diff --git a/fixtures/directives.math.md b/fixtures/directives.math.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..270e507f7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/fixtures/directives.math.md
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+Math directive:
+.
+```{math}
+:label: my_label
+w_{t+1} = (1 + r_{t+1}) s(w_t) + y_{t+1}
+```
+.
+<div class="math numbered" id="eq-my_label" number="1">
+w_{t+1} = (1 + r_{t+1}) s(w_t) + y_{t+1}
+</div>
+.
+
+Math directive:
+.
+```{math}
+w_{t+1} = (1 + r_{t+1}) s(w_t) + y_{t+1}
+```
+.
+<div class="math">
+w_{t+1} = (1 + r_{t+1}) s(w_t) + y_{t+1}
+</div>
+.
diff --git a/index.html b/index.html
index 8765a9f91..3f272a7c2 100644
--- a/index.html
+++ b/index.html
@@ -75,8 +75,10 @@
     // Setup Mathjax
     MathJax = {
       tex: {
-        inlineMath: [['$', '$'], ['\\(', '\\)']],
-        displayMath: [['$$', '$$'],['\\[', '\\]']],
+        inlineMath: [['\\(', '\\)']],
+        displayMath: [['\\[', '\\]']],
+        processEnvironments: false,
+        processRefs: false,
       },
       svg: {
         fontCache: 'global'
diff --git a/src/blocks.ts b/src/blocks.ts
index 21ae51d49..85ac7d0f9 100644
--- a/src/blocks.ts
+++ b/src/blocks.ts
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ function checkBlockBreak(state: StateBlock, startLine: number, str: string, sile
   } catch (error) {
     console.warn('Could not parse metadata for block break: ', metadataString);
   }
-  token.attrSet('metadata', JSON.stringify(metadata));
+  token.meta = { ...token.meta, metadata };
   token.map = [startLine, state.line];
   return true;
 }
@@ -90,7 +90,7 @@ const renderComment: Renderer.RenderRule = (tokens, idx, opts, env: StateEnv) =>
 };
 
 const renderBlockBreak: Renderer.RenderRule = (tokens, idx, opts, env: StateEnv) => {
-  const metadata = tokens[idx].attrGet('metadata') ?? '';
+  const { metadata } = tokens[idx].meta;
   console.log('Not sure what to do with metadata for block break:', metadata);
   return (
     '<!-- Block Break -->\n'
diff --git a/src/directives/admonition.ts b/src/directives/admonition.ts
index b33896df4..7b1a5d42a 100644
--- a/src/directives/admonition.ts
+++ b/src/directives/admonition.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import { Directive } from './types';
+import { unusedOptionsWarning } from './utils';
 
 const admonitionTitles = {
   attention: 'Attention', caution: 'Caution', danger: 'Danger', error: 'Error', important: 'Important', hint: 'Hint', note: 'Note', seealso: 'See Also', tip: 'Tip', warning: 'Warning',
@@ -26,9 +27,7 @@ const createAdmonition = (kind: AdmonitionTypes): Directive<Args, Opts> => {
     },
     getOptions: (data) => {
       const { class: overrideClass, ...rest } = data;
-      if (Object.keys(rest).length > 0) {
-        console.warn('Unknown admonition options');
-      }
+      unusedOptionsWarning(kind, rest);
       return { class: overrideClass as AdmonitionTypes };
     },
     renderer: (args, opts) => {
diff --git a/src/directives/default.ts b/src/directives/default.ts
index 81c7cb7dd..623dd61e3 100644
--- a/src/directives/default.ts
+++ b/src/directives/default.ts
@@ -1,10 +1,12 @@
 import admonitions from './admonition';
 import figure from './figure';
+import math from './math';
 import { Directives } from './types';
 
 const directives: Directives = {
   ...admonitions,
   ...figure,
+  ...math,
 };
 
 export default directives;
diff --git a/src/directives/figure.ts b/src/directives/figure.ts
index 67b2d58c7..dc0f40928 100644
--- a/src/directives/figure.ts
+++ b/src/directives/figure.ts
@@ -1,11 +1,13 @@
 import { TargetKind } from '../state';
 import { Directive } from './types';
+import { unusedOptionsWarning } from './utils';
 
 export type Args = {
   src: string;
 };
 
 export type Opts = {
+  name: string;
 };
 
 const figure = {
@@ -16,7 +18,11 @@ const figure = {
       const args = { src: info.trim() };
       return { args, content: '' };
     },
-    getOptions: (data) => data,
+    getOptions: (data) => {
+      const { name, ...rest } = data;
+      unusedOptionsWarning('figure', rest);
+      return { name };
+    },
     renderer: (args, opts, target) => {
       const { src } = args;
       const { id, number } = target ?? {};
diff --git a/src/directives/index.ts b/src/directives/index.ts
index 06c5ee4de..8206bce82 100644
--- a/src/directives/index.ts
+++ b/src/directives/index.ts
@@ -1,11 +1,12 @@
 /* eslint-disable no-param-reassign */
 import MarkdownIt from 'markdown-it';
+import Renderer from 'markdown-it/lib/renderer';
 import container from 'markdown-it-container';
 import Token from 'markdown-it/lib/token';
 import { RuleCore } from 'markdown-it/lib/parser_core';
 import parseOptions from './options';
-import { Directive, Directives } from './types';
-import { newTarget, TargetKind } from '../state';
+import { Directive, Directives, DirectiveTokens } from './types';
+import { newTarget, TargetKind, StateEnv } from '../state';
 import { toHTML } from '../utils';
 
 const DIRECTIVE_PATTERN = /^\{([a-z]*)\}\s*(.*)$/;
@@ -17,6 +18,14 @@ function getDirective(directives: Directives, kind: string | null) {
   return directives[kind];
 }
 
+/**
+ * Container that continues to render internally.
+ *
+ * For not rendering the internals (e.g. math), use `skipParsing`
+ * and the directive will modify a `fence` renderer.
+ *
+ * @param directives The directives to use
+ */
 const directiveContainer = (directives: Directives): ContainerOpts => ({
   marker: '`',
   validate(params) {
@@ -24,7 +33,7 @@ const directiveContainer = (directives: Directives): ContainerOpts => ({
     if (!match) return false;
     const kind = match[1];
     const directive = getDirective(directives, kind);
-    return Boolean(directive);
+    return Boolean(directive) && !directive?.skipParsing;
   },
   render(tokens, idx, options, env, self) {
     const token = tokens[idx];
@@ -37,20 +46,48 @@ const directiveContainer = (directives: Directives): ContainerOpts => ({
   },
 });
 
+/**
+ * This overrides the `fence` when `skipParsing` is set to true on a directive.
+ *
+ * @param directives The directives to use
+ */
+const fenceRenderer = (directives: Directives) => (
+  tokens: Token[], idx: number, options: MarkdownIt.Options, env: StateEnv, self: Renderer,
+) => {
+  const token = tokens[idx];
+  const kind = token.attrGet('kind') ?? '';
+  const directive = getDirective(directives, kind) as Directive;
+  const { args, opts, target } = token.meta;
+  const htmlTemplate = directive.renderer(args, opts, target, tokens, idx, options, env, self);
+  const [before, after] = toHTML(htmlTemplate);
+  return `${before}${token.content}${after}`;
+};
+
 
 const setDirectiveKind = (directives: Directives): RuleCore => (state) => {
   const { tokens } = state;
   let kind: false | string = false;
   for (let index = 0; index < tokens.length; index += 1) {
     const token = tokens[index];
-    if (token.type === 'container_directives_open') {
+    if (token.type === DirectiveTokens.open) {
       const match = token.info.trim().match(DIRECTIVE_PATTERN);
       const directive = getDirective(directives, match?.[1] ?? '');
       if (!directive) throw new Error('Shoud not be able to get into here without having directive.');
       kind = directive.token;
       token.attrSet('kind', kind);
     }
-    if (token.type === 'container_directives_close') {
+    if (token.type === 'fence') {
+      // Here we match the directives that `skipParsing`, and turn them into `directive_fences`
+      // The options are then added as normal, the rendering is done in `fenceRenderer`
+      const match = token.info.trim().match(DIRECTIVE_PATTERN);
+      const directive = getDirective(directives, match?.[1] ?? '');
+      if (directive && directive.skipParsing) {
+        token.type = DirectiveTokens.fence;
+        kind = directive.token;
+        token.attrSet('kind', kind);
+      }
+    }
+    if (token.type === DirectiveTokens.close) {
       // Set the kind on the closing container as well, as that will have to render the closing tags
       token.attrSet('kind', kind as string);
       kind = false;
@@ -67,7 +104,7 @@ const parseArguments = (directives: Directives): RuleCore => (state) => {
   let bumpArguments = '';
   for (let index = 0; index < tokens.length; index += 1) {
     const token = tokens[index];
-    if (token.type === 'container_directives_open') {
+    if (token.type === DirectiveTokens.open) {
       parent = token;
       const match = token.info.trim().match(DIRECTIVE_PATTERN);
       const directive = getDirective(directives, token.attrGet('kind'));
@@ -77,7 +114,16 @@ const parseArguments = (directives: Directives): RuleCore => (state) => {
       token.meta = { ...token.meta, args };
       if (modified) bumpArguments = modified;
     }
-    if (parent && token.type === 'container_directives_close') {
+    if (token.type === DirectiveTokens.fence) {
+      const match = token.info.trim().match(DIRECTIVE_PATTERN);
+      const directive = getDirective(directives, token.attrGet('kind'));
+      if (!match || !directive) throw new Error('Shoud not be able to get into here without matching?');
+      const info = match[2].trim();
+      const { args, content: modified } = directive.getArguments?.(info) ?? {};
+      token.meta = { ...token.meta, args };
+      if (modified) token.content = modified + token.content;
+    }
+    if (parent && token.type === DirectiveTokens.close) {
       // TODO: https://github.com/executablebooks/MyST-Parser/issues/154
       // If the bumped title needs to be rendered - put it here somehow.
       bumpArguments = '';
@@ -96,11 +142,20 @@ const numbering = (directives: Directives): RuleCore => (state) => {
   const { tokens } = state;
   for (let index = 0; index < tokens.length; index += 1) {
     const token = tokens[index];
-    if (token.type === 'container_directives_open') {
+    if (token.type === DirectiveTokens.open) {
       const directive = getDirective(directives, token.attrGet('kind'));
       if (directive?.numbered) {
-        const { name } = token.meta?.opts;
-        const target = newTarget(state, name, directive.numbered);
+        const { name, label } = token.meta?.opts;
+        const target = newTarget(state, name || label, directive.numbered);
+        token.meta.target = target;
+      }
+    }
+    if (token.type === DirectiveTokens.fence) {
+      const directive = getDirective(directives, token.attrGet('kind'));
+      const { name, label } = token.meta?.opts;
+      // Only number things if the directive supports numbering AND a name or label is provided
+      if (directive?.numbered && (name || label)) {
+        const target = newTarget(state, name || label, directive.numbered);
         token.meta.target = target;
       }
     }
@@ -116,9 +171,11 @@ const numbering = (directives: Directives): RuleCore => (state) => {
 
 
 export const directivesPlugin = (directives: Directives) => (md: MarkdownIt) => {
+  const { renderer } = md;
   md.use(container, 'directives', directiveContainer(directives));
   md.core.ruler.after('block', 'directive_kind', setDirectiveKind(directives));
   md.core.ruler.after('directive_kind', 'parse_directive_opts', parseOptions(directives));
   md.core.ruler.after('parse_directive_opts', 'parse_directive_args', parseArguments(directives));
   md.core.ruler.after('parse_directive_args', 'numbering', numbering(directives));
+  renderer.rules[DirectiveTokens.fence] = fenceRenderer(directives);
 };
diff --git a/src/directives/math.ts b/src/directives/math.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..fdad3fdb2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/directives/math.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,34 @@
+import { TargetKind } from '../state';
+import { Directive } from './types';
+import { unusedOptionsWarning } from './utils';
+
+export type Args = {
+};
+
+export type Opts = {
+  label: string;
+};
+
+const math = {
+  math: {
+    token: 'math',
+    numbered: TargetKind.equation,
+    skipParsing: true,
+    getArguments: () => ({ args: {}, content: '' }),
+    getOptions: (data) => {
+      const { label, ...rest } = data;
+      unusedOptionsWarning('math', rest);
+      return { label };
+    },
+    renderer: (args, opts, target) => {
+      const { id, number } = target ?? {};
+      return ['div', {
+        class: target ? ['math', 'numbered'] : 'math',
+        id,
+        number,
+      }, 0];
+    },
+  } as Directive<Args, Opts>,
+};
+
+export default math;
diff --git a/src/directives/options.ts b/src/directives/options.ts
index 34c56ad59..70e6197ce 100644
--- a/src/directives/options.ts
+++ b/src/directives/options.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 import Token from 'markdown-it/lib/token';
 import { RuleCore } from 'markdown-it/lib/parser_core';
-import { Directive, Directives } from './types';
+import { Directive, Directives, DirectiveTokens } from './types';
 
 const QUICK_PARAMETERS = /^:([a-zA-Z0-9\-_]+):(.*)$/;
 
@@ -29,26 +29,32 @@ function stripYaml(content: string) {
 }
 
 function addDirectiveOptions(
-  directive: Directive, parent: Token, tokens: Token[], index: number,
+  directive: Directive, parent: Token, tokens: Token[], index: number, isFence = false,
 ) {
   const [open, token, close] = tokens.slice(index - 1, index + 2);
-  const { content } = token;
+  const useToken = isFence ? parent : token;
+  const { content } = useToken;
   const firstLine = content.split('\n')[0].trim();
   const isYaml = firstLine === '---';
   const isQuickParams = QUICK_PARAMETERS.test(firstLine);
-  if (!isYaml && !isQuickParams) return;
+  if (!isYaml && !isQuickParams) {
+    const opts = directive.getOptions({});
+    // eslint-disable-next-line no-param-reassign
+    parent.meta = { ...parent.meta, opts };
+    return;
+  }
   const strip = isYaml ? stripYaml : stripParams;
-  const { data, modified } = strip(token.content);
+  const { data, modified } = strip(useToken.content);
   const opts = directive.getOptions(data);
   // eslint-disable-next-line no-param-reassign
   parent.meta = { ...parent.meta, opts };
-  token.content = modified;
+  useToken.content = modified;
   // Here we will stop the tags from rendering if there is no content that is not metadata
   // This stops empty paragraph tags from rendering.
   const noContent = modified.length === 0;
-  if (open && noContent) open.hidden = true;
-  token.hidden = noContent;
-  if (close && noContent) close.hidden = true;
+  if (!isFence && open && noContent) open.hidden = true;
+  useToken.hidden = noContent;
+  if (!isFence && close && noContent) close.hidden = true;
 }
 
 const parseOptions = (directives: Directives): RuleCore => (state) => {
@@ -58,12 +64,12 @@ const parseOptions = (directives: Directives): RuleCore => (state) => {
   let gotOptions = false;
   for (let index = 0; index < tokens.length; index += 1) {
     const token = tokens[index];
-    if (token.type === 'container_directives_open') {
+    if (token.type === DirectiveTokens.open) {
       directive = directives[token.attrGet('kind') ?? ''];
       parent = token;
       gotOptions = false;
     }
-    if (token.type === 'container_directives_close') {
+    if (token.type === DirectiveTokens.close) {
       if (parent) {
         // Ensure there is metadata always defined for containers
         const meta = { opts: {}, ...parent.meta };
@@ -72,6 +78,11 @@ const parseOptions = (directives: Directives): RuleCore => (state) => {
       }
       parent = false;
     }
+    if (token.type === DirectiveTokens.fence) {
+      addDirectiveOptions(
+        directives[token.attrGet('kind') ?? ''] as Directive, token, tokens, index, true,
+      );
+    }
     if (parent && !gotOptions && token.type === 'inline') {
       addDirectiveOptions(directive as Directive, parent, tokens, index);
       gotOptions = true;
diff --git a/src/directives/types.ts b/src/directives/types.ts
index 65f2e8e42..2034b51a1 100644
--- a/src/directives/types.ts
+++ b/src/directives/types.ts
@@ -4,9 +4,17 @@ import Renderer from 'markdown-it/lib/renderer';
 import { HTMLOutputSpecArray } from '../utils';
 import { StateEnv, TargetKind, Target } from '../state';
 
+export enum DirectiveTokens {
+  open = 'container_directives_open',
+  close = 'container_directives_close',
+  fence = 'fence_directive',
+  inline = 'inline',
+}
+
 export type Directive<Args extends {} = {}, Opts extends {} = {}> = {
   token: string;
   numbered?: TargetKind;
+  skipParsing?: true;
   getArguments: (info: string) => { args: Args; content?: string };
   getOptions: (data: Record<string, string>) => Opts;
   renderer: (
diff --git a/src/directives/utils.ts b/src/directives/utils.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..69aa3864a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/directives/utils.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+
+export const unusedOptionsWarning = (kind: string, opts: Record<string, any>) => {
+  if (Object.keys(opts).length > 0) {
+    console.warn(`Unknown ${kind} options`, opts);
+  }
+};
diff --git a/src/roles/index.ts b/src/roles/index.ts
index dea064826..b1285de0a 100644
--- a/src/roles/index.ts
+++ b/src/roles/index.ts
@@ -20,11 +20,11 @@ const getRoleAttrs = (roles: Roles) => (name: string, content: string) => {
 
 const addRenderers = (roles: Roles) => (md: MarkdownIt) => {
   const { renderer } = md;
-  Object.entries(roles).forEach(([, { token, renderer: tokenRendered }]) => {
+  Object.entries(roles).forEach(([, { token, renderer: tokenRenderer }]) => {
     // Early return if the role is already defined
     // e.g. math_inline might be better handled by another plugin
     if (md.renderer.rules[token]) return;
-    renderer.rules[token] = tokenRendered;
+    renderer.rules[token] = tokenRenderer;
   });
 };
 
diff --git a/tests/fixtures.spec.ts b/tests/fixtures.spec.ts
index 910974081..586cd7519 100644
--- a/tests/fixtures.spec.ts
+++ b/tests/fixtures.spec.ts
@@ -14,6 +14,9 @@ describe('Math', () => {
   getFixtures('math').forEach(([name, md, html]) => {
     it(name, () => expect(tokenizer.render(md)).toEqual(`${html}\n`));
   });
+  getFixtures('directives.math').forEach(([name, md, html]) => {
+    it(name, () => expect(tokenizer.render(md)).toEqual(`${html}\n`));
+  });
 });
 
 describe('Roles', () => {