# \`code\` is invisible, solely when directly inside \`small\`
**URL:** https://meta.discourse.org/t/code-is-invisible-solely-when-directly-inside-small/410078
**Category:** Bug
**Tags:** css, fixed, bug
**Created:** [August 14, 2026, 12:11pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/code-is-invisible-solely-when-directly-inside-small/410078 "2026-08-14T12:11:12Z")
**Posts on this page:** 5
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@roke\_julian\_lockhart](https://meta.discourse.org/u/roke_julian_lockhart)
#### Post date: [August 14, 2026, 12:11pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/code-is-invisible-solely-when-directly-inside-small/410078/1 "2026-08-14T12:11:12Z")
Recently, I entered the undermentioned:
```markdown
> Powered by [`noggin`](https://github.com/fedora-infra/noggin) `v1.11.0` (`stable:d236f5e`)
```
…at another Discourse instance:
> **[Why does CentOS login not accept the FAS credentials that it purports to?](https://discussion.fedoraproject.org/t/why-does-centos-login-not-accept-the-fas-credentials-that-it-purports-to/199248)**
>
> accounts.centos.org states: You can also use your Fedora account to login here. However, when I attempt to enter my credentials there, I observe: Unauthorized: bad credentials. What does this mean? The Environment Powered by noggin...
It was quoted from the cited website.
When it is rendered, all of the `small > a > code` renders, whereas `code` of the `small > code` does not:
> Powered by [`noggin`](https://github.com/fedora-infra/noggin) `v1.11.0` (`stable:d236f5e`)
> ****
>
> In case it differs for you, I observe:
>
> 
…is what I originally believed! Rather, it does render, but the CSS renders the `small > code` invisible, because its background colouration is identical to that of the `blockQuote`’s. Strangely, this is untrue for the `a[href]`.
---
### Author:  [@sk-or-v1-contents](https://meta.discourse.org/u/sk-or-v1-contents)
#### Post date: [August 16, 2026, 5:41am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/code-is-invisible-solely-when-directly-inside-small/410078/2 "2026-08-16T05:41:51Z")
Here’s what I see
If I understand correctly the text is all displayed, you think the code background is too hard to see.
This might be a Discourse theme problem. Do you know the name of the theme? If it’s maintained by Discourse, bring that up to the theme feedback topic; if it’s customized by the forum, you should tell them.
---
### Author:  [@roke\_julian\_lockhart](https://meta.discourse.org/u/roke_julian_lockhart)
#### Post date: [August 16, 2026, 6:53pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/code-is-invisible-solely-when-directly-inside-small/410078/3 "2026-08-16T18:53:53Z")
@sk-or-v1-contents, rather, the background behind the “`v1.11.0`” is invisible:
-
#### Unquoted
* * *
Powered by [`noggin`](https://github.com/fedora-infra/noggin) `v1.11.0` (`stable:d236f5e`)
* * *
-
#### Quoted
* * *
> Powered by [`noggin`](https://github.com/fedora-infra/noggin) `v1.11.0` (`stable:d236f5e`)
* * *
---
### Author:  [@zogstrip](https://meta.discourse.org/u/zogstrip)
#### Post date: [August 17, 2026, 12:29pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/code-is-invisible-solely-when-directly-inside-small/410078/5 "2026-08-17T12:29:36Z")
Thanks for the report @roke_julian_lockhart 👍
It’ll be fixed by
>
>
> Previously, inline \`code\` only got its chip styling when its direct parent was \`…p\`, \`li\`, \`strong\`, \`em\` or \`a\` — every other container (\`small\`, \`b\`, \`i\`, \`sub\`, \`sup\`, \`span\`, \`del\`, headings, table cells, …) fell through to the code-block rule, whose light-mode background is a 3% blend of primary over secondary and is therefore indistinguishable from a quote's 5% blend, and \*exactly identical\* inside a nested quote. Fenced code blocks sat on the same collision, so they vanished in quotes too.
>
> This change makes the inline style the default for \`code\` and scopes the block style to \`pre \> code\`, and derives \`$hljs-bg\` from \`$inline-code-bg\` so the two code surfaces match by default and neither disappears against a quote background. \`--hljs-bg\` and \`--inline-code-bg\` both keep their names and meanings, so themes that differentiate them are unaffected.
>
> Reported in https://meta.discourse.org/t/code-is-invisible-solely-when-directly-inside-small/410078
>
> \### Screenshots
>
> \
> \
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### Author:  [@system](https://meta.discourse.org/u/system)
#### Post date: [August 21, 2026, 3:39pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/code-is-invisible-solely-when-directly-inside-small/410078/7 "2026-08-21T15:39:49Z")