diff --git a/frontend/src/markdown.ts b/frontend/src/markdown.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c418e6a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/frontend/src/markdown.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,53 @@
+function applyInline(text: string): string {
+  text = text.replace(/\*\*(.+?)\*\*/g, '<strong>$1</strong>')
+  text = text.replace(/\*(.+?)\*/g, '<em>$1</em>')
+  return text
+}
+
+export function renderSimpleMarkdown(raw: string): string {
+  // escape HTML first
+  const text = raw
+    .replace(/&/g, '&amp;')
+    .replace(/</g, '&lt;')
+    .replace(/>/g, '&gt;')
+    .replace(/"/g, '&quot;')
+
+  // split into blocks by double newlines
+  const blocks = text.split(/\n\n+/)
+  const rendered = blocks.map(block => {
+    const lines = block.split('\n')
+    // check if block is a list
+    const isList = lines.every(l => l.match(/^\s*- /))
+    if (isList) {
+      const items = lines.map(l => {
+        let item = l.replace(/^\s*- /, '')
+        item = applyInline(item)
+        return `<li>${item}</li>`
+      })
+      return `<ul>${items.join('')}</ul>`
+    }
+    // process each line
+    const processed = lines.map(line => {
+      // headings
+      if (line.match(/^## /)) return `<h4>${applyInline(line.slice(3))}</h4>`
+      if (line.match(/^# /)) return `<h3>${applyInline(line.slice(2))}</h3>`
+      // single list item within a paragraph block
+      if (line.match(/^\s*- /)) return `<li>${applyInline(line.replace(/^\s*- /, ''))}</li>`
+      return applyInline(line)
+    })
+    // wrap non-heading lines in <p>
+    const out: string[] = []
+    let buf: string[] = []
+    for (const p of processed) {
+      if (p.startsWith('<h3>') || p.startsWith('<h4>') || p.startsWith('<li>') || p.startsWith('<ul>')) {
+        if (buf.length) { out.push(`<p>${buf.join('<br>')}</p>`); buf = [] }
+        out.push(p)
+      } else {
+        buf.push(p)
+      }
+    }
+    if (buf.length) out.push(`<p>${buf.join('<br>')}</p>`)
+    return out.join('')
+  })
+  return rendered.join('')
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/frontend/src/settingsApply.ts b/frontend/src/settingsApply.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..45745c9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/frontend/src/settingsApply.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+import type { ServerSettings } from './api'
+
+export function applySettings(settings: ServerSettings) {
+  const root = document.documentElement
+  root.removeAttribute('data-theme')
+  if (settings.theme === 'light') root.setAttribute('data-theme', 'light')
+  if (settings.theme === 'dark') root.setAttribute('data-theme', 'dark')
+  root.removeAttribute('data-colorblind')
+  if (settings.colorblind !== 'none') root.setAttribute('data-colorblind', String(settings.colorblind))
+  root.style.fontSize = `${String(settings.textScale)}%`
+  if (settings.torFriendly) root.classList.add('tor-friendly')
+  else root.classList.remove('tor-friendly')
+}
\ No newline at end of file