diff --git a/src/yamlfix/adapters.py b/src/yamlfix/adapters.py
index dbb845b..95b2789 100644
--- a/src/yamlfix/adapters.py
+++ b/src/yamlfix/adapters.py
@@ -374,13 +374,23 @@ def _ruamel_yaml_fixer(self, source_code: str) -> str:
             Corrected source code.
         """
         log.debug("Running ruamel yaml fixer...")
-        source_dicts = self.yaml.load_all(source_code)
+
+        # Detect if the original source starts with an explicit document marker
+        source_dicts = list(self.yaml.load_all(source_code))
+
+        # Determine if ruyaml will emit --- for each document
+        yaml_emits_start = bool(self.yaml.explicit_start)
 
         # Return the output to a string
         string_stream = StringIO()
-        for source_dict in source_dicts:
+        for i, source_dict in enumerate(source_dicts):
+            if i > 0 and not yaml_emits_start:
+                # Inter-document separators are structurally required for
+                # multi-document YAML; always preserve them even when
+                # explicit_start is False (which only controls the leading ---)
+                string_stream.write("---\n")
             self.yaml.dump(source_dict, string_stream)
-            source_code = string_stream.getvalue()
+        source_code = string_stream.getvalue()
         string_stream.close()
 
         return source_code.strip()
diff --git a/tests/unit/test_explicit_start.py b/tests/unit/test_explicit_start.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9c14f98
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/unit/test_explicit_start.py
@@ -0,0 +1,110 @@
+"""Test explicit_start configuration behavior."""
+
+from textwrap import dedent
+
+from yamlfix.model import YamlfixConfig
+from yamlfix.services import fix_code
+
+
+class TestExplicitStartFalse:
+    """Tests for explicit_start = False."""
+
+    def test_removes_leading_start_marker(self) -> None:
+        """When explicit_start is False, leading --- is removed."""
+        source = dedent(
+            """\
+            ---
+            project_name: yamlfix
+            """
+        )
+        fixed_source = dedent(
+            """\
+            project_name: yamlfix
+            """
+        )
+        config = YamlfixConfig()
+        config.explicit_start = False
+
+        result = fix_code(source, config)
+
+        assert result == fixed_source
+
+    def test_preserves_inter_document_separators(self) -> None:
+        """When explicit_start is False, inter-document --- separators are preserved."""
+        source = dedent(
+            """\
+            ---
+            name: doc1
+            ---
+            name: doc2
+            """
+        )
+        config = YamlfixConfig()
+        config.explicit_start = False
+
+        result = fix_code(source, config)
+
+        # The inter-document separator must remain (structurally required)
+        assert "---\nname: doc2" in result
+
+    def test_multi_document_three_docs(self) -> None:
+        """When explicit_start is False, all inter-document separators are preserved."""
+        source = dedent(
+            """\
+            ---
+            name: doc1
+            ---
+            name: doc2
+            ---
+            name: doc3
+            """
+        )
+        config = YamlfixConfig()
+        config.explicit_start = False
+
+        result = fix_code(source, config)
+
+        # Inter-document separators must remain (at least 2 for 3 docs)
+        assert result.count("---") >= 2
+
+
+class TestExplicitStartTrue:
+    """Tests for explicit_start = True."""
+
+    def test_adds_start_marker(self) -> None:
+        """When explicit_start is True, --- is added."""
+        source = dedent(
+            """\
+            project_name: yamlfix
+            """
+        )
+        fixed_source = dedent(
+            """\
+            ---
+            project_name: yamlfix
+            """
+        )
+        config = YamlfixConfig()
+        config.explicit_start = True
+
+        result = fix_code(source, config)
+
+        assert result == fixed_source
+
+    def test_multi_document_preserves_separators(self) -> None:
+        """Multi-document files keep --- dividers with explicit_start=True."""
+        source = dedent(
+            """\
+            ---
+            name: doc1
+            ---
+            name: doc2
+            """
+        )
+        config = YamlfixConfig()
+        config.explicit_start = True
+
+        result = fix_code(source, config)
+
+        # Both documents should have separators
+        assert result.count("---") >= 2