diff --git a/apps/docs/editor/built-in-ui/toolbar.mdx b/apps/docs/editor/built-in-ui/toolbar.mdx
index d9f5e92427..7ea46deab0 100644
--- a/apps/docs/editor/built-in-ui/toolbar.mdx
+++ b/apps/docs/editor/built-in-ui/toolbar.mdx
@@ -72,6 +72,10 @@ const superdoc = new SuperDoc({
   Custom button definitions. See [Custom Buttons](#custom-buttons).
 </ParamField>
 
+<ParamField path="modules.toolbar.showFormattingMarksButton" type="boolean" default="false">
+  Show the formatting marks (pilcrow) button in the toolbar. Off by default. Distinct from `layoutEngineOptions.showFormattingMarks`, which controls whether the marks render in the document.
+</ParamField>
+
 ## Available buttons
 
 Use button names with `excludeItems`, `groups`, and `icons` configuration.
@@ -190,6 +194,10 @@ Use button names with `excludeItems`, `groups`, and `icons` configuration.
   Toggle document ruler
 </ResponseField>
 
+<ResponseField name="formattingMarks" type="button">
+  Toggle formatting marks (pilcrow) display. Hidden by default; enable with `modules.toolbar.showFormattingMarksButton: true`.
+</ResponseField>
+
 <ResponseField name="documentMode" type="dropdown">
   Switch between editing/viewing/suggesting modes
 </ResponseField>
diff --git a/packages/super-editor/src/editors/v1/components/toolbar/defaultItems.js b/packages/super-editor/src/editors/v1/components/toolbar/defaultItems.js
index 2da53e57f8..8c02a20ade 100644
--- a/packages/super-editor/src/editors/v1/components/toolbar/defaultItems.js
+++ b/packages/super-editor/src/editors/v1/components/toolbar/defaultItems.js
@@ -1066,6 +1066,7 @@ export const makeDefaultItems = ({
   const itemsToHideXL = ['linkedStyles', 'clearFormatting', 'copyFormat', 'ruler', 'formattingMarks'];
   const itemsToHideSM = ['zoom', 'fontFamily', 'fontSize', 'redo'];
   const shouldUseLgCompactStyles = availableWidth <= RESPONSIVE_BREAKPOINTS.lg;
+  const shouldIncludeFormattingMarks = superToolbar.config?.showFormattingMarksButton === true;
 
   if (shouldUseLgCompactStyles) {
     documentMode.attributes.value = {
@@ -1114,7 +1115,7 @@ export const makeDefaultItems = ({
     linkedStyles,
     separator,
     ruler,
-    formattingMarks,
+    ...(shouldIncludeFormattingMarks ? [formattingMarks] : []),
     copyFormat,
     clearFormatting,
     aiButton,
@@ -1136,7 +1137,7 @@ export const makeDefaultItems = ({
     const getLinkedStylesIndex = toolbarItems.findIndex((item) => item.name.value === 'linkedStyles');
     toolbarItems.splice(getLinkedStylesIndex - 1, 2);
 
-    const filterItems = ['ruler', 'formattingMarks', 'zoom', 'undo', 'redo'];
+    const filterItems = ['ruler', 'zoom', 'undo', 'redo'];
     toolbarItems = toolbarItems.filter((item) => !filterItems.includes(item.name.value));
   }
 
diff --git a/packages/super-editor/src/editors/v1/components/toolbar/defaultItems.test.js b/packages/super-editor/src/editors/v1/components/toolbar/defaultItems.test.js
index 58922d7fab..5fff4d6a98 100644
--- a/packages/super-editor/src/editors/v1/components/toolbar/defaultItems.test.js
+++ b/packages/super-editor/src/editors/v1/components/toolbar/defaultItems.test.js
@@ -20,9 +20,22 @@ function getItemNames(list) {
   return list.map((item) => item.name.value);
 }
 
-function buildItems(availableWidth) {
+function getItem(defaultItems, overflowItems, name) {
+  return [...defaultItems, ...overflowItems].find((item) => item.name.value === name);
+}
+
+function buildItems(availableWidth, superToolbarOverrides = {}) {
+  const toolbar = {
+    ...superToolbar,
+    ...superToolbarOverrides,
+    config: {
+      ...superToolbar.config,
+      ...superToolbarOverrides.config,
+    },
+  };
+
   return makeDefaultItems({
-    superToolbar,
+    superToolbar: toolbar,
     toolbarIcons: stubProxy,
     toolbarTexts: stubProxy,
     toolbarFonts: [],
@@ -31,6 +44,32 @@ function buildItems(availableWidth) {
   });
 }
 
+describe('makeDefaultItems formatting marks button opt-in', () => {
+  it('does not include formattingMarks in the default toolbar items', () => {
+    const { defaultItems, overflowItems } = buildItems(2000);
+    expect(getItem(defaultItems, overflowItems, 'formattingMarks')).toBeUndefined();
+  });
+
+  it('includes formattingMarks when showFormattingMarksButton is true', () => {
+    const { defaultItems, overflowItems } = buildItems(2000, {
+      config: { showFormattingMarksButton: true },
+    });
+    const formattingMarks = getItem(defaultItems, overflowItems, 'formattingMarks');
+
+    expect(formattingMarks).toBeDefined();
+    expect(formattingMarks.command).toBe('toggleFormattingMarks');
+  });
+
+  it('includes formattingMarks in non-docx mode when showFormattingMarksButton is true', () => {
+    const { defaultItems, overflowItems } = buildItems(2000, {
+      config: { mode: 'html', showFormattingMarksButton: true },
+    });
+    const formattingMarks = getItem(defaultItems, overflowItems, 'formattingMarks');
+
+    expect(formattingMarks).toBeDefined();
+  });
+});
+
 describe('makeDefaultItems XL overflow boundary (SD-2328)', () => {
   const XL_OVERFLOW_SAFETY_BUFFER = 20;
   const XL_CUTOFF = RESPONSIVE_BREAKPOINTS.xl + XL_OVERFLOW_SAFETY_BUFFER;
diff --git a/packages/super-editor/src/editors/v1/components/toolbar/super-toolbar.js b/packages/super-editor/src/editors/v1/components/toolbar/super-toolbar.js
index f88f77bb3a..b5105768db 100644
--- a/packages/super-editor/src/editors/v1/components/toolbar/super-toolbar.js
+++ b/packages/super-editor/src/editors/v1/components/toolbar/super-toolbar.js
@@ -47,6 +47,7 @@ import { markerTextToBulletStyle } from '@helpers/list-numbering-helpers.js';
  * @property {string} [aiApiKey=null] - API key for AI integration
  * @property {string} [aiEndpoint=null] - Endpoint for AI integration
  * @property {ToolbarItem[]} [customButtons=[]] - Custom buttons to add to the toolbar
+ * @property {boolean} [showFormattingMarksButton=false] - Show the formatting marks (pilcrow) button in the toolbar. Distinct from `layoutEngineOptions.showFormattingMarks`, which controls whether the marks render in the document.
  */
 
 /**
@@ -180,6 +181,7 @@ export class SuperToolbar extends EventEmitter {
     aiApiKey: null,
     aiEndpoint: null,
     customButtons: [],
+    showFormattingMarksButton: false,
   };
 
   /**
diff --git a/packages/superdoc/src/core/types/index.ts b/packages/superdoc/src/core/types/index.ts
index e50eb08694..eb90b31ee9 100644
--- a/packages/superdoc/src/core/types/index.ts
+++ b/packages/superdoc/src/core/types/index.ts
@@ -1095,6 +1095,12 @@ export interface Modules {
      * already pass through `modules.toolbar.customButtons`.
      */
     customButtons?: Array<Record<string, unknown>>;
+    /**
+     * Show the formatting marks (pilcrow) button in the toolbar. Off by
+     * default. Distinct from `layoutEngineOptions.showFormattingMarks`, which
+     * controls whether the marks render in the document.
+     */
+    showFormattingMarksButton?: boolean;
   } & Record<string, unknown>;
   /** Link click popover configuration. */
   links?: {