diff --git a/lib/ex_doc/formatter/epub.ex b/lib/ex_doc/formatter/epub.ex
index 6f3a4af7b..7d5986451 100644
--- a/lib/ex_doc/formatter/epub.ex
+++ b/lib/ex_doc/formatter/epub.ex
@@ -13,7 +13,9 @@ defmodule ExDoc.Formatter.EPUB do
     config = normalize_config(config)
     File.rm_rf!(config.output)
     File.mkdir_p!(Path.join(config.output, "OEBPS"))
-    {project_nodes, autolink} = HTML.autolink_and_render(project_nodes, ".xhtml", config)
+
+    {project_nodes, autolink} =
+      HTML.autolink_and_render(project_nodes, ".xhtml", config, highlight_tag: "samp")
 
     nodes_map = %{
       modules: HTML.filter_list(:module, project_nodes),
diff --git a/lib/ex_doc/formatter/html.ex b/lib/ex_doc/formatter/html.ex
index e2dd8f6b2..ffc32ef99 100644
--- a/lib/ex_doc/formatter/html.ex
+++ b/lib/ex_doc/formatter/html.ex
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ defmodule ExDoc.Formatter.HTML do
     build = Path.join(config.output, ".build")
     output_setup(build, config)
 
-    {project_nodes, autolink} = autolink_and_render(project_nodes, ".html", config)
+    {project_nodes, autolink} = autolink_and_render(project_nodes, ".html", config, [])
     extras = build_extras(config, autolink)
 
     # Generate search early on without api reference in extras
@@ -66,24 +66,26 @@ defmodule ExDoc.Formatter.HTML do
   @doc """
   Autolinks and renders all docs.
   """
-  def autolink_and_render(project_nodes, ext, config) do
+  def autolink_and_render(project_nodes, ext, config, opts) do
     autolink = Autolink.compile(project_nodes, ext, config)
-    {project_nodes |> Autolink.all(autolink) |> render_docs(), autolink}
-  end
 
-  defp render_docs(nodes) do
-    for module <- nodes do
-      docs = Enum.map(module.docs, &render_doc/1)
-      typespecs = Enum.map(module.typespecs, &render_doc/1)
-      %{render_doc(module) | docs: docs, typespecs: typespecs}
-    end
+    rendered =
+      project_nodes
+      |> Autolink.all(autolink)
+      |> Enum.map(fn node ->
+        docs = Enum.map(node.docs, &render_doc(&1, opts))
+        typespecs = Enum.map(node.typespecs, &render_doc(&1, opts))
+        %{render_doc(node, opts) | docs: docs, typespecs: typespecs}
+      end)
+
+    {rendered, autolink}
   end
 
-  defp render_doc(%{doc: nil} = node),
+  defp render_doc(%{doc: nil} = node, _opts),
     do: node
 
-  defp render_doc(%{doc: doc, source_path: file, doc_line: line} = node),
-    do: %{node | rendered_doc: ExDoc.Markdown.to_html(doc, file: file, line: line + 1)}
+  defp render_doc(%{doc: doc, source_path: file, doc_line: line} = node, opts),
+    do: %{node | rendered_doc: ExDoc.Markdown.to_html(doc, [file: file, line: line + 1] ++ opts)}
 
   defp output_setup(build, config) do
     if File.exists?(build) do
diff --git a/lib/ex_doc/highlighter.ex b/lib/ex_doc/highlighter.ex
index 0ec87ebc2..bf980751e 100644
--- a/lib/ex_doc/highlighter.ex
+++ b/lib/ex_doc/highlighter.ex
@@ -34,22 +34,24 @@ defmodule ExDoc.Highlighter do
   @doc """
   Highlights all code block in an already generated HTML document.
   """
-  def highlight_code_blocks(html) do
+  def highlight_code_blocks(html, opts \\ []) do
     Regex.replace(
       ~r/<pre><code(?:\s+class="(\w*)")?>([^<]*)<\/code><\/pre>/,
       html,
-      &highlight_code_block/3
+      &highlight_code_block(&1, &2, &3, opts)
     )
   end
 
-  defp highlight_code_block(full_block, lang, code) do
+  defp highlight_code_block(full_block, lang, code, outer_opts) do
     case pick_language_and_lexer(lang) do
       {_language, nil, _opts} -> full_block
-      {language, lexer, opts} -> render_code(language, lexer, opts, code)
+      {language, lexer, opts} -> render_code(language, lexer, opts, code, outer_opts)
     end
   end
 
-  defp render_code(lang, lexer, lexer_opts, code) do
+  defp render_code(lang, lexer, lexer_opts, code, opts) do
+    highlight_tag = Keyword.get(opts, :highlight_tag, "span")
+
     highlighted =
       code
       |> unescape_html()
@@ -57,7 +59,7 @@ defmodule ExDoc.Highlighter do
       |> Makeup.highlight_inner_html(
         lexer: lexer,
         lexer_options: lexer_opts,
-        formatter_options: [highlight_tag: "samp"]
+        formatter_options: [highlight_tag: highlight_tag]
       )
 
     ~s(<pre><code class="nohighlight makeup #{lang}">#{highlighted}</code></pre>)
diff --git a/lib/ex_doc/markdown/cmark.ex b/lib/ex_doc/markdown/cmark.ex
index e4177e58a..cc5f43516 100644
--- a/lib/ex_doc/markdown/cmark.ex
+++ b/lib/ex_doc/markdown/cmark.ex
@@ -21,11 +21,15 @@ defmodule ExDoc.Markdown.Cmark do
   end
 
   @doc """
-  Generate HTML output. Cmark takes no options.
+  Generate HTML output.
+
+  ## Options
+
+    * `:highlight_tag` - the tag used for highlighting code, defaults to "span"
   """
-  def to_html(text, _opts) do
+  def to_html(text, opts) do
     text
     |> Cmark.to_html()
-    |> ExDoc.Highlighter.highlight_code_blocks()
+    |> ExDoc.Highlighter.highlight_code_blocks(opts)
   end
 end
diff --git a/lib/ex_doc/markdown/earmark.ex b/lib/ex_doc/markdown/earmark.ex
index 9e9f8b732..b72243eb4 100644
--- a/lib/ex_doc/markdown/earmark.ex
+++ b/lib/ex_doc/markdown/earmark.ex
@@ -21,7 +21,9 @@ defmodule ExDoc.Markdown.Earmark do
   end
 
   @doc """
-  Earmark specific options:
+  Generate HTML output.
+
+  ## Options
 
     * `:gfm` - boolean. Turns on Github Flavored Markdown extensions. True by default
 
@@ -35,6 +37,8 @@ defmodule ExDoc.Markdown.Earmark do
       Earmark. See [Plugins](http://github.com/pragdave/earmark#plugins) for details on
       how to write custom plugins.
 
+    * `:highlight_tag` - the tag used for highlighting code, defaults to "span"
+
   """
   def to_html(text, opts) do
     options =
@@ -49,6 +53,6 @@ defmodule ExDoc.Markdown.Earmark do
 
     text
     |> Earmark.as_html!(options)
-    |> ExDoc.Highlighter.highlight_code_blocks()
+    |> ExDoc.Highlighter.highlight_code_blocks(opts)
   end
 end
diff --git a/test/ex_doc/formatter/epub/templates_test.exs b/test/ex_doc/formatter/epub/templates_test.exs
index 5af329166..94970f965 100644
--- a/test/ex_doc/formatter/epub/templates_test.exs
+++ b/test/ex_doc/formatter/epub/templates_test.exs
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ defmodule ExDoc.Formatter.EPUB.TemplatesTest do
   defp get_module_page(names, config \\ []) do
     config = doc_config(config)
     mods = ExDoc.Retriever.docs_from_modules(names, config)
-    {[mod | _], _} = HTML.autolink_and_render(mods, ".xhtml", config)
+    {[mod | _], _} = HTML.autolink_and_render(mods, ".xhtml", config, highlight_tag: "samp")
     Templates.module_page(config, mod)
   end
 
diff --git a/test/ex_doc/formatter/epub_test.exs b/test/ex_doc/formatter/epub_test.exs
index 7492d4748..6a92fc7eb 100644
--- a/test/ex_doc/formatter/epub_test.exs
+++ b/test/ex_doc/formatter/epub_test.exs
@@ -132,7 +132,6 @@ defmodule ExDoc.Formatter.EPUBTest do
 
   test "generates all listing files" do
     generate_docs_and_unzip(doc_config())
-
     content = File.read!("#{output_dir()}/OEBPS/content.opf")
 
     assert content =~ ~r{.*"CompiledWithDocs\".*}ms
@@ -164,6 +163,14 @@ defmodule ExDoc.Formatter.EPUBTest do
     assert content =~ ~r{<li><a href="readme.xhtml">README</a></li>}
   end
 
+
+  test "uses samp as highlight tag for markdown" do
+    generate_docs_and_unzip(doc_config())
+
+    assert File.read!("#{output_dir()}/OEBPS/CompiledWithDocs.xhtml") =~
+             "<samp class=\"nc\">CompiledWithDocs<\/samp>"
+  end
+
   describe "before_closing_*_tags" do
     # There are 3 possibilities for the `before_closing_*_tags`:
     # - required by the user alone
diff --git a/test/ex_doc/formatter/html/templates_test.exs b/test/ex_doc/formatter/html/templates_test.exs
index d3e51b583..5b428c674 100644
--- a/test/ex_doc/formatter/html/templates_test.exs
+++ b/test/ex_doc/formatter/html/templates_test.exs
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ defmodule ExDoc.Formatter.HTML.TemplatesTest do
   defp get_module_page(names, config \\ []) do
     config = doc_config(config)
     mods = ExDoc.Retriever.docs_from_modules(names, config)
-    {[mod | _], _} = HTML.autolink_and_render(mods, ".html", config)
+    {[mod | _], _} = HTML.autolink_and_render(mods, ".html", config, [])
     Templates.module_page(mod, @empty_nodes_map, config)
   end
 
@@ -275,7 +275,7 @@ defmodule ExDoc.Formatter.HTML.TemplatesTest do
       refute content =~ ~r{<small>module</small>}
 
       assert content =~
-               ~r{moduledoc.*Example.*<samp class="nc">CompiledWithDocs</samp><samp class="o">\.</samp><samp class="n">example</samp>.*}ms
+               ~r{moduledoc.*Example.*<span class="nc">CompiledWithDocs</span><span class="o">\.</span><span class="n">example</span>.*}ms
 
       assert content =~
                ~r{<h2 id="module-example-unicode-escaping" class="section-heading">.*<a href="#module-example-unicode-escaping" class="hover-link">.*<span class="icon-link" aria-hidden="true"></span>.*</a>.*Example.*</h2>}ms