diff --git a/.changeset/rich-teams-melt.md b/.changeset/rich-teams-melt.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..3b1d640a00
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/rich-teams-melt.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+"@lynx-js/web-elements": patch
+---
+
+fix: x-markdown inline view injection no longer queries light DOM children when the content attribute changes. Consumers must now pre-set `slot="{id}"` on the child element they want to project into `inlineview://{id}`.
diff --git a/packages/web-platform/web-elements/src/elements/XMarkdown/XMarkdownAttributes.ts b/packages/web-platform/web-elements/src/elements/XMarkdown/XMarkdownAttributes.ts
index c9a6b6e444..c14f3c69a2 100644
--- a/packages/web-platform/web-elements/src/elements/XMarkdown/XMarkdownAttributes.ts
+++ b/packages/web-platform/web-elements/src/elements/XMarkdown/XMarkdownAttributes.ts
@@ -1285,23 +1285,12 @@ export class XMarkdownAttributes {
         const inlineId = img.getAttribute('data-inlineview');
         if (inlineId) {
           const id = inlineId;
-          const view = this.#dom.querySelector(`#${CSS.escape(id)}`);
-          if (view) {
-            const container = document.createElement('span');
-            container.className = 'md-inline-view';
-            const vAlign = (view as HTMLElement).getAttribute('vertical-align')
-              || (view as HTMLElement).style.verticalAlign
-              || '';
-            if (vAlign) {
-              (container.style as any).verticalAlign = vAlign;
-            }
-            const slot = document.createElement('slot');
-            const slotName = `md-inline-view-${id}`;
-            slot.name = slotName;
-            (view as HTMLElement).slot = slotName;
-            container.appendChild(slot);
-            img.replaceWith(container);
-          }
+          const container = document.createElement('span');
+          container.className = 'md-inline-view';
+          const slot = document.createElement('slot');
+          slot.name = `md-inline-view-${id}`;
+          container.appendChild(slot);
+          img.replaceWith(container);
         }
       }
     } catch {
diff --git a/packages/web-platform/web-elements/tests/fixtures/x-markdown/inlineview-class.html b/packages/web-platform/web-elements/tests/fixtures/x-markdown/inlineview-class.html
index f6be0c5dc3..5989d77763 100644
--- a/packages/web-platform/web-elements/tests/fixtures/x-markdown/inlineview-class.html
+++ b/packages/web-platform/web-elements/tests/fixtures/x-markdown/inlineview-class.html
@@ -18,7 +18,11 @@
     <script src="/main.js" defer></script>
     <x-view class="page">
       <x-markdown id="markdown" style="width: 300px">
-        <x-view id="content-view" class="content"></x-view>
+        <x-view
+          id="content-view"
+          slot="md-inline-view-content-view"
+          class="content"
+        ></x-view>
       </x-markdown>
     </x-view>
     <script>
diff --git a/packages/web-platform/web-elements/tests/fixtures/x-markdown/inlineview.html b/packages/web-platform/web-elements/tests/fixtures/x-markdown/inlineview.html
index 03259fbc6c..a59444a9f6 100644
--- a/packages/web-platform/web-elements/tests/fixtures/x-markdown/inlineview.html
+++ b/packages/web-platform/web-elements/tests/fixtures/x-markdown/inlineview.html
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@
       <x-markdown id="markdown" style="width: 300px">
         <x-view
           id="badge"
-          vertical-align="middle"
+          slot="md-inline-view-badge"
           style="display: inline-block; width: 10px; height: 10px; background: rgb(255, 0, 0)"
         ></x-view>
       </x-markdown>
diff --git a/packages/web-platform/web-elements/tests/x-markdown.spec.ts b/packages/web-platform/web-elements/tests/x-markdown.spec.ts
index 336e9fb70b..40a7c52490 100644
--- a/packages/web-platform/web-elements/tests/x-markdown.spec.ts
+++ b/packages/web-platform/web-elements/tests/x-markdown.spec.ts
@@ -617,22 +617,24 @@ test.describe('x-markdown', () => {
     ]);
   });
 
-  test('should inject inline view and keep vertical-align', async ({ page }) => {
+  test('should inject inline view via pre-set slot', async ({ page }) => {
     await goto(page, 'x-markdown/inlineview');
     await page.waitForFunction(() => {
       const el = document.querySelector('x-markdown');
       const root = el && (el as any).shadowRoot;
       return !!root && !!root.querySelector('.md-inline-view');
     });
-    const va = await page.evaluate(() => {
+    const projected = await page.evaluate(() => {
       const el = document.querySelector('x-markdown')!;
       const root = el.shadowRoot as ShadowRoot;
-      const inline = root.querySelector('.md-inline-view') as
-        | HTMLElement
-        | null;
-      return inline ? getComputedStyle(inline).verticalAlign : '';
+      const slot = root.querySelector(
+        '.md-inline-view slot',
+      ) as HTMLSlotElement | null;
+      return slot?.assignedElements().some((node) =>
+        (node as HTMLElement).id === 'badge'
+      ) ?? false;
     });
-    expect(va).toBe('middle');
+    expect(projected).toBe(true);
   });
 
   test('should apply class styles to inline view', async ({ page }) => {