Worked on the zulip/zulip repository to enhance backend reliability by implementing a fallback mechanism for code rendering when syntax highlighting with Pygments fails. The solution logs errors and ensures that code blocks are rendered in plain text rather than failing outright, which prevents BAD_REQUEST errors and maintains user experience during highlighter outages. Automated tests were added to validate the error handling path, demonstrating a focus on robust testing and error management. This work utilized Python and emphasized backend development and error handling, directly addressing a reported issue and contributing to the overall resilience and maintainability of the codebase.