diff --git a/src/mdformat/renderer/_context.py b/src/mdformat/renderer/_context.py
index 59ce666..8d80611 100644
--- a/src/mdformat/renderer/_context.py
+++ b/src/mdformat/renderer/_context.py
@@ -141,6 +141,10 @@ def text(node: RenderTreeNode, context: RenderContext) -> str:
     return text
 
 
+def text_special(node: RenderTreeNode, context: RenderContext) -> str:
+    return node.content
+
+
 def fence(node: RenderTreeNode, context: RenderContext) -> str:
     info_str = node.info.strip()
     lang = info_str.split(maxsplit=1)[0] if info_str else ""
@@ -181,7 +185,8 @@ def code_block(node: RenderTreeNode, context: RenderContext) -> str:
 
 
 def image(node: RenderTreeNode, context: RenderContext) -> str:
-    description = _render_inline_as_text(node, context)
+    # description = _render_inline_as_text(node, context)
+    description = "".join(child.render(context) for child in node.children)
 
     if context.do_wrap:
         # Prevent line breaks
@@ -579,6 +584,7 @@ def ordered_list(node: RenderTreeNode, context: RenderContext) -> str:
         "hardbreak": hardbreak,
         "softbreak": softbreak,
         "text": text,
+        "text_special": text_special,
         "fence": fence,
         "code_block": code_block,
         "link": link,
diff --git a/tests/data/default_style.md b/tests/data/default_style.md
index 8df54df..3a6c42c 100644
--- a/tests/data/default_style.md
+++ b/tests/data/default_style.md
@@ -464,3 +464,18 @@ Unicode space (U+3000) after heading
 .
 # hoge
 .
+
+Keep code span in image description
+.
+![example](/url)
+
+![*example*](/url)
+
+![`example`](/url)
+.
+![example](/url)
+
+![*example*](/url)
+
+![`example`](/url)
+.