diff --git a/lib/Epub/Epub/parsers/ChapterHtmlSlimParser.cpp b/lib/Epub/Epub/parsers/ChapterHtmlSlimParser.cpp
index 79ae15fb..4b11f6e3 100644
--- a/lib/Epub/Epub/parsers/ChapterHtmlSlimParser.cpp
+++ b/lib/Epub/Epub/parsers/ChapterHtmlSlimParser.cpp
@@ -976,7 +976,15 @@ void XMLCALL ChapterHtmlSlimParser::startElement(void* userData, const XML_Char*
   }
 
   if (strcmp(name, "ul") == 0 || strcmp(name, "ol") == 0) {
-    self->listStack.push_back({self->depth, name[0] == 'o', 0});
+    int startCounter = 0;
+    if (name[0] == 'o') {
+      const char* startAttr = getAttribute(atts, "start");
+      if (startAttr) {
+        int v = atoi(startAttr);
+        if (v > 0) startCounter = v - 1;  // counter is pre-incremented on each <li>
+      }
+    }
+    self->listStack.push_back({self->depth, name[0] == 'o', startCounter});
   }
 
   const float emSize = static_cast<float>(self->renderer.getFontAscenderSize(self->fontId));
@@ -1050,14 +1058,21 @@ void XMLCALL ChapterHtmlSlimParser::startElement(void* userData, const XML_Char*
       self->updateEffectiveInlineStyle();
 
       if (strcmp(name, "li") == 0) {
-        char marker[12];
-        if (!self->listStack.empty() && self->listStack.back().isOrdered) {
-          self->listStack.back().counter += 1;
-          snprintf(marker, sizeof(marker), "%d.", self->listStack.back().counter);
-        } else {
-          strcpy(marker, "\xe2\x80\xa2");
+        if (!self->listStack.empty()) {
+          char marker[12];
+          if (self->listStack.back().isOrdered) {
+            const char* valueAttr = getAttribute(atts, "value");
+            if (valueAttr) {
+              int v = atoi(valueAttr);
+              if (v > 0) self->listStack.back().counter = v - 1;
+            }
+            self->listStack.back().counter += 1;
+            snprintf(marker, sizeof(marker), "%d.", self->listStack.back().counter);
+          } else {
+            strcpy(marker, "\xe2\x80\xa2");
+          }
+          self->currentTextBlock->addWord(marker, EpdFontFamily::REGULAR);
         }
-        self->currentTextBlock->addWord(marker, EpdFontFamily::REGULAR);
       } else if (strcmp(name, "pre") == 0) {
         // Record depth so characterData can treat \n as a hard line break inside <pre>.
         // depth has not been incremented yet here; it will be after startElement returns.
diff --git a/scripts/generate_test_epub.py b/scripts/generate_test_epub.py
index 76c199a5..1b12e1ff 100644
--- a/scripts/generate_test_epub.py
+++ b/scripts/generate_test_epub.py
@@ -1016,6 +1016,7 @@ def main():
 <li>pre with inline code element</li>
 <li>horizontal rules between paragraphs</li>
 <li>superscript and subscript rendering</li>
+<li>list rendering: ul, ol, nested, start/value attributes, bare li</li>
 </ul>
 """,
                 ),
@@ -1086,6 +1087,88 @@ greet("World");</code></pre>
 <p>Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua.</p>
 <hr/>
 <p>End of horizontal rule tests.</p>
+""",
+                ),
+                [],
+            ),
+            (
+                "6. Lists",
+                make_chapter(
+                    "List Rendering Tests",
+                    """
+<h2>Unordered list (bullets)</h2>
+<ul>
+<li>First item</li>
+<li>Second item</li>
+<li>Third item</li>
+</ul>
+
+<h2>Ordered list (numbers 1, 2, 3)</h2>
+<ol>
+<li>One</li>
+<li>Two</li>
+<li>Three</li>
+</ol>
+
+<h2>Ordered list with start="5" (should begin at 5)</h2>
+<ol start="5">
+<li>Five</li>
+<li>Six</li>
+<li>Seven</li>
+</ol>
+
+<h2>Ordered list with li value override (should show 1, 2, 5, 6)</h2>
+<ol>
+<li>One</li>
+<li>Two</li>
+<li value="5">Five</li>
+<li>Six</li>
+</ol>
+
+<h2>Nested lists</h2>
+<ul>
+<li>Fruit
+  <ul>
+  <li>Apple</li>
+  <li>Banana</li>
+  </ul>
+</li>
+<li>Vegetables
+  <ul>
+  <li>Carrot</li>
+  <li>Pea</li>
+  </ul>
+</li>
+</ul>
+
+<h2>Nested ordered lists (outer 1,2 / inner 1,2,3)</h2>
+<ol>
+<li>Chapter one
+  <ol>
+  <li>Section A</li>
+  <li>Section B</li>
+  <li>Section C</li>
+  </ol>
+</li>
+<li>Chapter two
+  <ol>
+  <li>Section A</li>
+  <li>Section B</li>
+  </ol>
+</li>
+</ol>
+
+<h2>Bare li outside any list (no bullet should appear)</h2>
+<p>The line below is a bare &lt;li&gt; with no enclosing &lt;ul&gt; or &lt;ol&gt;. No bullet or number should appear before it.</p>
+<li>This bare li should have no marker</li>
+<p>Normal paragraph resumed.</p>
+
+<h2>List with inline formatting</h2>
+<ul>
+<li><b>Bold</b> item text</li>
+<li><i>Italic</i> item text</li>
+<li>Item with <b>bold</b> and <i>italic</i> mixed</li>
+</ul>
 """,
                 ),
                 [],
diff --git a/test/epubs/test_text_rendering.epub b/test/epubs/test_text_rendering.epub
index 74be4b31..95673e00 100644
Binary files a/test/epubs/test_text_rendering.epub and b/test/epubs/test_text_rendering.epub differ