diff --git a/backend/src/services/nameGenerator.js b/backend/src/services/nameGenerator.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..931a80c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/backend/src/services/nameGenerator.js
@@ -0,0 +1,37 @@
+import fs from 'fs'
+import path from 'path'
+import { fileURLToPath } from 'url'
+
+const __dirname = path.dirname(fileURLToPath(import.meta.url))
+const namesPath = path.join(__dirname, '../../data/names.txt')
+
+let allNames = []
+
+function loadNames() {
+  try {
+    const content = fs.readFileSync(namesPath, 'utf-8')
+    allNames = content
+      .split('\n')
+      .map(name => name.trim())
+      .filter(name => name.length > 0)
+  } catch (error) {
+    console.error('Error loading names:', error)
+    allNames = ['Alex', 'Jordan', 'Casey', 'Morgan', 'Riley'] // Fallback
+  }
+}
+
+// Load names on module import
+loadNames()
+
+export function getRandomNames(count) {
+  if (count > allNames.length) {
+    throw new Error(`Cannot get ${count} unique names. Only ${allNames.length} available.`)
+  }
+
+  const shuffled = [...allNames].sort(() => Math.random() - 0.5)
+  return shuffled.slice(0, count)
+}
+
+export function getRandomName() {
+  return allNames[Math.floor(Math.random() * allNames.length)]
+}
diff --git a/frontend/package-lock.json b/frontend/package-lock.json
index 24fc473..1392c42 100644
--- a/frontend/package-lock.json
+++ b/frontend/package-lock.json
@@ -9,6 +9,8 @@
       "version": "0.0.0",
       "dependencies": {
         "@vueuse/core": "^13.9.0",
+        "highlight.js": "^11.11.1",
+        "marked": "^16.4.1",
         "mermaid": "^11.12.0",
         "pinia": "^3.0.3",
         "radix-vue": "^1.9.17",
@@ -2284,6 +2286,15 @@
       "integrity": "sha512-3GKBOn+m2LX9iq+JC1064cSFprJY4jL1jCXTcpnfER5HYE2l/4EfWSGzkPa/ZDBmYI0ZOEj5VHV/eKnPGkHuOg==",
       "license": "MIT"
     },
+    "node_modules/highlight.js": {
+      "version": "11.11.1",
+      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/highlight.js/-/highlight.js-11.11.1.tgz",
+      "integrity": "sha512-Xwwo44whKBVCYoliBQwaPvtd/2tYFkRQtXDWj1nackaV2JPXx3L0+Jvd8/qCJ2p+ML0/XVkJ2q+Mr+UVdpJK5w==",
+      "license": "BSD-3-Clause",
+      "engines": {
+        "node": ">=12.0.0"
+      }
+    },
     "node_modules/hookable": {
       "version": "5.5.3",
       "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/hookable/-/hookable-5.5.3.tgz",
diff --git a/frontend/package.json b/frontend/package.json
index 1dc42ad..61a853f 100644
--- a/frontend/package.json
+++ b/frontend/package.json
@@ -10,6 +10,8 @@
   },
   "dependencies": {
     "@vueuse/core": "^13.9.0",
+    "highlight.js": "^11.11.1",
+    "marked": "^16.4.1",
     "mermaid": "^11.12.0",
     "pinia": "^3.0.3",
     "radix-vue": "^1.9.17",
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/DocumentViewer.vue b/frontend/src/components/DocumentViewer.vue
index 369dbd9..92284b5 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/DocumentViewer.vue
+++ b/frontend/src/components/DocumentViewer.vue
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 <script setup>
 import { computed } from 'vue'
+import { marked } from 'marked'
+import hljs from 'highlight.js'
 
 const props = defineProps({
   document: {
@@ -13,60 +15,48 @@ const props = defineProps({
   }
 })
 
+// Configure marked with syntax highlighting
+marked.setOptions({
+  breaks: true,
+  gfm: true
+})
+
+const renderer = new marked.Renderer()
+
+// Override code block rendering to add syntax highlighting
+renderer.code = ({ text, lang }) => {
+  const language = lang || 'plain'
+  let highlighted = text
+
+  if (hljs.getLanguage(language)) {
+    highlighted = hljs.highlight(text, { language }).value
+  } else {
+    highlighted = hljs.highlight(text, { language: 'plain' }).value
+  }
+
+  return `<pre><code class="hljs language-${language}">${highlighted}</code></pre>`
+}
+
+marked.setOptions({ renderer })
+
 const renderedContent = computed(() => {
   if (!props.document) {
     return '<p class="empty-state">No document content yet. Start the session to begin collaboration.</p>'
   }
 
   if (props.format === 'md') {
-    return simpleMarkdownToHtml(props.document)
+    return marked(props.document)
   } else {
-    // For txt format, just escape and wrap in pre
-    return `<pre>${escapeHtml(props.document)}</pre>`
+    // For txt format, wrap in pre
+    const escaped = props.document
+      .replace(/&/g, '&amp;')
+      .replace(/</g, '&lt;')
+      .replace(/>/g, '&gt;')
+      .replace(/"/g, '&quot;')
+      .replace(/'/g, '&#039;')
+    return `<pre><code>${escaped}</code></pre>`
   }
 })
-
-function escapeHtml(text) {
-  const div = document.createElement('div')
-  div.textContent = text
-  return div.innerHTML
-}
-
-function simpleMarkdownToHtml(md) {
-  let html = escapeHtml(md)
-
-  // Headers
-  html = html.replace(/^### (.*?)$/gm, '<h3>$1</h3>')
-  html = html.replace(/^## (.*?)$/gm, '<h2>$1</h2>')
-  html = html.replace(/^# (.*?)$/gm, '<h1>$1</h1>')
-
-  // Bold
-  html = html.replace(/\*\*(.*?)\*\*/g, '<strong>$1</strong>')
-  html = html.replace(/__(.*?)__/g, '<strong>$1</strong>')
-
-  // Italic
-  html = html.replace(/\*(.*?)\*/g, '<em>$1</em>')
-  html = html.replace(/_(.*?)_/g, '<em>$1</em>')
-
-  // Code blocks
-  html = html.replace(/```([\s\S]*?)```/g, '<pre><code>$1</code></pre>')
-
-  // Inline code
-  html = html.replace(/`(.*?)`/g, '<code>$1</code>')
-
-  // Links
-  html = html.replace(/\[(.*?)\]\((.*?)\)/g, '<a href="$2">$1</a>')
-
-  // Line breaks
-  html = html.replace(/\n/g, '<br>')
-
-  // Lists
-  html = html.replace(/^\s*[-*] (.*?)$/gm, '<li>$1</li>')
-  html = html.replace(/(<li>.*<\/li>)/s, '<ul>$1</ul>')
-  html = html.replace(/<\/li>\n<li>/g, '</li><li>')
-
-  return html
-}
 </script>
 
 <template>
@@ -78,6 +68,8 @@ function simpleMarkdownToHtml(md) {
 </template>
 
 <style scoped>
+:import 'highlight.js/styles/atom-one-dark.css';
+
 .document-viewer {
   width: 100%;
 }
@@ -96,6 +88,7 @@ function simpleMarkdownToHtml(md) {
   line-height: 1.8;
   color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.9);
   overflow-x: auto;
+  font-size: 1rem;
 }
 
 .document-content :deep(h1),
@@ -126,6 +119,11 @@ function simpleMarkdownToHtml(md) {
   color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.95);
 }
 
+.document-content :deep(h4) {
+  font-size: 1.1rem;
+  color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.9);
+}
+
 .document-content :deep(p) {
   margin-bottom: 1rem;
 }
@@ -140,7 +138,7 @@ function simpleMarkdownToHtml(md) {
   margin-bottom: 0.5rem;
 }
 
-.document-content :deep(code) {
+.document-content :deep(code:not(.hljs)) {
   background: rgba(102, 126, 234, 0.15);
   padding: 0.2em 0.4em;
   border-radius: 3px;
@@ -150,7 +148,7 @@ function simpleMarkdownToHtml(md) {
 }
 
 .document-content :deep(pre) {
-  background: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.3);
+  background: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.5);
   border: 1px solid rgba(102, 126, 234, 0.3);
   color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.9);
   padding: 1rem;
@@ -159,10 +157,38 @@ function simpleMarkdownToHtml(md) {
   margin: 1rem 0;
   font-family: 'Monaco', 'Courier New', monospace;
   font-size: 0.9rem;
-  line-height: 1.4;
+  line-height: 1.5;
   backdrop-filter: blur(5px);
 }
 
+.document-content :deep(.hljs) {
+  background: transparent !important;
+  color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.9) !important;
+  padding: 0 !important;
+}
+
+.document-content :deep(.hljs-string) {
+  color: #98c379 !important;
+}
+
+.document-content :deep(.hljs-number) {
+  color: #d19a66 !important;
+}
+
+.document-content :deep(.hljs-attr) {
+  color: #61afef !important;
+}
+
+.document-content :deep(.hljs-literal),
+.document-content :deep(.hljs-type) {
+  color: #56b6c2 !important;
+}
+
+.document-content :deep(.hljs-built_in),
+.document-content :deep(.hljs-builtin-name) {
+  color: #c678dd !important;
+}
+
 .document-content :deep(blockquote) {
   border-left: 4px solid rgba(102, 126, 234, 0.6);
   padding-left: 1rem;
diff --git a/frontend/src/style.css b/frontend/src/style.css
index d5668e6..5bfd749 100644
--- a/frontend/src/style.css
+++ b/frontend/src/style.css
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+@import 'highlight.js/styles/atom-one-dark.css';
+
 :root {
   --primary: #667eea;
   --primary-dark: #5568d3;