diff --git a/deps/graph-parser/src/logseq/graph_parser/mldoc.cljc b/deps/graph-parser/src/logseq/graph_parser/mldoc.cljc
index 51e21434be..bbc8907604 100644
--- a/deps/graph-parser/src/logseq/graph_parser/mldoc.cljc
+++ b/deps/graph-parser/src/logseq/graph_parser/mldoc.cljc
@@ -319,12 +319,18 @@
        (or (string/includes? content "^{")
            (string/includes? content "_{"))))
 
-(declare inline->edn)
-
-(defn- markdown-config?
-  [config]
-  (and (string? config)
-       (boolean (re-find #"\"format\"\s*:\s*\"Markdown\"" config))))
+(defn inline->edn
+  [text config]
+  (try
+    (if (string/blank? text)
+      {}
+      (-> text
+          (inline-parse-json config)
+          (common-util/json->clj)
+          (cond-> (macro-with-script-markup? text)
+            (normalize-macro-asts))))
+    (catch :default _e
+      [])))
 
 (defn- backtick-run-length
   [s idx]
@@ -413,11 +419,10 @@
             :else
             (recur (inc idx) start code-end cells)))
         (let [cells' (conj cells (subs s start))]
-          (mapv string/trim
-                (if (and trailing-pipe?
-                         (string/blank? (peek cells')))
-                  (pop cells')
-                  cells')))))))
+          (if (and trailing-pipe?
+                   (string/blank? (peek cells')))
+            (pop cells')
+            cells'))))))
 
 (defn- markdown-table-separator-line?
   [line]
@@ -460,7 +465,10 @@
   (let [cell' (unescape-markdown-table-pipes (string/trim cell))]
     (if (string/blank? cell')
       [["Plain" ""]]
-      (inline->edn cell' config))))
+      (let [ast (inline->edn cell' config)]
+        (if (seq ast)
+          ast
+          [["Plain" cell']])))))
 
 (defn- table-row->inline-asts
   [line config]
@@ -505,13 +513,18 @@
                :col_groups (table-col-groups fallback-table col-count)))
       fallback-table)))
 
+(defn- table-ast-item?
+  [[block _pos-meta]]
+  (and (vector? block)
+       (= "Table" (first block))))
+
 (defn- normalize-markdown-table-asts
   [ast content config]
-  (if (markdown-config? config)
+  (if-not (some table-ast-item? ast)
+    ast
     (let [payload (utf8/encode content)]
       (mapv (fn [[block pos-meta :as item]]
-              (if (and (vector? block)
-                       (= "Table" (first block)))
+              (if (table-ast-item? item)
                 (let [{:keys [start_pos end_pos]} pos-meta
                       source (utf8/substring payload start_pos end_pos)]
                   (if (markdown-table-source-needs-normalization? source)
@@ -519,8 +532,7 @@
                      pos-meta]
                     item))
                 item))
-            ast))
-    ast))
+            ast))))
 
 (defn collect-page-properties
   [ast config]
@@ -579,19 +591,6 @@
   [content format]
   (->edn "logseq_db_repo_stub" content format))
 
-(defn inline->edn
-  [text config]
-  (try
-    (if (string/blank? text)
-      {}
-      (-> text
-          (inline-parse-json config)
-          (common-util/json->clj)
-          (cond-> (macro-with-script-markup? text)
-            (normalize-macro-asts))))
-    (catch :default _e
-      [])))
-
 (defn ast-link?
   [[type link]]
   (let [[ref-type ref-value] (:url link)]
diff --git a/deps/graph-parser/test/logseq/graph_parser/mldoc_test.cljs b/deps/graph-parser/test/logseq/graph_parser/mldoc_test.cljs
index 96e39ed31f..d188ac993b 100644
--- a/deps/graph-parser/test/logseq/graph_parser/mldoc_test.cljs
+++ b/deps/graph-parser/test/logseq/graph_parser/mldoc_test.cljs
@@ -189,18 +189,6 @@
               []]
              [header groups col_groups]))))
 
-  (testing "non-markdown configs are not normalized"
-    (let [ast [[["Table" {:header [[["Plain" "A"]]
-                                    [["Plain" "B"]]]
-                          :groups []
-                          :col_groups [1 1]}]
-                {:start_pos 0 :end_pos 14}]]]
-      (is (= ast
-             (normalize-markdown-table-asts
-              ast
-              "|A \\||`B | C`|"
-              (gp-mldoc/default-config :org))))))
-
   (testing "fallback table column groups are preserved"
     (let [ast [[["Table" {:header [[["Plain" "A"]]
                                     [["Plain" "B"]]]
@@ -214,6 +202,21 @@
            md-config)]
       (is (= [1 1] (:col_groups table)))))
 
+  (testing "cell content is preserved when inline parsing fails"
+    (let [ast [[["Table" {:header [[["Plain" "A"]]]
+                          :groups []
+                          :col_groups [1]}]
+                {:start_pos 0 :end_pos 6}]]
+          [[[_ table] _pos-meta]]
+          (normalize-markdown-table-asts
+           ast
+           "|A \\||"
+           "invalid config")]
+      (is (= [[[["Plain" "A |"]]]
+              []
+              [1]]
+             [(:header table) (:groups table) (:col_groups table)]))))
+
   (testing "unclosed code spans do not hide cell boundaries"
     (let [{:keys [header groups col_groups]}
           (markdown-table