diff --git a/myst_parser/docutils_renderer.py b/myst_parser/docutils_renderer.py
index 4ae60f4d..ec94e4ac 100644
--- a/myst_parser/docutils_renderer.py
+++ b/myst_parser/docutils_renderer.py
@@ -365,6 +365,8 @@ def render_text(self, token: SyntaxTreeNode) -> None:
 
     def render_bullet_list(self, token: SyntaxTreeNode) -> None:
         list_node = nodes.bullet_list()
+        if token.markup:
+            list_node["bullet"] = token.markup
         if token.attrs.get("class"):
             # this is used e.g. by tasklist
             list_node["classes"] = str(token.attrs["class"]).split()
diff --git a/tests/test_renderers/fixtures/amsmath.md b/tests/test_renderers/fixtures/amsmath.md
index b57a7ce5..861e6256 100644
--- a/tests/test_renderers/fixtures/amsmath.md
+++ b/tests/test_renderers/fixtures/amsmath.md
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ In list:
   \end{equation}
 .
 <document source="notset">
-    <bullet_list>
+    <bullet_list bullet="-">
         <list_item>
             <target ids="equation-mock-uuid">
             <math_block classes="amsmath" docname="mock_docname" label="mock-uuid" nowrap="True" number="1" xml:space="preserve">
diff --git a/tests/test_renderers/fixtures/sphinx_directives.md b/tests/test_renderers/fixtures/sphinx_directives.md
index a84040ef..72107736 100644
--- a/tests/test_renderers/fixtures/sphinx_directives.md
+++ b/tests/test_renderers/fixtures/sphinx_directives.md
@@ -172,7 +172,7 @@ acks (`sphinx.directives.other.Acks`):
 .
 <document source="notset">
     <acks>
-        <bullet_list>
+        <bullet_list bullet="-">
             <list_item>
                 <paragraph>
                     name
diff --git a/tests/test_renderers/fixtures/syntax_elements.md b/tests/test_renderers/fixtures/syntax_elements.md
index ea65d15b..0883c0e6 100644
--- a/tests/test_renderers/fixtures/syntax_elements.md
+++ b/tests/test_renderers/fixtures/syntax_elements.md
@@ -213,13 +213,18 @@ Block Quote:
 Bullet List:
 .
 - *foo*
+* bar
 .
 <document source="notset">
-    <bullet_list>
+    <bullet_list bullet="-">
         <list_item>
             <paragraph>
                 <emphasis>
                     foo
+    <bullet_list bullet="*">
+        <list_item>
+            <paragraph>
+                bar
 .
 
 --------------------------
@@ -231,15 +236,15 @@ Nested Bullets
   - d
 .
 <document source="notset">
-    <bullet_list>
+    <bullet_list bullet="-">
         <list_item>
             <paragraph>
                 a
-            <bullet_list>
+            <bullet_list bullet="-">
                 <list_item>
                     <paragraph>
                         b
-                    <bullet_list>
+                    <bullet_list bullet="-">
                         <list_item>
                             <paragraph>
                                 c
@@ -601,7 +606,7 @@ finish
         <block_quote>
             <paragraph>
                 a
-        <bullet_list>
+        <bullet_list bullet="-">
             <list_item>
                 <paragraph>
                     b
diff --git a/tests/test_sphinx/test_sphinx_builds/test_basic.resolved.sphinx3.xml b/tests/test_sphinx/test_sphinx_builds/test_basic.resolved.sphinx3.xml
index 2f4a8ec0..e04808ef 100644
--- a/tests/test_sphinx/test_sphinx_builds/test_basic.resolved.sphinx3.xml
+++ b/tests/test_sphinx/test_sphinx_builds/test_basic.resolved.sphinx3.xml
@@ -107,17 +107,17 @@
             a comment 2
         <paragraph>
             this is a second paragraph
-        <bullet_list>
+        <bullet_list bullet="-">
             <list_item>
                 <paragraph>
                     a list
-                <bullet_list>
+                <bullet_list bullet="-">
                     <list_item>
                         <paragraph>
                             a sub list
         <comment xml:space="preserve">
             a comment 3
-        <bullet_list>
+        <bullet_list bullet="-">
             <list_item>
                 <paragraph>
                     new list?
diff --git a/tests/test_sphinx/test_sphinx_builds/test_basic.resolved.sphinx4.xml b/tests/test_sphinx/test_sphinx_builds/test_basic.resolved.sphinx4.xml
index c37558e1..50d08c88 100644
--- a/tests/test_sphinx/test_sphinx_builds/test_basic.resolved.sphinx4.xml
+++ b/tests/test_sphinx/test_sphinx_builds/test_basic.resolved.sphinx4.xml
@@ -107,17 +107,17 @@
             a comment 2
         <paragraph>
             this is a second paragraph
-        <bullet_list>
+        <bullet_list bullet="-">
             <list_item>
                 <paragraph>
                     a list
-                <bullet_list>
+                <bullet_list bullet="-">
                     <list_item>
                         <paragraph>
                             a sub list
         <comment xml:space="preserve">
             a comment 3
-        <bullet_list>
+        <bullet_list bullet="-">
             <list_item>
                 <paragraph>
                     new list?
diff --git a/tests/test_sphinx/test_sphinx_builds/test_basic.sphinx3.xml b/tests/test_sphinx/test_sphinx_builds/test_basic.sphinx3.xml
index 04155870..b77b95e3 100644
--- a/tests/test_sphinx/test_sphinx_builds/test_basic.sphinx3.xml
+++ b/tests/test_sphinx/test_sphinx_builds/test_basic.sphinx3.xml
@@ -108,17 +108,17 @@
             a comment 2
         <paragraph>
             this is a second paragraph
-        <bullet_list>
+        <bullet_list bullet="-">
             <list_item>
                 <paragraph>
                     a list
-                <bullet_list>
+                <bullet_list bullet="-">
                     <list_item>
                         <paragraph>
                             a sub list
         <comment xml:space="preserve">
             a comment 3
-        <bullet_list>
+        <bullet_list bullet="-">
             <list_item>
                 <paragraph>
                     new list?
diff --git a/tests/test_sphinx/test_sphinx_builds/test_basic.sphinx4.xml b/tests/test_sphinx/test_sphinx_builds/test_basic.sphinx4.xml
index 71c92848..ee7c75a7 100644
--- a/tests/test_sphinx/test_sphinx_builds/test_basic.sphinx4.xml
+++ b/tests/test_sphinx/test_sphinx_builds/test_basic.sphinx4.xml
@@ -108,17 +108,17 @@
             a comment 2
         <paragraph>
             this is a second paragraph
-        <bullet_list>
+        <bullet_list bullet="-">
             <list_item>
                 <paragraph>
                     a list
-                <bullet_list>
+                <bullet_list bullet="-">
                     <list_item>
                         <paragraph>
                             a sub list
         <comment xml:space="preserve">
             a comment 3
-        <bullet_list>
+        <bullet_list bullet="-">
             <list_item>
                 <paragraph>
                     new list?
diff --git a/tests/test_sphinx/test_sphinx_builds/test_extended_syntaxes.sphinx3.xml b/tests/test_sphinx/test_sphinx_builds/test_extended_syntaxes.sphinx3.xml
index 510199f3..c9d9eb90 100644
--- a/tests/test_sphinx/test_sphinx_builds/test_extended_syntaxes.sphinx3.xml
+++ b/tests/test_sphinx/test_sphinx_builds/test_extended_syntaxes.sphinx3.xml
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@
             linkify URL: 
             <reference refuri="http://www.example.com">
                 www.example.com
-        <bullet_list classes="contains-task-list">
+        <bullet_list bullet="-" classes="contains-task-list">
             <list_item classes="task-list-item">
                 <paragraph>
                     <raw format="html" xml:space="preserve">
diff --git a/tests/test_sphinx/test_sphinx_builds/test_extended_syntaxes.sphinx4.xml b/tests/test_sphinx/test_sphinx_builds/test_extended_syntaxes.sphinx4.xml
index f2bdfe3d..ba3b7566 100644
--- a/tests/test_sphinx/test_sphinx_builds/test_extended_syntaxes.sphinx4.xml
+++ b/tests/test_sphinx/test_sphinx_builds/test_extended_syntaxes.sphinx4.xml
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@
             linkify URL: 
             <reference refuri="http://www.example.com">
                 www.example.com
-        <bullet_list classes="contains-task-list">
+        <bullet_list bullet="-" classes="contains-task-list">
             <list_item classes="task-list-item">
                 <paragraph>
                     <raw format="html" xml:space="preserve">
diff --git a/tests/test_sphinx/test_sphinx_builds/test_footnotes.xml b/tests/test_sphinx/test_sphinx_builds/test_footnotes.xml
index 21e2b3ab..e64efc20 100644
--- a/tests/test_sphinx/test_sphinx_builds/test_footnotes.xml
+++ b/tests/test_sphinx/test_sphinx_builds/test_footnotes.xml
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@
             <footnote_reference auto="1" docname="footnote_md" ids="id7" refid="e">
                 5
         <block_quote>
-            <bullet_list>
+            <bullet_list bullet="-">
                 <list_item>
         <transition classes="footnotes">
         <footnote auto="1" backrefs="id1" docname="footnote_md" ids="c" names="c">
diff --git a/tests/test_sphinx/test_sphinx_builds/test_gettext_html.resolved.sphinx3.xml b/tests/test_sphinx/test_sphinx_builds/test_gettext_html.resolved.sphinx3.xml
index c20ca187..839b3131 100644
--- a/tests/test_sphinx/test_sphinx_builds/test_gettext_html.resolved.sphinx3.xml
+++ b/tests/test_sphinx/test_sphinx_builds/test_gettext_html.resolved.sphinx3.xml
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@
                 texte 4 en 
                 <strong>
                     gras
-        <bullet_list>
+        <bullet_list bullet="*">
             <list_item>
                 <paragraph>
                     texte 5 en 
diff --git a/tests/test_sphinx/test_sphinx_builds/test_gettext_html.resolved.sphinx4.xml b/tests/test_sphinx/test_sphinx_builds/test_gettext_html.resolved.sphinx4.xml
index 4fd99c82..30673bcf 100644
--- a/tests/test_sphinx/test_sphinx_builds/test_gettext_html.resolved.sphinx4.xml
+++ b/tests/test_sphinx/test_sphinx_builds/test_gettext_html.resolved.sphinx4.xml
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@
                 texte 4 en 
                 <strong>
                     gras
-        <bullet_list>
+        <bullet_list bullet="*">
             <list_item>
                 <paragraph>
                     texte 5 en 
diff --git a/tests/test_sphinx/test_sphinx_builds/test_gettext_html.sphinx3.xml b/tests/test_sphinx/test_sphinx_builds/test_gettext_html.sphinx3.xml
index 3e12b40e..b53783f5 100644
--- a/tests/test_sphinx/test_sphinx_builds/test_gettext_html.sphinx3.xml
+++ b/tests/test_sphinx/test_sphinx_builds/test_gettext_html.sphinx3.xml
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@
                 texte 4 en 
                 <strong>
                     gras
-        <bullet_list>
+        <bullet_list bullet="*">
             <list_item>
                 <paragraph>
                     texte 5 en 
diff --git a/tests/test_sphinx/test_sphinx_builds/test_gettext_html.sphinx4.xml b/tests/test_sphinx/test_sphinx_builds/test_gettext_html.sphinx4.xml
index 5b6f5573..e357351a 100644
--- a/tests/test_sphinx/test_sphinx_builds/test_gettext_html.sphinx4.xml
+++ b/tests/test_sphinx/test_sphinx_builds/test_gettext_html.sphinx4.xml
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@
                 texte 4 en 
                 <strong>
                     gras
-        <bullet_list>
+        <bullet_list bullet="*">
             <list_item>
                 <paragraph>
                     texte 5 en