diff --git a/md2doc.py b/md2doc.py
index e5e3f88..e6c62db 100644
--- a/md2doc.py
+++ b/md2doc.py
@@ -323,6 +323,48 @@ def _render_paragraph(doc, node, style: dict):
     _add_runs(node)
 
 
+def _render_list(doc, node, style: dict, level: int = 0, num_state: dict = None):
+    """Render <ul>/<ol> recursively. Uses register_multilevel_numbering + attach_list_numbering.
+
+    `num_state` carries the registered numId across recursion (one numbering definition
+    per top-level list, all children share it).
+
+    Spec §4.2: mandatory manual numbering — List Bullet 2/3 styles don't work.
+    """
+    is_ordered = node.name == "ol"
+    kind = "decimal" if is_ordered else "bullet"
+
+    # Top-level call: register fresh numbering definition
+    if num_state is None:
+        num_id = register_multilevel_numbering(doc, levels=3, kind=kind)
+        num_state = {"num_id": num_id}
+
+    for li in node.find_all("li", recursive=False):
+        # The li's direct text (excluding nested lists)
+        nested_lists = []
+        for child in li.children:
+            if hasattr(child, "name") and child.name in ("ul", "ol"):
+                nested_lists.append(child)
+
+        # Get text content of the li (excluding nested list text)
+        text_parts = []
+        for child in li.children:
+            if hasattr(child, "name") and child.name in ("ul", "ol"):
+                continue
+            if isinstance(child, str):
+                text_parts.append(child.strip())
+            else:
+                text_parts.append(child.get_text(strip=True))
+        text = " ".join(p for p in text_parts if p)
+
+        p = doc.add_paragraph(text)
+        attach_list_numbering(p, num_id=num_state["num_id"], ilvl=level)
+
+        # Recurse into nested lists
+        for nested in nested_lists:
+            _render_list(doc, nested, style=style, level=level + 1, num_state=num_state)
+
+
 def convert_md_to_doc(md_file: Path, output_file: Path, style: str = "elegant") -> Path:
     """Convert a single markdown file to DOCX.
 
diff --git a/tests/test_md2doc_lists.py b/tests/test_md2doc_lists.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..72d50d4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_md2doc_lists.py
@@ -0,0 +1,130 @@
+"""Tests for list rendering — verifies nested levels use correct ilvl."""
+import zipfile
+import xml.etree.ElementTree as ET
+from pathlib import Path
+
+from docx import Document
+from bs4 import BeautifulSoup
+
+from md2doc import STYLES, _render_list
+
+W_NS = "http://schemas.openxmlformats.org/wordprocessingml/2006/main"
+
+
+def get_doc_xml(doc):
+    tmp = Path(__file__).parent / "_tmp_list.docx"
+    doc.save(tmp)
+    try:
+        with zipfile.ZipFile(tmp) as z:
+            return ET.fromstring(z.read("word/document.xml"))
+    finally:
+        tmp.unlink()
+
+
+def test_flat_bullet_list_produces_3_items_at_ilvl_0():
+    html = """
+    <ul>
+      <li>Item A</li>
+      <li>Item B</li>
+      <li>Item C</li>
+    </ul>
+    """
+    doc = Document()
+    node = BeautifulSoup(html, "html.parser").find("ul")
+    _render_list(doc, node, style=STYLES["elegant"])
+    root = get_doc_xml(doc)
+    ilvls = [int(el.get(f"{{{W_NS}}}val")) for el in root.iter(f"{{{W_NS}}}ilvl")]
+    assert ilvls == [0, 0, 0], f"expected all ilvl=0, got {ilvls}"
+
+
+def test_nested_bullet_list_uses_increasing_ilvl_and_resolves_to_multilevel_abstractNum():
+    """BEHAVIORAL: paragraphs have ilvl=[0,1,2], AND the numId they reference
+    resolves to an abstractNum that actually defines those levels. A no-op
+    register_multilevel_numbering (return 1) would leave paragraphs pointing to
+    default-template numId=1 (single-level), so the test must FAIL.
+    """
+    html = """
+    <ul>
+      <li>Top
+        <ul>
+          <li>Nested 1
+            <ul>
+              <li>Deep nested</li>
+            </ul>
+          </li>
+        </ul>
+      </li>
+    </ul>
+    """
+    doc = Document()
+    node = BeautifulSoup(html, "html.parser").find("ul")
+    _render_list(doc, node, style=STYLES["elegant"])
+
+    tmp = Path(__file__).parent / "_tmp_list_full.docx"
+    doc.save(tmp)
+    try:
+        with zipfile.ZipFile(tmp) as z:
+            doc_xml = z.read("word/document.xml")
+            num_xml = z.read("word/numbering.xml")
+        doc_root = ET.fromstring(doc_xml)
+        num_root = ET.fromstring(num_xml)
+
+        # 1. Paragraphs must have ilvl=[0,1,2]
+        ilvls = [int(el.get(f"{{{W_NS}}}val"))
+                 for el in doc_root.iter(f"{{{W_NS}}}ilvl")]
+        assert ilvls == [0, 1, 2], f"expected paragraph ilvl=[0,1,2], got {ilvls}"
+
+        # 2. All paragraphs must reference the SAME numId
+        numIds = [el.get(f"{{{W_NS}}}val")
+                  for el in doc_root.iter(f"{{{W_NS}}}numId")]
+        assert len(set(numIds)) == 1, \
+            f"expected all paragraphs to share one numId, got {set(numIds)}"
+        our_num_id = numIds[0]
+
+        # 3. numId resolves to abstractNum that defines ilvl=0,1,2
+        our_num = None
+        for num_el in num_root.findall(f"{{{W_NS}}}num"):
+            if num_el.get(f"{{{W_NS}}}numId") == our_num_id:
+                our_num = num_el
+                break
+        assert our_num is not None, f"our numId={our_num_id} not found in numbering.xml"
+
+        abstract_ref = our_num.find(f"{{{W_NS}}}abstractNumId")
+        assert abstract_ref is not None
+        abstract_id = abstract_ref.get(f"{{{W_NS}}}val")
+
+        our_abstract = None
+        for an in num_root.findall(f"{{{W_NS}}}abstractNum"):
+            if an.get(f"{{{W_NS}}}abstractNumId") == abstract_id:
+                our_abstract = an
+                break
+        assert our_abstract is not None, f"abstractNum {abstract_id} not found"
+
+        abstract_ilvls = sorted(int(l.get(f"{{{W_NS}}}ilvl"))
+                                for l in our_abstract.findall(f"{{{W_NS}}}lvl"))
+        assert abstract_ilvls == [0, 1, 2], \
+            f"our abstractNum must define ilvl=[0,1,2], got {abstract_ilvls}"
+    finally:
+        tmp.unlink()
+
+
+def test_numbered_list_uses_decimal_format():
+    html = """
+    <ol>
+      <li>First</li>
+      <li>Second</li>
+    </ol>
+    """
+    doc = Document()
+    node = BeautifulSoup(html, "html.parser").find("ol")
+    _render_list(doc, node, style=STYLES["elegant"])
+    tmp = Path(__file__).parent / "_tmp_num.docx"
+    doc.save(tmp)
+    try:
+        with zipfile.ZipFile(tmp) as z:
+            num_xml = z.read("word/numbering.xml")
+        num_root = ET.fromstring(num_xml)
+        fmts = [el.get(f"{{{W_NS}}}val") for el in num_root.iter(f"{{{W_NS}}}numFmt")]
+        assert "decimal" in fmts
+    finally:
+        tmp.unlink()