diff --git a/src/components/MemoryGraphBlock/index.js b/src/components/MemoryGraphBlock/index.js
index 5723ab6..29fdb15 100644
--- a/src/components/MemoryGraphBlock/index.js
+++ b/src/components/MemoryGraphBlock/index.js
@@ -1,48 +1,24 @@
-import React, { useMemo } from 'react';
+import React from 'react';
 import MDXComponents from '@theme-original/MDXComponents';
+import MemoryGraphHeader from '@site/src/components/MemoryGraphHeader';
 import styles from './styles.module.css';
 
-const MEMORY_GRAPH_BASE_URL = 'https://memory-graph.com/';
-
 /**
- * Wraps a ```lang debug code block with a header bar linking out to
- * Bas Terwijn's Memory Graph web debugger (memory-graph.com), so students
- * can step through the exact snippet from the lesson and watch variables/
- * references change line by line.
- *
- * Unlike InteractivePython, this doesn't replace the block with an editor —
- * the theme's normal <pre> still renders (syntax highlighting, copy button,
- * line numbers all keep working). We just read the raw code to build a
- * deep link and drop a button above it.
+ * Wraps a ```lang debug (debug-only) code block: a flush MemoryGraphHeader
+ * sitting directly on top of the theme's normal <pre>, so syntax
+ * highlighting and the built-in copy button keep working.
  *
- * Memory Graph reads code from a URL *fragment* (`#code=...`), not a query
- * string — that's deliberate on their end, it means the code never gets
- * sent to their server, it's only ever interpreted client-side once the
- * page loads. Don't "fix" this to `?code=`.
+ * For ```lang interactive debug (both keywords), MDXComponents renders
+ * MemoryGraphHeader directly above InteractivePython instead, skipping
+ * this component entirely — see src/theme/MDXComponents.js.
  */
 export default function MemoryGraphBlock(props) {
-  const { children } = props;
-  const rawCode = children?.props?.children?.trim() || '';
-
-  const memoryGraphUrl = useMemo(
-    () => `${MEMORY_GRAPH_BASE_URL}#code=${encodeURIComponent(rawCode)}`,
-    [rawCode]
-  );
+  const rawCode = props.children?.props?.children || '';
 
   return (
     <div className={styles.wrapper}>
-      <div className={styles.header}>
-        <span className={styles.headerText}>Debug Mode</span>
-        <a
-          href={memoryGraphUrl}
-          target="_blank"
-          rel="noopener noreferrer"
-          className={styles.openButton}
-        >
-          Open in Memory Graph ↗
-        </a>
-      </div>
+      <MemoryGraphHeader code={rawCode} flush />
       <MDXComponents.pre {...props} />
     </div>
   );
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+}
diff --git a/src/components/MemoryGraphBlock/styles.module.css b/src/components/MemoryGraphBlock/styles.module.css
index 2e00a02..9963a66 100644
--- a/src/components/MemoryGraphBlock/styles.module.css
+++ b/src/components/MemoryGraphBlock/styles.module.css
@@ -1,64 +1,7 @@
-/* ==========================================================================
-   Reuses the site's existing purple accent (see .alert--explore in
-   custom.css) so "debug" blocks read as their own category, distinct
-   from the blue InteractivePython header.
-   ========================================================================== */
 .wrapper {
   margin: 1.5rem 0;
 }
 
-.header {
-  display: flex;
-  align-items: center;
-  justify-content: space-between;
-  flex-wrap: wrap;
-  gap: 12px;
-  padding: 10px 16px;
-  background-color: rgba(124, 58, 237, 0.08);
-  border: 1px solid rgba(124, 58, 237, 0.35);
-  border-bottom: none;
-  border-radius: var(--ifm-global-radius) var(--ifm-global-radius) 0 0;
-}
-
-[data-theme='dark'] .header {
-  background-color: rgba(168, 85, 247, 0.15);
-  border-color: rgba(216, 180, 254, 0.3);
-}
-
-.headerText {
-  font-family: var(--ifm-font-family-base, sans-serif);
-  font-weight: 600;
-  font-size: 0.85rem;
-  letter-spacing: 0.05rem;
-  text-transform: uppercase;
-  color: #7c3aed;
-}
-
-[data-theme='dark'] .headerText {
-  color: #e9d5ff;
-}
-
-.openButton {
-  display: inline-flex;
-  align-items: center;
-  gap: 6px;
-  padding: 6px 14px;
-  border-radius: 6px;
-  background-color: #7c3aed;
-  color: #ffffff !important; /* override Docusaurus's default link color */
-  font-family: var(--ifm-font-family-base, sans-serif);
-  font-weight: 600;
-  font-size: 0.85rem;
-  text-decoration: none !important;
-  white-space: nowrap;
-  transition: background-color 0.15s ease;
-}
-
-.openButton:hover {
-  background-color: #6d28d9;
-  color: #ffffff !important;
-}
-
 /* Butt the code block directly against the header — no gap, no double border */
 .wrapper :global(.theme-code-block) {
   margin-top: 0 !important;
@@ -66,10 +9,3 @@
   border-top-right-radius: 0 !important;
   border-top: none !important;
 }
-
-@media (max-width: 480px) {
-  .header {
-    justify-content: center;
-    text-align: center;
-  }
-}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/components/MemoryGraphHeader/index.js b/src/components/MemoryGraphHeader/index.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c89e92f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/components/MemoryGraphHeader/index.js
@@ -0,0 +1,37 @@
+import React, { useMemo } from 'react';
+import styles from './styles.module.css';
+
+const MEMORY_GRAPH_BASE_URL = 'https://memory-graph.com/';
+
+/**
+ * Purple header bar linking a code snippet out to Bas Terwijn's Memory
+ * Graph web debugger (memory-graph.com). This is just the bar + link —
+ * it doesn't render the code itself, so it can sit above either a plain
+ * <pre> (```lang debug, via MemoryGraphBlock) or InteractivePython's
+ * editable sandbox (```lang interactive debug, via MDXComponents).
+ *
+ * `code` is the raw (untrimmed is fine) source string; `flush` squares
+ * off the bottom edge and drops the outer margin so it butts directly
+ * against whatever renders right beneath it, instead of floating as its
+ * own rounded pill.
+ */
+export default function MemoryGraphHeader({ code, flush = false }) {
+  const memoryGraphUrl = useMemo(
+    () => `${MEMORY_GRAPH_BASE_URL}#code=${encodeURIComponent((code || '').trim())}`,
+    [code]
+  );
+
+  return (
+    <div className={`${styles.header} ${flush ? styles.flush : ''}`}>
+      <span className={styles.headerText}>Debug Mode</span>
+      <a
+        href={memoryGraphUrl}
+        target="_blank"
+        rel="noopener noreferrer"
+        className={styles.openButton}
+      >
+        View on Memory Graph ↗
+      </a>
+    </div>
+  );
+}
diff --git a/src/components/MemoryGraphHeader/styles.module.css b/src/components/MemoryGraphHeader/styles.module.css
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d99077b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/components/MemoryGraphHeader/styles.module.css
@@ -0,0 +1,72 @@
+/* ==========================================================================
+   Reuses the site's existing purple accent (see .alert--explore in
+   custom.css) so "debug" blocks read as their own category, distinct
+   from the blue InteractivePython header.
+   ========================================================================== */
+.header {
+  display: flex;
+  align-items: center;
+  justify-content: space-between;
+  flex-wrap: wrap;
+  gap: 12px;
+  margin: 1.5rem 0 0.5rem;
+  padding: 10px 16px;
+  background-color: rgba(124, 58, 237, 0.08);
+  border: 1px solid rgba(124, 58, 237, 0.35);
+  border-radius: var(--ifm-global-radius);
+}
+
+[data-theme='dark'] .header {
+  background-color: rgba(168, 85, 247, 0.15);
+  border-color: rgba(216, 180, 254, 0.3);
+}
+
+/* Flush mode: sits directly on top of a following block (a plain <pre>
+   via MemoryGraphBlock) — squared-off bottom, no gap beneath it. The
+   parent wrapper supplies the outer margin instead. */
+.header.flush {
+  margin: 0;
+  border-bottom: none;
+  border-radius: var(--ifm-global-radius) var(--ifm-global-radius) 0 0;
+}
+
+.headerText {
+  font-family: var(--ifm-font-family-base, sans-serif);
+  font-weight: 600;
+  font-size: 0.85rem;
+  letter-spacing: 0.05rem;
+  text-transform: uppercase;
+  color: #7c3aed;
+}
+
+[data-theme='dark'] .headerText {
+  color: #e9d5ff;
+}
+
+.openButton {
+  display: inline-flex;
+  align-items: center;
+  gap: 6px;
+  padding: 6px 14px;
+  border-radius: 6px;
+  background-color: #7c3aed;
+  color: #ffffff !important; /* override Docusaurus's default link color */
+  font-family: var(--ifm-font-family-base, sans-serif);
+  font-weight: 600;
+  font-size: 0.85rem;
+  text-decoration: none !important;
+  white-space: nowrap;
+  transition: background-color 0.15s ease;
+}
+
+.openButton:hover {
+  background-color: #6d28d9;
+  color: #ffffff !important;
+}
+
+@media (max-width: 480px) {
+  .header {
+    justify-content: center;
+    text-align: center;
+  }
+}
diff --git a/src/theme/MDXComponents.js b/src/theme/MDXComponents.js
index 7e13a98..ee3698f 100644
--- a/src/theme/MDXComponents.js
+++ b/src/theme/MDXComponents.js
@@ -1,17 +1,29 @@
 import MDXComponents from '@theme-original/MDXComponents';
 import InteractivePython from '@site/src/components/InteractivePython';
 import MemoryGraphBlock from '@site/src/components/MemoryGraphBlock';
+import MemoryGraphHeader from '@site/src/components/MemoryGraphHeader';
 
 export default {
   ...MDXComponents,
   // We wrap the standard 'pre' tag (which wraps code blocks)
   pre: (props) => {
     const metastring = props.children?.props?.metastring || '';
+    const isInteractive = metastring.includes('interactive');
+    const isDebug = metastring.includes('debug');
 
-    if (metastring.includes('interactive')) {
+    if (isInteractive && isDebug) {
+      const rawCode = props.children?.props?.children || '';
+      return (
+        <>
+          <MemoryGraphHeader code={rawCode} />
+          <InteractivePython {...props} />
+        </>
+      );
+    }
+    if (isInteractive) {
       return <InteractivePython {...props} />;
     }
-    if (metastring.includes('debug')) {
+    if (isDebug) {
       return <MemoryGraphBlock {...props} />;
     }
     return <MDXComponents.pre {...props} />;