diff --git a/utils/build/build-playwright-driver.sh b/utils/build/build-playwright-driver.sh
index 153b6027f4..ee551a4d99 100755
--- a/utils/build/build-playwright-driver.sh
+++ b/utils/build/build-playwright-driver.sh
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ echo "Building playwright-core package"
 node ../../utils/pack_package.js playwright-core ./output/playwright-core.tgz
 
 echo "Building api.json and protocol.yml"
-node ../../utils/doclint/generateApiJson.js > ./output/api.json
+API_JSON_MODE=1 node ../../utils/doclint/generateApiJson.js > ./output/api.json
 cp ../../packages/playwright-core/src/protocol/protocol.yml ./output/
 
 function build {
diff --git a/utils/markdown.js b/utils/markdown.js
index 795c0f8865..b3d180e77b 100644
--- a/utils/markdown.js
+++ b/utils/markdown.js
@@ -264,7 +264,10 @@ function innerRenderMdNode(indent, node, lastNode, result, maxColumns) {
 
   if (node.type === 'code') {
     newLine();
-    result.push(`${indent}\`\`\`${codeLangToHighlighter(node.codeLang)}`);
+    if (process.env.API_JSON_MODE)
+      result.push(`${indent}\`\`\`${node.codeLang}`);
+    else
+      result.push(`${indent}\`\`\`${codeLangToHighlighter(node.codeLang)}`);
     for (const line of node.lines)
       result.push(indent + line);
     result.push(`${indent}\`\`\``);