diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 7906b65..ae4cd15 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -7,6 +7,11 @@ and this project adheres to [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/).
 
 ## [Unreleased]
 
+### Fixed
+- A multi-page table preceded by other rows no longer moves entirely to the next page, leaving the first page mostly blank. Since #24 every row was `BreakInside=BreakAvoid`, so a row containing a table that did not fit in the remaining space was deferred as a whole; the table now starts on the current page, repeats its header on each page, and renders every body row exactly once
+  - `template/grid.go`: `RowBuilder.build()` keeps `BreakAvoid` for ordinary rows but uses `BreakAuto` for rows that contain a table (tables paginate themselves)
+  - Example tests: `_examples/{builder,json,gotemplate}/39_table_after_content_test.go` with shared golden
+
 ## [1.0.13] - 2026-09-04
 
 ### Fixed
diff --git a/_examples/builder/39_table_after_content_test.go b/_examples/builder/39_table_after_content_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d702130
--- /dev/null
+++ b/_examples/builder/39_table_after_content_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,51 @@
+package builder_test
+
+import (
+	"fmt"
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/gpdf-dev/gpdf/_examples/testutil"
+	"github.com/gpdf-dev/gpdf/document"
+	"github.com/gpdf-dev/gpdf/template"
+)
+
+// TestExample_39_TableAfterContent is a regression test: a multi-page table
+// preceded by other rows must start on the first page and paginate from
+// there (header repeated on each page), instead of the whole table being
+// pushed to page 2 and leaving page 1 mostly blank. Rows were made atomic
+// (BreakAvoid) for issue #24; rows containing a table must stay splittable.
+func TestExample_39_TableAfterContent(t *testing.T) {
+	doc := template.New(
+		template.WithPageSize(document.A4),
+		template.WithMargins(document.UniformEdges(document.Mm(15))),
+	)
+
+	rows := make([][]string, 60)
+	ids := make([]string, len(rows))
+	for i := range rows {
+		ids[i] = fmt.Sprintf("Item-%03d", i+1)
+		rows[i] = []string{ids[i], fmt.Sprintf("%d", (i+1)*100)}
+	}
+
+	page := doc.AddPage()
+	page.AutoRow(func(r *template.RowBuilder) {
+		r.Col(12, func(c *template.ColBuilder) {
+			c.Text("Table After Content", template.FontSize(18), template.Bold())
+			c.Text("Introductory paragraph before the table.")
+			c.Spacer(document.Mm(5))
+		})
+	})
+	page.AutoRow(func(r *template.RowBuilder) {
+		r.Col(12, func(c *template.ColBuilder) {
+			c.Table([]string{"Item", "Amount"}, rows)
+		})
+	})
+
+	testutil.GeneratePDFSharedGolden(t, "39_table_after_content.pdf", doc)
+
+	data, err := doc.Generate()
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("Generate failed: %v", err)
+	}
+	testutil.AssertTableSplitsFromFirstPage(t, data, "Table After Content", "Item", ids)
+}
diff --git a/_examples/gotemplate/39_table_after_content_test.go b/_examples/gotemplate/39_table_after_content_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1e2d3a5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/_examples/gotemplate/39_table_after_content_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,56 @@
+package gotemplate_test
+
+import (
+	"fmt"
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/gpdf-dev/gpdf/_examples/testutil"
+	"github.com/gpdf-dev/gpdf/template"
+)
+
+// TestTmpl_39_TableAfterContent mirrors the builder regression test: a
+// multi-page table preceded by other rows must start on the first page.
+func TestTmpl_39_TableAfterContent(t *testing.T) {
+	schema := []byte(`{
+		"page": {"size": "A4", "margins": "15mm"},
+		"body": [
+			{"row": {"cols": [
+				{"span": 12, "elements": [
+					{"type": "text", "content": "{{.Title}}", "style": {"size": 18, "bold": true}},
+					{"type": "text", "content": "{{.Intro}}"},
+					{"type": "spacer", "height": "5mm"}
+				]}
+			]}},
+			{"row": {"cols": [
+				{"span": 12, "table": {
+					"header": ["Item", "Amount"],
+					"rows": {{toJSON .Rows}}
+				}}
+			]}}
+		]
+	}`)
+
+	ids := make([]string, 60)
+	rows := make([][]string, len(ids))
+	for i := range ids {
+		ids[i] = fmt.Sprintf("Item-%03d", i+1)
+		rows[i] = []string{ids[i], fmt.Sprintf("%d", (i+1)*100)}
+	}
+	data := map[string]any{
+		"Title": "Table After Content",
+		"Intro": "Introductory paragraph before the table.",
+		"Rows":  rows,
+	}
+
+	doc, err := template.FromJSON(schema, data)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("FromJSON error: %v", err)
+	}
+	testutil.GeneratePDFSharedGolden(t, "39_table_after_content.pdf", doc)
+
+	out, err := doc.Generate()
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("Generate failed: %v", err)
+	}
+	testutil.AssertTableSplitsFromFirstPage(t, out, "Table After Content", "Item", ids)
+}
diff --git a/_examples/json/39_table_after_content_test.go b/_examples/json/39_table_after_content_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..04168f5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/_examples/json/39_table_after_content_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,52 @@
+package json_test
+
+import (
+	"fmt"
+	"strings"
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/gpdf-dev/gpdf/_examples/testutil"
+	"github.com/gpdf-dev/gpdf/template"
+)
+
+// TestJSON_39_TableAfterContent mirrors the builder regression test: a
+// multi-page table preceded by other rows must start on the first page.
+func TestJSON_39_TableAfterContent(t *testing.T) {
+	ids := make([]string, 60)
+	rowJSON := make([]string, len(ids))
+	for i := range ids {
+		ids[i] = fmt.Sprintf("Item-%03d", i+1)
+		rowJSON[i] = fmt.Sprintf(`["%s", "%d"]`, ids[i], (i+1)*100)
+	}
+
+	schema := []byte(fmt.Sprintf(`{
+		"page": {"size": "A4", "margins": "15mm"},
+		"body": [
+			{"row": {"cols": [
+				{"span": 12, "elements": [
+					{"type": "text", "content": "Table After Content", "style": {"size": 18, "bold": true}},
+					{"type": "text", "content": "Introductory paragraph before the table."},
+					{"type": "spacer", "height": "5mm"}
+				]}
+			]}},
+			{"row": {"cols": [
+				{"span": 12, "table": {
+					"header": ["Item", "Amount"],
+					"rows": [%s]
+				}}
+			]}}
+		]
+	}`, strings.Join(rowJSON, ",")))
+
+	doc, err := template.FromJSON(schema, nil)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("FromJSON error: %v", err)
+	}
+	testutil.GeneratePDFSharedGolden(t, "39_table_after_content.pdf", doc)
+
+	data, err := doc.Generate()
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("Generate failed: %v", err)
+	}
+	testutil.AssertTableSplitsFromFirstPage(t, data, "Table After Content", "Item", ids)
+}
diff --git a/_examples/testdata/golden/39_table_after_content.pdf b/_examples/testdata/golden/39_table_after_content.pdf
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2a4093a
Binary files /dev/null and b/_examples/testdata/golden/39_table_after_content.pdf differ
diff --git a/_examples/testutil/pages.go b/_examples/testutil/pages.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0e7df8b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/_examples/testutil/pages.go
@@ -0,0 +1,66 @@
+package testutil
+
+import (
+	"regexp"
+	"strings"
+	"testing"
+)
+
+var (
+	pageContentsRef = regexp.MustCompile(`<< /Contents (\d+) 0 R [^>]*>> >> /Type /Page >>`)
+	streamObject    = regexp.MustCompile(`(?s)(?:^|\n)(\d+) 0 obj\n<< /Length \d+ >>\nstream\n(.*?)endstream`)
+)
+
+// PageContents returns the uncompressed content stream of each page in
+// the generated PDF, in page order. It only understands the plain
+// (unfiltered, unencrypted) output produced by gpdf's default writer.
+func PageContents(t *testing.T, data []byte) []string {
+	t.Helper()
+	streams := map[string]string{}
+	for _, m := range streamObject.FindAllSubmatch(data, -1) {
+		streams[string(m[1])] = string(m[2])
+	}
+	var pages []string
+	for _, m := range pageContentsRef.FindAllSubmatch(data, -1) {
+		content, ok := streams[string(m[1])]
+		if !ok {
+			t.Fatalf("content stream %s 0 obj not found", m[1])
+		}
+		pages = append(pages, content)
+	}
+	if len(pages) == 0 {
+		t.Fatal("no pages found in PDF")
+	}
+	return pages
+}
+
+// AssertTableSplitsFromFirstPage checks that a table preceded by other
+// content starts on the first page (right after intro), that its header
+// is repeated on every page, and that every body row is rendered exactly
+// once across the whole document.
+func AssertTableSplitsFromFirstPage(t *testing.T, data []byte, intro, header string, rows []string) {
+	t.Helper()
+	pages := PageContents(t, data)
+	if len(pages) < 2 {
+		t.Fatalf("expected the table to span multiple pages, got %d page(s)", len(pages))
+	}
+	lit := func(s string) string { return "(" + s + ")" }
+
+	if !strings.Contains(pages[0], lit(intro)) {
+		t.Errorf("expected %q on page 1", intro)
+	}
+	if !strings.Contains(pages[0], lit(rows[0])) {
+		t.Errorf("expected first table row %q on page 1 (table must start on the first page)", rows[0])
+	}
+	for i, p := range pages {
+		if got := strings.Count(p, lit(header)); got != 1 {
+			t.Errorf("page %d: expected table header %q once, got %d", i+1, header, got)
+		}
+	}
+	all := strings.Join(pages, "\n")
+	for _, r := range rows {
+		if got := strings.Count(all, lit(r)); got != 1 {
+			t.Errorf("expected row %q exactly once, got %d", r, got)
+		}
+	}
+}
diff --git a/template/grid.go b/template/grid.go
index 759156d..4d65183 100644
--- a/template/grid.go
+++ b/template/grid.go
@@ -135,14 +135,16 @@ func (r *RowBuilder) Col(span int, fn func(c *ColBuilder)) {
 // that a row which does not fit in the remaining vertical space on the
 // current page is moved as a whole to the next page, rather than splitting
 // between its columns.
+//
+// Rows containing a table are the exception: tables paginate themselves
+// (splitting between body rows and repeating the header), so such rows use
+// BreakAuto and the table starts on the current page instead of being
+// pushed to the next one.
 func (r *RowBuilder) build(height document.Value, auto bool) document.DocumentNode {
 	box := &document.Box{
 		BoxStyle: document.BoxStyle{
 			Direction: document.DirectionHorizontal,
 		},
-		BreakPolicy: document.BreakPolicy{
-			BreakInside: document.BreakAvoid,
-		},
 	}
 
 	if !auto {
@@ -164,9 +166,30 @@ func (r *RowBuilder) build(height document.Value, auto bool) document.DocumentNo
 		box.Content = append(box.Content, colBox)
 	}
 
+	if !containsTable(box.Content) {
+		box.BreakPolicy.BreakInside = document.BreakAvoid
+	}
+
 	return box
 }
 
+// containsTable reports whether any of the given nodes, or their
+// descendants, is a table.
+func containsTable(nodes []document.DocumentNode) bool {
+	for _, n := range nodes {
+		if n == nil {
+			continue
+		}
+		if n.NodeType() == document.NodeTable {
+			return true
+		}
+		if containsTable(n.Children()) {
+			return true
+		}
+	}
+	return false
+}
+
 // ColBuilder constructs content within a column.
 type ColBuilder struct {
 	doc   *Document
diff --git a/template/template_test.go b/template/template_test.go
index 2f32b2f..6f762e9 100644
--- a/template/template_test.go
+++ b/template/template_test.go
@@ -2038,3 +2038,35 @@ func TestRowBuildSetsBreakInsideAvoid(t *testing.T) {
 		})
 	}
 }
+
+// TestRowBuildTableRowIsSplittable verifies that rows containing a table
+// (directly or nested in a column box) use BreakInside=BreakAuto, so the
+// table starts on the current page and paginates itself with a repeated
+// header instead of the whole row being pushed to the next page.
+func TestRowBuildTableRowIsSplittable(t *testing.T) {
+	tests := []struct {
+		name string
+		fn   func(c *ColBuilder)
+	}{
+		{"Direct", func(c *ColBuilder) {
+			c.Table([]string{"A"}, [][]string{{"1"}})
+		}},
+		{"Nested", func(c *ColBuilder) {
+			c.nodes = append(c.nodes, &document.Box{Content: []document.DocumentNode{&document.Table{}}})
+		}},
+	}
+	for _, tc := range tests {
+		t.Run(tc.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			rb := &RowBuilder{}
+			rb.Col(4, func(c *ColBuilder) { c.Text("side") })
+			rb.Col(8, tc.fn)
+			box, ok := rb.build(document.Mm(10), true).(*document.Box)
+			if !ok {
+				t.Fatal("expected *document.Box")
+			}
+			if box.BreakPolicy.BreakInside != document.BreakAuto {
+				t.Errorf("expected BreakInside=BreakAuto for a row containing a table, got %v", box.BreakPolicy.BreakInside)
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}