diff --git a/docling/utils/chandra_utils.py b/docling/utils/chandra_utils.py
index 9381ee7d39..8ca3247ffb 100644
--- a/docling/utils/chandra_utils.py
+++ b/docling/utils/chandra_utils.py
@@ -589,7 +589,8 @@ def _block(
             if re.fullmatch(r"h[1-6]", node.tag):
                 for item in self.doc.texts[before:]:
                     if isinstance(item, SectionHeaderItem):
-                        item.level = int(node.tag[1])
+                        # Docling section level 1 exports as H2, below the title.
+                        item.level = max(1, int(node.tag[1]) - 1)
 
     def _list(self, node: _Element, parent: NodeItem | None) -> None:
         group = self.doc.add_list_group(parent=parent)
diff --git a/docling/utils/nemotron_parse_utils.py b/docling/utils/nemotron_parse_utils.py
index 134f794201..933f8a1c18 100644
--- a/docling/utils/nemotron_parse_utils.py
+++ b/docling/utils/nemotron_parse_utils.py
@@ -311,7 +311,11 @@ def parse_nemotron_parse_v2(
             )
         elif region.label == "Section-header":
             heading_match = _HEADING_PATTERN.match(raw_text)
-            level = len(heading_match.group(1)) if heading_match is not None else 1
+            level = (
+                max(1, len(heading_match.group(1)) - 1)
+                if heading_match is not None
+                else 1
+            )
             document.add_heading(
                 text=_markdown_to_text(raw_text),
                 orig=raw_text,
diff --git a/tests/test_chandra_vlm.py b/tests/test_chandra_vlm.py
index 35ec235eaf..9ba8f0ce90 100644
--- a/tests/test_chandra_vlm.py
+++ b/tests/test_chandra_vlm.py
@@ -394,7 +394,7 @@ def test_chandra_inline_math_formatting_and_code_whitespace():
         str(next(t.hyperlink for t in doc.texts if t.text == "link"))
         == "https://example.org/"
     )
-    assert doc.texts[-1].level == 3
+    assert doc.texts[-1].level == 2
 
 
 def test_chandra_nested_math_does_not_inherit_table_bbox():
diff --git a/tests/test_nemotron_parse_v2.py b/tests/test_nemotron_parse_v2.py
index 3ff1941cbd..050f1ac09e 100644
--- a/tests/test_nemotron_parse_v2.py
+++ b/tests/test_nemotron_parse_v2.py
@@ -175,7 +175,7 @@ def test_parse_nemotron_markdown_and_semantic_classes() -> None:
     assert document.texts[0].label == DocItemLabel.TITLE
     assert document.texts[0].text == "Main title"
     assert document.texts[1].label == DocItemLabel.SECTION_HEADER
-    assert document.texts[1].level == 3
+    assert document.texts[1].level == 2
     assert document.texts[1].text == "1.2 Method"
     assert document.texts[2].text == "Article history:\nReceived 12 June"
     assert any(item.label == DocItemLabel.REFERENCE for item in document.texts)
diff --git a/tests/test_vlm_heading_exports.py b/tests/test_vlm_heading_exports.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..c41b002aeb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_vlm_heading_exports.py
@@ -0,0 +1,56 @@
+# SPDX-FileCopyrightText: The Docling Contributors
+# SPDX-License-Identifier: MIT
+
+"""Heading depth must survive VLM response parsing and Markdown export."""
+
+import pytest
+from docling_core.types.doc import (
+    DocItemLabel,
+    DoclingDocument,
+    SectionHeaderItem,
+    Size,
+)
+
+from docling.utils.chandra_utils import _add_html_fragment, parse_chandra_html
+from docling.utils.nemotron_parse_utils import parse_nemotron_parse_v2
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("parser", ["chandra", "nemotron", "html_fragment"])
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("depth", [2, 3, 6])
+def test_heading_depth_survives_export(parser: str, depth: int) -> None:
+    size = Size(width=600, height=800)
+    html = (
+        '<div data-bbox="100 100 900 200" data-label="Section-Header">'
+        f"<h{depth}>Method</h{depth}></div>"
+    )
+    if parser == "chandra":
+        doc = parse_chandra_html(html, size, page_no=2)
+    elif parser == "nemotron":
+        source = (
+            f"<x_0.2><y_0.2>{'#' * depth} Method<x_0.8><y_0.4><class_Section-header>"
+        )
+        doc = parse_nemotron_parse_v2(source, size, size, page_no=2)
+    else:
+        doc = DoclingDocument(name="fragment")
+        doc.add_page(page_no=2, size=size)
+        _add_html_fragment(doc, html, label=DocItemLabel.TEXT)
+
+    item = doc.texts[0]
+    assert isinstance(item, SectionHeaderItem)
+    assert item.level == depth - 1
+    assert item.prov[0].page_no == 2
+    assert doc.export_to_markdown() == f"{'#' * depth} Method"
+
+
+def test_formatted_html_heading_keeps_one_coordinate_owner() -> None:
+    doc = parse_chandra_html(
+        '<div data-bbox="100 100 900 200" data-label="Section-Header">'
+        "<h3><b>Method</b> and results</h3></div>",
+        Size(width=600, height=800),
+        page_no=1,
+    )
+    assert isinstance(doc.texts[0], SectionHeaderItem)
+    assert doc.texts[0].level == 2
+    assert doc.texts[0].prov
+    assert all(not item.prov for item in doc.texts[1:])
+    assert doc.export_to_markdown() == "### **Method** and results"