in the chat history"`); consecutive blocks collapse to one.
+
 Bash completion:
 
 ```bash
diff --git a/stackvox/cli.py b/stackvox/cli.py
index a47a6eb..77d8bcc 100644
--- a/stackvox/cli.py
+++ b/stackvox/cli.py
@@ -77,13 +77,17 @@ def _configure_logging() -> None:
             COMPREPLY=( $(compgen -W "drop csv" -- "$cur") )
             return 0
             ;;
+        --code-blocks)
+            COMPREPLY=( $(compgen -W "drop placeholder" -- "$cur") )
+            return 0
+            ;;
         --locale)
             COMPREPLY=( $(compgen -W "en-GB" -- "$cur") )
             return 0
             ;;
     esac
 
-    local norm_flags="--no-markdown --pronunciations --no-expand-units --no-expand-numbers --no-pauses --tables --strip-emoji --no-terminal-stops --locale"
+    local norm_flags="--no-markdown --no-dev-terms --pronunciations --no-expand-units --no-expand-numbers --no-pauses --tables --code-blocks --code-placeholder --strip-emoji --no-terminal-stops --locale"
 
     case "$subcommand" in
         speak)
@@ -240,6 +244,19 @@ def _add_normalize_args(parser: argparse.ArgumentParser, *, with_switch: bool) -
         default="drop",
         help="How Markdown tables are voiced (default: drop)",
     )
+    parser.add_argument(
+        "--code-blocks",
+        dest="code_blocks",
+        choices=["drop", "placeholder"],
+        default="drop",
+        help="How fenced code blocks are voiced (default: drop)",
+    )
+    parser.add_argument(
+        "--code-placeholder",
+        dest="code_placeholder",
+        default="Code block.",
+        help='Spoken stand-in for a code block when --code-blocks placeholder (default: "Code block.")',
+    )
     parser.add_argument(
         "--strip-emoji", dest="strip_emoji", action="store_true", help="Remove emoji before speaking"
     )
@@ -281,6 +298,8 @@ def _normalize_kwargs(args: argparse.Namespace) -> dict:
         "expand_numbers": args.expand_numbers,
         "pauses": args.pauses,
         "tables": args.tables,
+        "code_blocks": args.code_blocks,
+        "code_placeholder": args.code_placeholder,
         "strip_emoji": args.strip_emoji,
         "terminal_stops": args.terminal_stops,
         "locale": args.locale,
diff --git a/stackvox/text.py b/stackvox/text.py
index 5febc1f..e272b29 100644
--- a/stackvox/text.py
+++ b/stackvox/text.py
@@ -230,11 +230,24 @@ def _strip_md_inline(line: str) -> str:
     return line
 
 
-def markdown_to_paragraphs(text: str, *, tables: str = "drop", strip_emoji_flag: bool = False) -> list[str]:
+def markdown_to_paragraphs(
+    text: str,
+    *,
+    tables: str = "drop",
+    strip_emoji_flag: bool = False,
+    code_blocks: str = "drop",
+    code_placeholder: str = "",
+) -> list[str]:
     """Reduce Markdown to a list of speakable paragraphs. Headings and list
     items become their own paragraphs (so each gets its own pause). Tables are
-    dropped or rendered comma-separated per ``tables``."""
-    text = re.sub(r"(?ms)^[ \t]*(```|~~~).*?^[ \t]*\1[ \t]*$", "\n", text)  # fenced code
+    dropped or rendered comma-separated per ``tables``. Fenced code blocks are
+    dropped, or (``code_blocks="placeholder"``) replaced with a spoken
+    ``code_placeholder`` so a silently-skipped block doesn't sound disjointed."""
+    speak_code = code_blocks == "placeholder" and bool(code_placeholder)
+    # A function replacement keeps the placeholder literal (no backref parsing);
+    # blank lines around it make it a standalone paragraph.
+    fenced = f"\n\n{code_placeholder}\n\n" if speak_code else "\n"
+    text = re.sub(r"(?ms)^[ \t]*(```|~~~).*?^[ \t]*\1[ \t]*$", lambda _: fenced, text)  # fenced code
     text = re.sub(r"```+|~~~+", " ", text)  # stray fences
     if strip_emoji_flag:
         text = strip_emoji(text)
@@ -319,6 +332,14 @@ def emit_csv_row(cells_source: str) -> None:
             flush()
 
     flush()
+
+    if speak_code:  # collapse runs of adjacent code blocks into one placeholder
+        collapsed: list[str] = []
+        for para in paragraphs:
+            if para == code_placeholder and collapsed and collapsed[-1] == code_placeholder:
+                continue
+            collapsed.append(para)
+        return collapsed
     return paragraphs
 
 
@@ -366,6 +387,8 @@ def normalize_for_speech(
     expand_numbers: bool = True,
     pauses: bool = True,
     tables: str = "drop",
+    code_blocks: str = "drop",
+    code_placeholder: str = "Code block.",
     strip_emoji: bool = False,
     terminal_stops: bool = True,
     locale: str = DEFAULT_LOCALE,
@@ -380,7 +403,13 @@ def normalize_for_speech(
         effective_pronunciations[written.lower()] = spoken
 
     if markdown:
-        paragraphs = markdown_to_paragraphs(text, tables=tables, strip_emoji_flag=strip_emoji)
+        paragraphs = markdown_to_paragraphs(
+            text,
+            tables=tables,
+            strip_emoji_flag=strip_emoji,
+            code_blocks=code_blocks,
+            code_placeholder=code_placeholder,
+        )
     else:
         # `strip_emoji` (the bool kwarg) shadows the module function here, so
         # reach for the underlying pattern directly.
diff --git a/tests/test_cli.py b/tests/test_cli.py
index 0f0b633..92f7764 100644
--- a/tests/test_cli.py
+++ b/tests/test_cli.py
@@ -133,6 +133,8 @@ def _norm_ns(text=None, file=None, **overrides):
         expand_numbers=True,
         pauses=True,
         tables="drop",
+        code_blocks="drop",
+        code_placeholder="Code block.",
         strip_emoji=False,
         terminal_stops=True,
         locale="en-GB",
@@ -524,6 +526,26 @@ def test_paths_and_config_route(self, mocker):
         assert cli.main() == 0
         assert paths_handler.called
 
+    def test_code_block_flags_parse(self, mocker):
+        norm = mocker.patch.object(cli, "_cmd_normalize", return_value=0)
+        mocker.patch.object(
+            cli.sys,
+            "argv",
+            [
+                "stackvox",
+                "normalize",
+                "--code-blocks",
+                "placeholder",
+                "--code-placeholder",
+                "see the chat",
+                "hi",
+            ],
+        )
+        assert cli.main() == 0
+        args = norm.call_args.args[0]
+        assert args.code_blocks == "placeholder"
+        assert args.code_placeholder == "see the chat"
+
 
 class TestCmdCancel:
     def test_running_calls_daemon_cancel(self, mocker):
diff --git a/tests/test_text.py b/tests/test_text.py
index 11329df..161ca2f 100644
--- a/tests/test_text.py
+++ b/tests/test_text.py
@@ -175,6 +175,29 @@ def test_fenced_code_dropped():
     assert markdown_to_paragraphs(md) == ["Before.", "After."]
 
 
+def test_fenced_code_replaced_with_placeholder():
+    md = "Before.\n\n```py\nprint('hi')\n```\n\nAfter."
+    actual = markdown_to_paragraphs(md, code_blocks="placeholder", code_placeholder="see the code")
+    assert actual == ["Before.", "see the code", "After."]
+
+
+def test_consecutive_code_blocks_collapse_to_one_placeholder():
+    md = "```py\na\n```\n\n```py\nb\n```"
+    actual = markdown_to_paragraphs(md, code_blocks="placeholder", code_placeholder="see the code")
+    assert actual == ["see the code"]
+
+
+def test_code_placeholder_spoken_end_to_end():
+    md = "Here is how:\n\n```py\nx = 1\n```\n\nDone."
+    out = normalize_for_speech(md, code_blocks="placeholder", code_placeholder="see the chat history")
+    assert out == "Here is how:\nsee the chat history.\nDone."
+
+
+def test_code_blocks_dropped_by_default_end_to_end():
+    md = "Here is how:\n\n```py\nx = 1\n```\n\nDone."
+    assert normalize_for_speech(md) == "Here is how:\nDone."
+
+
 def test_tables_dropped_by_default():
     md = "| A | B |\n| --- | --- |\n| 1 | 2 |"
     assert markdown_to_paragraphs(md) == []