diff --git a/packages/notebook/src/browser/contributions/cell-operations.ts b/packages/notebook/src/browser/contributions/cell-operations.ts
index c77c0665f4d00..6ed1b4b5d7a7d 100644
--- a/packages/notebook/src/browser/contributions/cell-operations.ts
+++ b/packages/notebook/src/browser/contributions/cell-operations.ts
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ import { NotebookModel } from '../view-model/notebook-model';
  * a collection of different reusable notbook cell operations
  */
 
-export function changeCellType(notebookModel: NotebookModel, cell: NotebookCellModel, type: CellKind): void {
+export function changeCellType(notebookModel: NotebookModel, cell: NotebookCellModel, type: CellKind, language?: string): void {
     if (cell.cellKind === type) {
         return;
     }
@@ -32,7 +32,8 @@ export function changeCellType(notebookModel: NotebookModel, cell: NotebookCellM
         count: 1,
         cells: [{
             ...cell.getData(),
-            cellKind: type
+            cellKind: type,
+            language: language ?? cell.language
         }]
     }], true);
 }
diff --git a/packages/notebook/src/browser/contributions/notebook-cell-actions-contribution.ts b/packages/notebook/src/browser/contributions/notebook-cell-actions-contribution.ts
index cafeddddde6e1..2775a4afab51c 100644
--- a/packages/notebook/src/browser/contributions/notebook-cell-actions-contribution.ts
+++ b/packages/notebook/src/browser/contributions/notebook-cell-actions-contribution.ts
@@ -370,18 +370,25 @@ export class NotebookCellActionContribution implements MenuContribution, Command
                     return;
                 }
                 const language = await this.languageQuickPickService.pickEditorLanguage(selectedCell.language);
-                if (!language?.value || language.value === 'autoDetect') {
+                if (!language?.value || language.value === 'autoDetect' || language.value.id === selectedCell.language) {
                     return;
                 }
-                if (language.value.id === 'markdown') {
-                    selectedCell.language = 'markdown';
-                    changeCellType(activeNotebook, selectedCell, CellKind.Markup);
+                const isMarkdownCell = selectedCell.cellKind === CellKind.Markup;
+                const isMarkdownLanguage = language.value.id === 'markdown';
+                if (isMarkdownLanguage) {
+                    if (!isMarkdownCell) {
+                        changeCellType(activeNotebook, selectedCell, CellKind.Markup, language.value.id);
+                    }
                 } else {
-                    this.notebookEditorWidgetService.focusedEditor?.model?.applyEdits([{
-                        editType: CellEditType.CellLanguage,
-                        index: activeNotebook.cells.indexOf(selectedCell),
-                        language: language.value.id
-                    }], true);
+                    if (isMarkdownCell) {
+                        changeCellType(activeNotebook, selectedCell, CellKind.Code, language.value.id);
+                    } else {
+                        this.notebookEditorWidgetService.focusedEditor?.model?.applyEdits([{
+                            editType: CellEditType.CellLanguage,
+                            index: activeNotebook.cells.indexOf(selectedCell),
+                            language: language.value.id
+                        }], true);
+                    }
                 }
             }
         });
diff --git a/packages/notebook/src/browser/style/index.css b/packages/notebook/src/browser/style/index.css
index 12eb18739c08f..f2d45fdfd4d68 100644
--- a/packages/notebook/src/browser/style/index.css
+++ b/packages/notebook/src/browser/style/index.css
@@ -79,14 +79,14 @@
 }
 
 /* Markdown cell edit mode */
-.theia-notebook-cell-content:has(> .theia-notebook-cell-editor) {
+.theia-notebook-cell-content:has(.theia-notebook-markdown-editor-container>.theia-notebook-cell-editor) {
   margin-left: 37px;
   margin-right: var(--theia-notebook-cell-editor-margin-right);
   outline: 1px solid var(--theia-notebook-cellBorderColor);
 }
 
 /* Markdown cell edit mode focused */
-.theia-notebook-cell.focused .theia-notebook-cell-content:has(> .theia-notebook-cell-editor) {
+.theia-notebook-cell.focused .theia-notebook-cell-content:has(.theia-notebook-markdown-editor-container>.theia-notebook-cell-editor) {
   outline-color: var(--theia-notebook-focusedEditorBorder);
 }
 
diff --git a/packages/notebook/src/browser/view/notebook-code-cell-view.tsx b/packages/notebook/src/browser/view/notebook-code-cell-view.tsx
index e0fa2fb41e8ca..27764fac9f7af 100644
--- a/packages/notebook/src/browser/view/notebook-code-cell-view.tsx
+++ b/packages/notebook/src/browser/view/notebook-code-cell-view.tsx
@@ -150,7 +150,7 @@ export interface NotebookCodeCellStatusProps {
     notebook: NotebookModel;
     cell: NotebookCellModel;
     commandRegistry: CommandRegistry;
-    executionStateService: NotebookExecutionStateService;
+    executionStateService?: NotebookExecutionStateService;
     onClick: () => void;
 }
 
@@ -171,22 +171,24 @@ export class NotebookCodeCellStatus extends React.Component<NotebookCodeCellStat
         };
 
         let currentInterval: NodeJS.Timeout | undefined;
-        this.toDispose.push(props.executionStateService.onDidChangeExecution(event => {
-            if (event.affectsCell(this.props.cell.uri)) {
-                this.setState({ currentExecution: event.changed, executionTime: 0 });
-                clearInterval(currentInterval);
-                if (event.changed?.state === NotebookCellExecutionState.Executing) {
-                    const startTime = Date.now();
-                    // The resolution of the time display is only a single digit after the decimal point.
-                    // Therefore, we only need to update the display every 100ms.
-                    currentInterval = setInterval(() => {
-                        this.setState({
-                            executionTime: Date.now() - startTime
-                        });
-                    }, 100);
+        if (props.executionStateService) {
+            this.toDispose.push(props.executionStateService.onDidChangeExecution(event => {
+                if (event.affectsCell(this.props.cell.uri)) {
+                    this.setState({ currentExecution: event.changed, executionTime: 0 });
+                    clearInterval(currentInterval);
+                    if (event.changed?.state === NotebookCellExecutionState.Executing) {
+                        const startTime = Date.now();
+                        // The resolution of the time display is only a single digit after the decimal point.
+                        // Therefore, we only need to update the display every 100ms.
+                        currentInterval = setInterval(() => {
+                            this.setState({
+                                executionTime: Date.now() - startTime
+                            });
+                        }, 100);
+                    }
                 }
-            }
-        }));
+            }));
+        }
 
         this.toDispose.push(props.cell.onDidChangeLanguage(() => {
             this.forceUpdate();
@@ -200,7 +202,7 @@ export class NotebookCodeCellStatus extends React.Component<NotebookCodeCellStat
     override render(): React.ReactNode {
         return <div className='notebook-cell-status' onClick={() => this.props.onClick()}>
             <div className='notebook-cell-status-left'>
-                {this.renderExecutionState()}
+                {this.props.executionStateService && this.renderExecutionState()}
             </div>
             <div className='notebook-cell-status-right'>
                 <span className='notebook-cell-language-label' onClick={() => {
diff --git a/packages/notebook/src/browser/view/notebook-markdown-cell-view.tsx b/packages/notebook/src/browser/view/notebook-markdown-cell-view.tsx
index ac01e094460e3..65c96082f9325 100644
--- a/packages/notebook/src/browser/view/notebook-markdown-cell-view.tsx
+++ b/packages/notebook/src/browser/view/notebook-markdown-cell-view.tsx
@@ -23,8 +23,10 @@ import { NotebookCellModel } from '../view-model/notebook-cell-model';
 import { CellEditor } from './notebook-cell-editor';
 import { inject, injectable } from '@theia/core/shared/inversify';
 import { MonacoEditorServices } from '@theia/monaco/lib/browser/monaco-editor';
-import { nls } from '@theia/core';
+import { CommandRegistry, nls } from '@theia/core';
 import { NotebookContextManager } from '../service/notebook-context-manager';
+import { NotebookOptionsService } from '../service/notebook-options';
+import { NotebookCodeCellStatus } from './notebook-code-cell-view';
 import { NotebookEditorFindMatch, NotebookEditorFindMatchOptions } from './notebook-find-widget';
 import * as mark from 'advanced-mark.js';
 
@@ -39,9 +41,21 @@ export class NotebookMarkdownCellRenderer implements CellRenderer {
     @inject(NotebookContextManager)
     protected readonly notebookContextManager: NotebookContextManager;
 
+    @inject(CommandRegistry)
+    protected readonly commandRegistry: CommandRegistry;
+
+    @inject(NotebookOptionsService)
+    protected readonly notebookOptionsService: NotebookOptionsService;
+
     render(notebookModel: NotebookModel, cell: NotebookCellModel): React.ReactNode {
-        return <MarkdownCell markdownRenderer={this.markdownRenderer} monacoServices={this.monacoServices}
-            cell={cell} notebookModel={notebookModel} notebookContextManager={this.notebookContextManager} />;
+        return <MarkdownCell
+            markdownRenderer={this.markdownRenderer}
+            commandRegistry={this.commandRegistry}
+            monacoServices={this.monacoServices}
+            notebookOptionsService={this.notebookOptionsService}
+            cell={cell}
+            notebookModel={notebookModel}
+            notebookContextManager={this.notebookContextManager} />;
     }
 
     renderDragImage(cell: NotebookCellModel): HTMLElement {
@@ -55,15 +69,19 @@ export class NotebookMarkdownCellRenderer implements CellRenderer {
 }
 
 interface MarkdownCellProps {
-    markdownRenderer: MarkdownRenderer
-    monacoServices: MonacoEditorServices
-
-    cell: NotebookCellModel
-    notebookModel: NotebookModel
-    notebookContextManager: NotebookContextManager
+    markdownRenderer: MarkdownRenderer;
+    monacoServices: MonacoEditorServices;
+
+    commandRegistry: CommandRegistry;
+    cell: NotebookCellModel;
+    notebookModel: NotebookModel;
+    notebookContextManager: NotebookContextManager;
+    notebookOptionsService: NotebookOptionsService;
 }
 
-function MarkdownCell({ markdownRenderer, monacoServices, cell, notebookModel, notebookContextManager }: MarkdownCellProps): React.JSX.Element {
+function MarkdownCell({
+    markdownRenderer, monacoServices, cell, notebookModel, notebookContextManager, notebookOptionsService, commandRegistry
+}: MarkdownCellProps): React.JSX.Element {
     const [editMode, setEditMode] = React.useState(cell.editing);
     let empty = false;
 
@@ -111,11 +129,19 @@ function MarkdownCell({ markdownRenderer, monacoServices, cell, notebookModel, n
     }
 
     return editMode ?
-        <CellEditor cell={cell} notebookModel={notebookModel} monacoServices={monacoServices} notebookContextManager={notebookContextManager} /> :
-        <div className='theia-notebook-markdown-content'
+        (<div className='theia-notebook-markdown-editor-container' key="code">
+            <CellEditor notebookModel={notebookModel} cell={cell}
+                monacoServices={monacoServices}
+                notebookContextManager={notebookContextManager}
+                fontInfo={notebookOptionsService.editorFontInfo} />
+            <NotebookCodeCellStatus cell={cell} notebook={notebookModel}
+                commandRegistry={commandRegistry}
+                onClick={() => cell.requestFocusEditor()} />
+        </div >) :
+        (<div className='theia-notebook-markdown-content' key="markdown"
             onDoubleClick={() => cell.requestEdit()}
             ref={node => node?.replaceChildren(markdownContent)}
-        />;
+        />);
 }
 
 function searchInMarkdown(instance: mark, options: NotebookEditorFindMatchOptions): NotebookEditorFindMatch[] {