diff --git a/src/stories/hello.stories.tsx b/src/stories/hello.stories.tsx
index eb4514a0..7f5c0c11 100644
--- a/src/stories/hello.stories.tsx
+++ b/src/stories/hello.stories.tsx
@@ -56,3 +56,14 @@ export function GetValueWithButton() {
     </div>
   )
 }
+
+export function SetValueWithButton() {
+  const ref = React.useRef<MDXEditorMethods>(null)
+
+  return (
+    <div>
+      <button onClick={() => ref.current?.setMarkdown('bar')}>Set Markdown</button>
+      <MDXEditor markdown={'foo'} ref={ref} />
+    </div>
+  )
+}
diff --git a/src/system/Editor.ts b/src/system/Editor.ts
index 2a5b64e3..1fb76be3 100644
--- a/src/system/Editor.ts
+++ b/src/system/Editor.ts
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@ import * as Mdast from 'mdast'
 import { createEmptyHistoryState } from '@lexical/react/LexicalHistoryPlugin'
 import { MarkdownParseOptions } from '../import'
 import { ExportMarkdownFromLexicalOptions } from '../export/export'
+import { importMarkdownToLexical } from '../import'
 
 type Teardowns = Array<() => void>
 
@@ -62,6 +63,7 @@ function seedTable(): Mdast.Table {
 export const [EditorSystem, EditorSystemType] = system((r) => {
   const editor = r.node<LexicalEditor | null>(null, true)
   const markdownSource = r.node('')
+  const setMarkdown = r.node<string>()
   const historyState = r.node(createEmptyHistoryState())
   const activeEditor = r.derive(editor, null)
 
@@ -105,6 +107,18 @@ export const [EditorSystem, EditorSystemType] = system((r) => {
     editorSubscriptions
   )
 
+  r.sub(r.pipe(setMarkdown, r.o.withLatestFrom(editor, markdownParseOptions)), ([markdown, editor, markdownParseOptions]) => {
+    r.pub(markdownSource, markdown)
+    editor?.update(() => {
+      $getRoot().clear()
+      importMarkdownToLexical({
+        root: $getRoot(),
+        markdown,
+        ...markdownParseOptions!
+      })
+    })
+  })
+
   r.sub(r.pipe(applyListType, r.o.withLatestFrom(activeEditor)), ([listType, theEditor]) => {
     theEditor?.dispatchCommand(ListTypeCommandMap.get(listType)!, undefined)
   })
@@ -349,6 +363,7 @@ export const [EditorSystem, EditorSystemType] = system((r) => {
     lexicalNodes,
     imageAutocompleteSuggestions,
     markdownSource,
+    setMarkdown,
     imageUploadHandler
   }
 }, [])
diff --git a/src/system/ViewMode.ts b/src/system/ViewMode.ts
index d6063a64..ed15fe97 100644
--- a/src/system/ViewMode.ts
+++ b/src/system/ViewMode.ts
@@ -1,15 +1,15 @@
-import { $getRoot } from 'lexical'
 import { system } from '../gurx'
-import { importMarkdownToLexical } from '../import'
 import { ViewMode } from '../types/ViewMode'
-import { getStateAsMarkdown } from '../utils/lexicalHelpers'
 import { EditorSystemType } from './Editor'
 import { JsxSystemType } from './Jsx'
 
 export const [ViewModeSystem] = system(
-  (r, [{ editor, markdownParseOptions, markdownSource }, {}]) => {
+  (r, [{ markdownSource, setMarkdown }, {}]) => {
     const viewMode = r.node<ViewMode>('editor')
     const headMarkdown = r.node('')
+    const markdownSourceFromEditor = r.node('')
+
+    r.link(markdownSource, markdownSourceFromEditor)
 
     r.sub(
       r.pipe(
@@ -23,25 +23,18 @@ export const [ViewModeSystem] = system(
           },
           { current: 'editor' as ViewMode, next: 'editor' as ViewMode }
         ),
-        r.o.withLatestFrom(editor, markdownSource, markdownParseOptions)
+        r.o.withLatestFrom(markdownSourceFromEditor)
       ),
-      ([{ current }, editor, markdownSource, markdownParseOptions]) => {
+      ([{ current }, markdownSourceFromEditor]) => {
         if (current === 'markdown') {
-          // we're switching away from the markdown editor, convert the source back to lexical nodes.
-          editor?.update(() => {
-            $getRoot().clear()
-            importMarkdownToLexical({
-              root: $getRoot(),
-              markdown: markdownSource,
-              ...markdownParseOptions!
-            })
-          })
+          r.pub(setMarkdown, markdownSourceFromEditor)
         }
       }
     )
 
     return {
       viewMode,
+      markdownSourceFromEditor,
       headMarkdown
     }
   },
diff --git a/src/ui/MDXEditor.tsx b/src/ui/MDXEditor.tsx
index a3950d9e..dd3a0b00 100644
--- a/src/ui/MDXEditor.tsx
+++ b/src/ui/MDXEditor.tsx
@@ -60,6 +60,8 @@ import { ImagesPlugin } from './ImagesPlugin'
 export interface MDXEditorProps {
   /**
    * The markdown content to be edited.
+   * Notice: this is the initial value of the editor.
+   * If you want to change the value of the editor, use the `setMarkdown` method.
    */
   markdown: string
   /**
@@ -264,7 +266,15 @@ export const defaultMdxOptionValues: DefaultMdxOptionValues = {
  * ```
  */
 export interface MDXEditorMethods {
+  /**
+   * gets the current markdown value
+   */
   getMarkdown: () => string
+
+  /**
+   * Updates the markdown value
+   */
+  setMarkdown: (value: string) => void
 }
 
 /**
@@ -375,6 +385,7 @@ export const MDXEditor = React.forwardRef<MDXEditorMethods, MDXEditorProps>(
 
 const MDXMethods: React.FC<{ mdxRef: React.ForwardedRef<MDXEditorMethods> }> = ({ mdxRef }) => {
   const [markdownSource] = useEmitterValues('markdownSource')
+  const setMarkdown = usePublisher('setMarkdown')
 
   React.useImperativeHandle(
     mdxRef,
@@ -382,10 +393,11 @@ const MDXMethods: React.FC<{ mdxRef: React.ForwardedRef<MDXEditorMethods> }> = (
       return {
         getMarkdown: () => {
           return markdownSource
-        }
+        },
+        setMarkdown
       }
     },
-    [markdownSource]
+    [markdownSource, setMarkdown]
   )
   return null
 }
diff --git a/src/ui/SourcePlugin.tsx b/src/ui/SourcePlugin.tsx
index 45a7857d..b2533a62 100644
--- a/src/ui/SourcePlugin.tsx
+++ b/src/ui/SourcePlugin.tsx
@@ -44,8 +44,8 @@ export const ViewModeToggler: React.FC<ViewModeProps> = ({ children }) => {
 }
 
 export const SourceEditor = () => {
-  const [markdown] = useEmitterValues('markdownSource')
-  const updateMarkdown = usePublisher('markdownSource')
+  const [markdown] = useEmitterValues('markdownSourceFromEditor')
+  const updateMarkdown = usePublisher('markdownSourceFromEditor')
   const codeMirrorRef = React.useRef<CodeMirrorRef>(null)
 
   return (