diff --git a/doc/server_side_auth.md b/doc/server_side_auth.md
index 288c6e9cb38b9eb9ee17a8240305ad83c8eb02e7..d260237928d773bf49c4272a58a11ebbe48676d1 100644
--- a/doc/server_side_auth.md
+++ b/doc/server_side_auth.md
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ The contents of the *auth properties* are populated by an *auth interceptor*. Th
 
 WARNING: AuthContext is the only reliable source of truth when it comes to authenticating RPCs. Using any other call/context properties for authentication purposes is wrong and inherently unsafe.
 
-####Example AuthContext contents
+#### Example AuthContext contents
 
 For secure channel using mutual TLS authentication with both client and server certificates (test certificates from this repository are used).
 
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ gRPC comes with some basic "interceptors" already built-in.
 WARNING: While there is a public API that allows anyone to write their own custom interceptor, please think twice before using it.
 There are legitimate uses for custom interceptors but you should keep in mind that as auth interceptors essentially decide which RPCs are authenticated and which are not, their code is very sensitive from the security perspective and getting things wrong might have serious consequences. If unsure, we strongly recommend to rely on official & proven interceptors that come with gRPC.
 
-####Available auth interceptors
+#### Available auth interceptors
 - TLS/SSL certificate authentication (built into gRPC's security layer, automatically used whenever you use a secure connection)
 - (coming soon) JWT auth token authentication
 - more will be added over time
diff --git a/examples/cpp/README.md b/examples/cpp/README.md
index 783935cd53d3206ded632c3fe0c8571a3c9d048a..8e2bb5d13b1f2abea4d8783f4ea03d98995f9436 100644
--- a/examples/cpp/README.md
+++ b/examples/cpp/README.md
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-#gRPC in 3 minutes (C++)
+# gRPC in 3 minutes (C++)
 
 ## Installation
 
diff --git a/examples/cpp/cpptutorial.md b/examples/cpp/cpptutorial.md
index ae84aba9163a9324f854122c965fa947cf77439a..7d98367da43cd977b1a331826c23efc5aa17721f 100644
--- a/examples/cpp/cpptutorial.md
+++ b/examples/cpp/cpptutorial.md
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-#gRPC Basics: C++
+# gRPC Basics: C++
 
 This tutorial provides a basic C++ programmer's introduction to working with
 gRPC. By walking through this example you'll learn how to:
diff --git a/examples/csharp/route_guide/README.md b/examples/csharp/route_guide/README.md
index a9aa87a83dff4669cf32cd8c19e9ba8fc5160d7b..98073b0296342f54590b29704c521455fe43492f 100644
--- a/examples/csharp/route_guide/README.md
+++ b/examples/csharp/route_guide/README.md
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-#gRPC Basics: C# sample code
+# gRPC Basics: C# sample code
 
 The files in this folder are the samples used in [gRPC Basics: C#][],
 a detailed tutorial for using gRPC in C#.
diff --git a/examples/node/dynamic_codegen/route_guide/README.md b/examples/node/dynamic_codegen/route_guide/README.md
index 22bcf789863df05d58b03b5cc1cf19ed3a32bf7e..7ec519c76bbeefdf8a69a2f6c4f1e30e0d6c9051 100644
--- a/examples/node/dynamic_codegen/route_guide/README.md
+++ b/examples/node/dynamic_codegen/route_guide/README.md
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-#gRPC Basics: Node.js sample code
+# gRPC Basics: Node.js sample code
 
 The files in this folder are the samples used in [gRPC Basics: Node.js][], a detailed tutorial for using gRPC in Node.js.
 
diff --git a/examples/node/static_codegen/route_guide/README.md b/examples/node/static_codegen/route_guide/README.md
index 22bcf789863df05d58b03b5cc1cf19ed3a32bf7e..7ec519c76bbeefdf8a69a2f6c4f1e30e0d6c9051 100644
--- a/examples/node/static_codegen/route_guide/README.md
+++ b/examples/node/static_codegen/route_guide/README.md
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-#gRPC Basics: Node.js sample code
+# gRPC Basics: Node.js sample code
 
 The files in this folder are the samples used in [gRPC Basics: Node.js][], a detailed tutorial for using gRPC in Node.js.
 
diff --git a/examples/objective-c/auth_sample/README.md b/examples/objective-c/auth_sample/README.md
index c560b7af65bc7055dde078842da46d9ba0b52a91..b75dcab2de42f8bada45155a974903082de1fd2d 100644
--- a/examples/objective-c/auth_sample/README.md
+++ b/examples/objective-c/auth_sample/README.md
@@ -1,3 +1,3 @@
-#OAuth2 on gRPC: Objective-C
+# OAuth2 on gRPC: Objective-C
 
 This is the supporting code for the tutorial "[OAuth2 on gRPC: Objective-C](http://www.grpc.io/docs/tutorials/auth/oauth2-objective-c.html)."
diff --git a/examples/objective-c/helloworld/README.md b/examples/objective-c/helloworld/README.md
index fdff938a9784ff617e9c4b167b2fe450f1a80f97..365bea1422823e0180fd7631c0868908145b5f84 100644
--- a/examples/objective-c/helloworld/README.md
+++ b/examples/objective-c/helloworld/README.md
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-#gRPC in 3 minutes (Objective-C)
+# gRPC in 3 minutes (Objective-C)
 
 ## Installation
 
diff --git a/examples/objective-c/route_guide/README.md b/examples/objective-c/route_guide/README.md
index 6a6f7c0d3388fbb9f149058774efcf28f82fef2c..b99bf546fb72f7e555ecb5f48260074a39695c30 100644
--- a/examples/objective-c/route_guide/README.md
+++ b/examples/objective-c/route_guide/README.md
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-#gRPC Basics: Objective-C
+# gRPC Basics: Objective-C
 
 This is the supporting code for the tutorial "[gRPC Basics: Objective-C](http://www.grpc.io/docs/tutorials/basic/objective-c.html)."
 
diff --git a/examples/php/route_guide/README.md b/examples/php/route_guide/README.md
index 26f1704f122cc1a9b8488d3a88130060c0e861e6..5b2cc05efc7c8db660023b744dd058c9ec1494bf 100644
--- a/examples/php/route_guide/README.md
+++ b/examples/php/route_guide/README.md
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-#gRPC Basics: PHP sample code
+# gRPC Basics: PHP sample code
 
 The files in this folder are the samples used in [gRPC Basics: PHP][],
 a detailed tutorial for using gRPC in PHP.
diff --git a/examples/ruby/errors_and_cancellation/README.md b/examples/ruby/errors_and_cancellation/README.md
index 126518c4aab19e7aaf703a728f5f82e5d52954d7..661bd84792f625c50cd2bd2e4ad482c1ae0b611b 100644
--- a/examples/ruby/errors_and_cancellation/README.md
+++ b/examples/ruby/errors_and_cancellation/README.md
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-#Errors and Cancelletion code samples for grpc-ruby
+# Errors and Cancelletion code samples for grpc-ruby
 
 The examples in this directory show use of grpc errors.
 
diff --git a/examples/ruby/route_guide/README.md b/examples/ruby/route_guide/README.md
index 3c353d1d976a200e3e5de686781289ebe869b12c..b2514630a966e92959182261bea568f3b31cb14b 100644
--- a/examples/ruby/route_guide/README.md
+++ b/examples/ruby/route_guide/README.md
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-#gRPC Basics: Ruby sample code
+# gRPC Basics: Ruby sample code
 
 The files in this folder are the samples used in [gRPC Basics: Ruby][],
 a detailed tutorial for using gRPC in Ruby.
diff --git a/tools/grift/README.md b/tools/grift/README.md
index 7cbbdc567bf3cecb7a90b7be65411e6753baa76f..2b5fa5ae14b14bab4ad583adf55f8e37ee45a46a 100644
--- a/tools/grift/README.md
+++ b/tools/grift/README.md
@@ -1,6 +1,4 @@
-Copyright 2016 Google Inc.
-
-#Documentation
+# Documentation
 
 grift is integration of [Apache Thrift](https://github.com/apache/thrift.git) Serializer with gRPC.
 
@@ -8,19 +6,19 @@ This integration allows you to use grpc to send thrift messages in C++ and java.
 
 grift uses Compact Protocol to serialize thrift messages. 
 
-##generating grpc plugins for thrift services
+## generating grpc plugins for thrift services
 
-###CPP
+### C++
 ```sh
  $ thrift --gen cpp <thrift-file>
 ```
 
-###JAVA
+### Java
 ```sh
  $ thrift --gen java <thrift-file>
 ```
 
-#Installation
+# Installation
 
 Before Installing thrift make sure to apply this [patch](grpc_plugins_generator.patch) to third_party/thrift.
 Go to third_party/thrift and follow the [INSTALLATION](https://github.com/apache/thrift.git) instructions to install thrift with commit id bcad91771b7f0bff28a1cac1981d7ef2b9bcef3c.
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/tools/run_tests/README.md b/tools/run_tests/README.md
index e709ddd2c021718eb2b519826c03beeafb0a4e5f..05d33fd6b1ca40c1aedee9bead392577d00fe922 100644
--- a/tools/run_tests/README.md
+++ b/tools/run_tests/README.md
@@ -1,44 +1,44 @@
-#Overview
+# Overview
 
 This directory contains scripts that facilitate building and running tests. We are using python scripts as entrypoint for our
 tests because that gives us the opportunity to run tests using the same commandline regardless of the platform you are using.
 
-#Unit tests (run_tests.py)
+# Unit tests (run_tests.py)
 
 Builds gRPC in given language and runs unit tests. Use `tools/run_tests/run_tests.py --help` for more help.
 
-######Example
+###### Example
 `tools/run_tests/run_tests.py -l csharp -c dbg`
 
-######Useful options (among many others)
+###### Useful options (among many others)
 - `--use_docker` Builds a docker container containing all the prerequisites for given language and runs the tests under that container.
 - `--build_only` Only build, do not run the tests.
 
-#Interop tests (run_interop_tests.py)
+# Interop tests (run_interop_tests.py)
 
 Runs tests for cross-platform/cross-language interoperability. For more details, see [Interop tests descriptions](/doc/interop-test-descriptions.md)
 The script is also capable of running interop tests for grpc-java and grpc-go, using sources checked out alongside the ones of the grpc repository.
 
-######Example
+###### Example
 `tools/run_tests/run_interop_tests.py -l csharp -s c++ --use_docker` (run interop tests with C# client and C++ server)
 
 Note: if you see an error like `no space left on device` when running the
 interop tests using Docker, make sure that Docker is building the image files in
 a location with sufficient disk space.
 
-#Performance benchmarks (run_performance_tests.py)
+# Performance benchmarks (run_performance_tests.py)
 
 Runs predefined benchmark scenarios for given languages. Besides the simple configuration of running all the scenarios locally,
 the script also supports orchestrating test runs with client and server running on different machines and uploading the results
 to BigQuery.
 
-######Example
+###### Example
 `tools/run_tests/run_peformance_tests.py -l c++ node`
 
-######Useful options
+###### Useful options
 - `--regex` use regex to select particular scenarios to run.
 
-#Stress tests (run_stress_tests.py)
+# Stress tests (run_stress_tests.py)
 
 Runs modified interop tests clients and servers under heavy load for an extended period of time to discover potential stability issues.
 The tests are internally using Kubernetes to run the client and server on GKE and upload statistics to BigQuery.
@@ -47,10 +47,10 @@ The tests are internally using Kubernetes to run the client and server on GKE an
 
 The directory `tools/run_tests/stress_test/configs/` contains the config files for several scenarios
 
-#Artifacts & Packages (task_runner.py)
+# Artifacts & Packages (task_runner.py)
 
 A generalized framework for running predefined tasks based on their labels. We use this to building binary artifacts & distrib packages and testing them)
 
-######Example
+###### Example
 `tools/run_tests/task_runner.py -f python artifact linux x64` (build tasks with labels `python`, `artifact`, `linux`, and `x64`)
 
diff --git a/vsprojects/README.md b/vsprojects/README.md
index f1663d254850707d657863b4d5a8d1bddb2f93a1..1f0cdc24ba709e763ed59a9212009fab9026ebbf 100644
--- a/vsprojects/README.md
+++ b/vsprojects/README.md
@@ -1,10 +1,10 @@
-#Pre-generated MS Visual Studio project & solution files
+# Pre-generated MS Visual Studio project & solution files
 
 Versions 2013 and 2015 are both supported. You can use [their respective
 community
 editions](https://www.visualstudio.com/en-us/downloads/download-visual-studio-vs.aspx).
 
-#Building
+# Building
 We are using [NuGet](http://www.nuget.org) to pull zlib and openssl dependencies.
 If you don't have Visual Studio NuGet plugin installed, you'll need to
 download nuget.exe from the web and manually restore the NuGet packages.
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ After that, you can build the solution using one of these options:
   1. open `grpc.sln` with Visual Studio and hit "Build".
   2. build from commandline using `msbuild grpc.sln /p:Configuration=Debug`
 
-#C/C++ Test Dependencies
+# C/C++ Test Dependencies
    * gtest isn't available as a git repo like the other dependencies.  download it and add it to `/third_party/gtest/` (the folder will end up with `/build-aux/`, `/cmake/`, `/codegear/`, etc. folders in it).  
     * if using vs2013: open/import the gtest solution in `/msvc/`, and save over the first solution (you will have to change it from read-only).  change all projects to use `/MDd` (Property Pages - C/C++ - Code Generation - Runtime Library) and build. This is a "multithreaded debug" setting and it needs to match grpc.
     * build all