diff --git a/packages/markitdown/src/markitdown/converters/_docx_converter.py b/packages/markitdown/src/markitdown/converters/_docx_converter.py
index 3975107b1..19b5342a6 100644
--- a/packages/markitdown/src/markitdown/converters/_docx_converter.py
+++ b/packages/markitdown/src/markitdown/converters/_docx_converter.py
@@ -77,6 +77,7 @@ def convert(
 
         style_map = kwargs.get("style_map", None)
         pre_process_stream = pre_process_docx(file_stream)
+        kwargs.setdefault("preserve_complex_tables", True)
         return self._html_converter.convert_string(
             mammoth.convert_to_html(pre_process_stream, style_map=style_map).value,
             **kwargs,
diff --git a/packages/markitdown/src/markitdown/converters/_markdownify.py b/packages/markitdown/src/markitdown/converters/_markdownify.py
index 19e8a2984..a1c46b694 100644
--- a/packages/markitdown/src/markitdown/converters/_markdownify.py
+++ b/packages/markitdown/src/markitdown/converters/_markdownify.py
@@ -16,11 +16,23 @@ class _CustomMarkdownify(markdownify.MarkdownConverter):
     """
 
     def __init__(self, **options: Any):
+        self._preserve_complex_tables = options.pop("preserve_complex_tables", False)
         options["heading_style"] = options.get("heading_style", markdownify.ATX)
         options["keep_data_uris"] = options.get("keep_data_uris", False)
         # Explicitly cast options to the expected type if necessary
         super().__init__(**options)
 
+    def convert_table(self, el: Any, text: str, parent_tags: set[str]) -> str:
+        """Preserve tables with merged cells when Markdown cannot represent them."""
+        if self._preserve_complex_tables:
+            for cell in el.find_all(["td", "th"]):
+                for attribute in ("rowspan", "colspan"):
+                    span = cell.get(attribute)
+                    if span is not None and span.isdigit() and int(span) > 1:
+                        return f"\n\n{el}\n\n"
+
+        return super().convert_table(el, text, parent_tags)
+
     def convert_hn(
         self,
         n: int,
diff --git a/packages/markitdown/tests/test_docx_merged_tables.py b/packages/markitdown/tests/test_docx_merged_tables.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..33c014644
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/markitdown/tests/test_docx_merged_tables.py
@@ -0,0 +1,85 @@
+import io
+from types import SimpleNamespace
+
+import pytest
+
+import markitdown.converters._docx_converter as docx_converter_module
+from markitdown import StreamInfo
+from markitdown.converters import DocxConverter, HtmlConverter
+
+
+@pytest.fixture
+def mock_docx_html(monkeypatch: pytest.MonkeyPatch):
+    def _convert(html: str):
+        monkeypatch.setattr(
+            docx_converter_module,
+            "pre_process_docx",
+            lambda file_stream: file_stream,
+        )
+        monkeypatch.setattr(
+            docx_converter_module.mammoth,
+            "convert_to_html",
+            lambda *args, **kwargs: SimpleNamespace(value=html),
+        )
+        return (
+            DocxConverter()
+            .convert(
+                io.BytesIO(b"mock docx"),
+                StreamInfo(extension=".docx"),
+            )
+            .markdown
+        )
+
+    return _convert
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("attribute", ["rowspan", "colspan"])
+def test_docx_preserves_tables_with_merged_cells_as_html(
+    mock_docx_html,
+    attribute: str,
+) -> None:
+    html = f"""
+    <p>Before table</p>
+    <table>
+      <tr><th {attribute}="2">Merged heading</th><th>Second heading</th></tr>
+      <tr><td>First value</td><td>Second value</td></tr>
+    </table>
+    <p>After table</p>
+    """
+
+    result = mock_docx_html(html)
+
+    assert "Before table" in result
+    assert "After table" in result
+    assert "<table>" in result
+    assert f'{attribute}="2"' in result
+    assert "Merged heading" in result
+
+
+def test_docx_keeps_simple_tables_as_markdown(mock_docx_html) -> None:
+    html = """
+    <table>
+      <tr><th>First heading</th><th>Second heading</th></tr>
+      <tr><td>First value</td><td>Second value</td></tr>
+    </table>
+    """
+
+    result = mock_docx_html(html)
+
+    assert "<table>" not in result
+    assert "| First heading | Second heading |" in result
+    assert "| First value | Second value |" in result
+
+
+def test_html_converter_does_not_preserve_complex_tables_by_default() -> None:
+    html = """
+    <table>
+      <tr><th rowspan="2">Merged heading</th><th>Second heading</th></tr>
+      <tr><td>First value</td></tr>
+    </table>
+    """
+
+    result = HtmlConverter().convert_string(html).markdown
+
+    assert "<table>" not in result
+    assert "Merged heading" in result