diff --git a/pandoc.cabal b/pandoc.cabal
index 7e101a8fb..9eafbd30e 100644
--- a/pandoc.cabal
+++ b/pandoc.cabal
@@ -551,8 +551,6 @@ library
                  network-uri           >= 2.6      && < 2.8,
                  pandoc-types          >= 1.23.1.2 && < 1.24,
                  parsec                >= 3.1      && < 3.2,
-                 pretty                >= 1.1      && < 1.2,
-                 pretty-show           >= 1.10     && < 1.11,
                  process               >= 1.2.3    && < 1.7,
                  random                >= 1.2      && < 1.4,
                  safe                  >= 0.3.18   && < 0.4,
diff --git a/src/Text/Pandoc/Writers/Native.hs b/src/Text/Pandoc/Writers/Native.hs
index f74550d4f..3902e67bf 100644
--- a/src/Text/Pandoc/Writers/Native.hs
+++ b/src/Text/Pandoc/Writers/Native.hs
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+{-# LANGUAGE OverloadedStrings #-}
 {- |
    Module      : Text.Pandoc.Writers.Native
    Copyright   : Copyright (C) 2006-2024 John MacFarlane
@@ -8,23 +9,297 @@
    Portability : portable
 
 Conversion of a 'Pandoc' document to a string representation.
+
+This used to be implemented using pretty-show's 'ppDoc' (which shows
+the document, tokenizes and parses the result, and lays it out with
+Text.PrettyPrint.HughesPJ).  For performance, we now build the layout
+directly from the AST, carefully reproducing the exact output of the
+old implementation (with @ribbonsPerLine = 1.2@).
 -}
 module Text.Pandoc.Writers.Native ( writeNative )
 where
+import Data.List (intersperse)
+import qualified Data.Map as M
 import Data.Text (Text)
 import qualified Data.Text as T
+import qualified Data.Text.Lazy as TL
+import qualified Data.Text.Lazy.Builder as B
 import Text.Pandoc.Class.PandocMonad (PandocMonad)
 import Text.Pandoc.Definition
 import Text.Pandoc.Options (WriterOptions (..))
-import Text.Show.Pretty (ppDoc)
-import Text.PrettyPrint (renderStyle, Style(..), style, char)
 
 -- | Prettyprint Pandoc document.
 writeNative :: PandocMonad m => WriterOptions -> Pandoc -> m Text
-writeNative opts (Pandoc meta blocks) = do
-  let style' = style{ lineLength = writerColumns opts,
-                      ribbonsPerLine = 1.2 }
-  return $ T.pack $ renderStyle style' $
-    case writerTemplate opts of
-      Just _  -> ppDoc (Pandoc meta blocks) <> char '\n'
-      Nothing -> ppDoc blocks
+writeNative opts doc@(Pandoc _ blocks) = do
+  let cols = writerColumns opts
+  -- HughesPJ computes the ribbon length this way (with Float division):
+  let ribbon = round (fromIntegral cols / (1.2 :: Float))
+  return $ case writerTemplate opts of
+    -- The old code appended a (char '\n'), which participates in layout
+    -- as one extra glued character on the last line; hence glue0 = 1.
+    Just _  -> render cols ribbon 1 (vDoc (pandocV doc)) <> "\n"
+    Nothing -> render cols ribbon 0 (vDoc (blocksV blocks))
+
+--
+-- Layout documents (mirroring the structures pretty-show builds)
+--
+
+-- | A document together with the width of its one-line rendering.
+data Doc = Doc !Int DC
+
+-- | Either literal text, or a group that is rendered like HughesPJ's
+-- 'sep': all on one line (elements joined by single spaces) if it
+-- fits, otherwise vertically, with each element after the first on
+-- its own line, indented by its nesting relative to the column at
+-- which the group starts.
+data DC = DText !Text
+        | DGroup [Elt]
+
+-- | Group element: nesting, glued prefix text, document, glued suffix.
+data Elt = Elt !Int !Text Doc !Text
+
+width :: Doc -> Int
+width (Doc w _) = w
+
+dtext :: Text -> Doc
+dtext t = Doc (T.length t) (DText t)
+
+group :: [Elt] -> Doc
+group es = Doc (foldl (\acc e -> acc + 1 + eltWidth e) (-1) es) (DGroup es)
+  where eltWidth (Elt _ pre d post) = T.length pre + width d + T.length post
+
+-- | A value, i.e. a document plus an indication of whether it needs
+-- parentheses when used as a constructor argument.
+data V = V !Bool Doc
+
+vDoc :: V -> Doc
+vDoc (V _ d) = d
+
+-- | Constructor applied to arguments: @hang (text c) 2 (sep args)@,
+-- where non-atomic arguments are parenthesized.
+con :: Text -> [V] -> V
+con c [] = V True (dtext c)
+con c vs = V False $ group
+  [ Elt 0 "" (dtext c) ""
+  , Elt 2 "" (group (map atomElt vs)) "" ]
+  where
+    atomElt (V True d)  = Elt 0 "" d ""
+    atomElt (V False d) = Elt 0 "(" d ")"
+
+-- | Bracketed, comma-separated block: @sep [open <+> x1, ...commas..., close]@.
+block :: Text -> Text -> Text -> [Doc] -> Doc
+block open comma close ds =
+  group $ zipWith (\pre d -> Elt 0 pre d "") (open : repeat comma) ds
+          ++ [Elt 0 "" (dtext close) ""]
+
+listV :: (a -> V) -> [a] -> V
+listV _ [] = V True (dtext "[]")
+listV f xs = V True $ block "[ " ", " "]" (map (vDoc . f) xs)
+
+tupleV :: [V] -> V
+tupleV vs = V True $ block "( " ", " ")" (map vDoc vs)
+
+-- | Record: @hang (text c) 2 (block '{' '}' fields)@ where each field
+-- is @hang (text name <+> char '=') 2 value@.  Records count as atoms.
+recV :: Text -> [(Text, V)] -> V
+recV c fields = V True $ group
+  [ Elt 0 "" (dtext c) ""
+  , Elt 2 "" (block "{ " ", " "}" (map fieldDoc fields)) "" ]
+  where
+    fieldDoc (name, v) = group
+      [ Elt 0 "" (dtext (name <> " =")) ""
+      , Elt 2 "" (vDoc v) "" ]
+
+-- | Leaf rendered via 'show' (Text, Int, Double).  Values whose
+-- representation starts with @-@ get parentheses in argument position.
+showV :: Show a => a -> V
+showV x = V (not ("-" `T.isPrefixOf` t)) (dtext t)
+  where t = T.pack (show x)
+
+-- | Nullary constructors of enumeration types (and Bool).
+enumV :: Show a => a -> V
+enumV = V True . dtext . T.pack . show
+
+mapV :: (a -> V) -> M.Map Text a -> V
+mapV f m = con "fromList"
+  [listV (\(k, v) -> tupleV [showV k, f v]) (M.toAscList m)]
+
+--
+-- Conversion of the Pandoc AST
+--
+
+pandocV :: Pandoc -> V
+pandocV (Pandoc meta blocks) = con "Pandoc" [metaV meta, blocksV blocks]
+
+metaV :: Meta -> V
+metaV (Meta m) = recV "Meta" [("unMeta", mapV metaValueV m)]
+
+metaValueV :: MetaValue -> V
+metaValueV (MetaMap m)       = con "MetaMap" [mapV metaValueV m]
+metaValueV (MetaList xs)     = con "MetaList" [listV metaValueV xs]
+metaValueV (MetaBool b)      = con "MetaBool" [enumV b]
+metaValueV (MetaString t)    = con "MetaString" [showV t]
+metaValueV (MetaInlines ils) = con "MetaInlines" [inlinesV ils]
+metaValueV (MetaBlocks bs)   = con "MetaBlocks" [blocksV bs]
+
+blocksV :: [Block] -> V
+blocksV = listV blockV
+
+inlinesV :: [Inline] -> V
+inlinesV = listV inlineV
+
+attrV :: Attr -> V
+attrV (ident, classes, kvs) =
+  tupleV [ showV ident
+         , listV showV classes
+         , listV (\(k, v) -> tupleV [showV k, showV v]) kvs ]
+
+formatV :: Format -> V
+formatV (Format f) = con "Format" [showV f]
+
+blockV :: Block -> V
+blockV blk =
+  case blk of
+    Plain ils -> con "Plain" [inlinesV ils]
+    Para ils -> con "Para" [inlinesV ils]
+    LineBlock ilss -> con "LineBlock" [listV inlinesV ilss]
+    CodeBlock attr t -> con "CodeBlock" [attrV attr, showV t]
+    RawBlock f t -> con "RawBlock" [formatV f, showV t]
+    BlockQuote bs -> con "BlockQuote" [blocksV bs]
+    OrderedList (start, sty, delim) bss ->
+      con "OrderedList" [ tupleV [showV start, enumV sty, enumV delim]
+                        , listV blocksV bss ]
+    BulletList bss -> con "BulletList" [listV blocksV bss]
+    DefinitionList defs ->
+      con "DefinitionList"
+        [listV (\(ils, bss) -> tupleV [inlinesV ils, listV blocksV bss]) defs]
+    Header lev attr ils -> con "Header" [showV lev, attrV attr, inlinesV ils]
+    HorizontalRule -> con "HorizontalRule" []
+    Table attr cap colspecs thead tbodies tfoot ->
+      con "Table" [ attrV attr
+                  , captionV cap
+                  , listV colSpecV colspecs
+                  , tableHeadV thead
+                  , listV tableBodyV tbodies
+                  , tableFootV tfoot ]
+    Figure attr cap bs -> con "Figure" [attrV attr, captionV cap, blocksV bs]
+    Div attr bs -> con "Div" [attrV attr, blocksV bs]
+
+captionV :: Caption -> V
+captionV (Caption mshort bs) =
+  con "Caption" [maybeV inlinesV mshort, blocksV bs]
+
+maybeV :: (a -> V) -> Maybe a -> V
+maybeV _ Nothing  = con "Nothing" []
+maybeV f (Just x) = con "Just" [f x]
+
+colSpecV :: ColSpec -> V
+colSpecV (align, cw) = tupleV [enumV align, colWidthV cw]
+
+colWidthV :: ColWidth -> V
+colWidthV (ColWidth d)    = con "ColWidth" [showV d]
+colWidthV ColWidthDefault = con "ColWidthDefault" []
+
+tableHeadV :: TableHead -> V
+tableHeadV (TableHead attr rows) =
+  con "TableHead" [attrV attr, listV rowV rows]
+
+tableBodyV :: TableBody -> V
+tableBodyV (TableBody attr (RowHeadColumns rhc) hd bd) =
+  con "TableBody" [ attrV attr
+                  , con "RowHeadColumns" [showV rhc]
+                  , listV rowV hd
+                  , listV rowV bd ]
+
+tableFootV :: TableFoot -> V
+tableFootV (TableFoot attr rows) =
+  con "TableFoot" [attrV attr, listV rowV rows]
+
+rowV :: Row -> V
+rowV (Row attr cells) = con "Row" [attrV attr, listV cellV cells]
+
+cellV :: Cell -> V
+cellV (Cell attr align (RowSpan rs) (ColSpan cs) bs) =
+  con "Cell" [ attrV attr
+             , enumV align
+             , con "RowSpan" [showV rs]
+             , con "ColSpan" [showV cs]
+             , blocksV bs ]
+
+inlineV :: Inline -> V
+inlineV inln =
+  case inln of
+    Str t -> con "Str" [showV t]
+    Emph ils -> con "Emph" [inlinesV ils]
+    Underline ils -> con "Underline" [inlinesV ils]
+    Strong ils -> con "Strong" [inlinesV ils]
+    Strikeout ils -> con "Strikeout" [inlinesV ils]
+    Superscript ils -> con "Superscript" [inlinesV ils]
+    Subscript ils -> con "Subscript" [inlinesV ils]
+    SmallCaps ils -> con "SmallCaps" [inlinesV ils]
+    Quoted qt ils -> con "Quoted" [enumV qt, inlinesV ils]
+    Cite cits ils -> con "Cite" [listV citationV cits, inlinesV ils]
+    Code attr t -> con "Code" [attrV attr, showV t]
+    Space -> con "Space" []
+    SoftBreak -> con "SoftBreak" []
+    LineBreak -> con "LineBreak" []
+    Math mt t -> con "Math" [enumV mt, showV t]
+    RawInline f t -> con "RawInline" [formatV f, showV t]
+    Link attr ils (url, title) ->
+      con "Link" [attrV attr, inlinesV ils, tupleV [showV url, showV title]]
+    Image attr ils (url, title) ->
+      con "Image" [attrV attr, inlinesV ils, tupleV [showV url, showV title]]
+    Note bs -> con "Note" [blocksV bs]
+    Span attr ils -> con "Span" [attrV attr, inlinesV ils]
+
+citationV :: Citation -> V
+citationV cit = recV "Citation"
+  [ ("citationId", showV (citationId cit))
+  , ("citationPrefix", inlinesV (citationPrefix cit))
+  , ("citationSuffix", inlinesV (citationSuffix cit))
+  , ("citationMode", enumV (citationMode cit))
+  , ("citationNoteNum", showV (citationNoteNum cit))
+  , ("citationHash", showV (citationHash cit)) ]
+
+--
+-- Rendering
+--
+
+-- | Render a document, reproducing HughesPJ's layout exactly.  A
+-- group is rendered on one line if its width, plus any text glued
+-- after it up to the next line break ('glue'), stays within both the
+-- line length (measured from the start of the line) and the ribbon
+-- length (measured from the end of the indentation).  Otherwise it is
+-- rendered vertically, each element after the first starting on a new
+-- line, indented by the group's start column plus the element's
+-- nesting; each element then makes its own layout decisions.
+render :: Int -> Int -> Int -> Doc -> Text
+render lineLen ribbonLen glue0 d0 =
+  TL.toStrict $ B.toLazyText $ go 0 0 glue0 d0
+  where
+    go l c g d@(Doc w dc)
+      | c + w + g <= lineLen && (c - l) + w + g <= ribbonLen = flat d
+      | otherwise =
+          case dc of
+            DText t   -> B.fromText t
+            DGroup es -> vertical l c g es
+
+    vertical l0 c0 g = goElts True
+      where
+        goElts _ [] = mempty
+        goElts isFirst (Elt n pre d post : rest) =
+          let ind  = c0 + n
+              (l, c) = if isFirst then (l0, c0) else (ind, ind)
+              g' = T.length post + (if null rest then g else 0)
+              lead = if isFirst
+                        then mempty
+                        else B.singleton '\n' <> B.fromText (T.replicate ind " ")
+          in  lead <> B.fromText pre <> go l (c + T.length pre) g' d
+                   <> B.fromText post <> goElts False rest
+
+    flat (Doc _ (DText t))   = B.fromText t
+    flat (Doc _ (DGroup es)) =
+      mconcat $ intersperse (B.singleton ' ') $ map flatElt es
+
+    flatElt (Elt _ pre d post) =
+      B.fromText pre <> flat d <> B.fromText post