diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index d2e7906004..bdcfb49ad2 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ and this project adheres to [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0
 - Fixed empty print ignoring the `end` parameter
 - Fixed `Text.from_ansi` removing newlines https://github.com/Textualize/rich/pull/4076
 - Fixed `FileProxy.isatty` not proxying https://github.com/Textualize/rich/pull/4077
+- Fixed inline code in Markdown tables cells https://github.com/Textualize/rich/pull/4079
 
 ## [14.3.4] - 2026-04-11
 
diff --git a/rich/markdown.py b/rich/markdown.py
index 1e28343e86..abbbb07d64 100644
--- a/rich/markdown.py
+++ b/rich/markdown.py
@@ -331,9 +331,10 @@ def __init__(self, justify: JustifyMethod) -> None:
         self.justify = justify
 
     def on_text(self, context: MarkdownContext, text: TextType) -> None:
-        text = Text(text) if isinstance(text, str) else text
-        text.stylize(context.current_style)
-        self.content.append_text(text)
+        if isinstance(text, str):
+            self.content.append(text, context.current_style)
+        else:
+            self.content.append_text(text)
 
 
 class ListElement(MarkdownElement):
diff --git a/tests/test_markdown.py b/tests/test_markdown.py
index a76eac9b18..c461c76966 100644
--- a/tests/test_markdown.py
+++ b/tests/test_markdown.py
@@ -199,6 +199,22 @@ def test_table_with_empty_cells() -> None:
     assert result == expected
 
 
+def test_inline_code_in_table_cells() -> None:
+    """Test inline code in table cells.
+
+    Regression test for https://github.com/Textualize/rich/issues/4038
+
+    """
+    markdown = Markdown(
+        "| Col |\n|---|\n| `print('hello');` |\n",
+        inline_code_theme="monokai",
+        inline_code_lexer="python",
+    )
+    result = render(markdown)
+    expected = "\n\x1b[36m                 \x1b[0m\n\x1b[36m \x1b[0m\x1b[36mCol\x1b[0m\x1b[1m            \x1b[0m\x1b[36m \x1b[0m\n\x1b[36m ─────────────── \x1b[0m\n\x1b[36m \x1b[0m\x1b[38;2;248;248;242;48;2;39;40;34mprint\x1b[0m\x1b[38;2;248;248;242;48;2;39;40;34m(\x1b[0m\x1b[38;2;230;219;116;48;2;39;40;34m'\x1b[0m\x1b[38;2;230;219;116;48;2;39;40;34mhello\x1b[0m\x1b[38;2;230;219;116;48;2;39;40;34m'\x1b[0m\x1b[38;2;248;248;242;48;2;39;40;34m)\x1b[0m\x1b[38;2;248;248;242;48;2;39;40;34m;\x1b[0m\x1b[36m \x1b[0m\n\x1b[36m                 \x1b[0m\n"
+    assert result == expected
+
+
 if __name__ == "__main__":
     markdown = Markdown(MARKDOWN)
     rendered = render(markdown)