diff --git a/docling/backend/docling_parse_v2_backend.py b/docling/backend/docling_parse_v2_backend.py
index b518850e..60bb838e 100644
--- a/docling/backend/docling_parse_v2_backend.py
+++ b/docling/backend/docling_parse_v2_backend.py
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ import logging
 import random
 from io import BytesIO
 from pathlib import Path
-from typing import TYPE_CHECKING, Iterable, List, Optional, Union
+from typing import TYPE_CHECKING, Iterable, List, Optional, Tuple, Union
 
 import pypdfium2 as pdfium
 from docling_core.types.doc import BoundingBox, CoordOrigin
@@ -77,21 +77,9 @@ class DoclingParseV2PageBackend(PdfPageBackend):
 
         return text_piece
 
-    def get_text_cells(self) -> Iterable[Cell]:
+    def make_cells(self, page_size, cells_data, cells_header):
         cells: List[Cell] = []
         cell_counter = 0
-
-        if not self.valid:
-            return cells
-
-        page_size = self.get_size()
-
-        parser_width = self._dpage["sanitized"]["dimension"]["width"]
-        parser_height = self._dpage["sanitized"]["dimension"]["height"]
-
-        cells_data = self._dpage["sanitized"]["cells"]["data"]
-        cells_header = self._dpage["sanitized"]["cells"]["header"]
-
         for i, cell_data in enumerate(cells_data):
             x0 = cell_data[cells_header.index("x0")]
             y0 = cell_data[cells_header.index("y0")]
@@ -119,6 +107,28 @@ class DoclingParseV2PageBackend(PdfPageBackend):
                 )
             )
             cell_counter += 1
+        return cells
+
+    def get_text_cells(self) -> Tuple[Iterable[Cell], Iterable[Cell]]:
+        cells: List[Cell] = []
+        word_cells: List[Cell] = []
+
+        if not self.valid:
+            return cells, word_cells
+
+        page_size = self.get_size()
+
+        parser_width = self._dpage["sanitized"]["dimension"]["width"]
+        parser_height = self._dpage["sanitized"]["dimension"]["height"]
+
+        cells_data = self._dpage["sanitized"]["cells"]["data"]
+        cells_header = self._dpage["sanitized"]["cells"]["header"]
+
+        word_cells_data = self._dpage["original"]["cells"]["data"]
+        word_cells_header = self._dpage["original"]["cells"]["header"]
+
+        cells = self.make_cells(page_size, cells_data, cells_header)
+        word_cells = self.make_cells(page_size, word_cells_data, word_cells_header)
 
         def draw_clusters_and_cells():
             image = (
@@ -137,7 +147,7 @@ class DoclingParseV2PageBackend(PdfPageBackend):
 
         # draw_clusters_and_cells()
 
-        return cells
+        return cells, word_cells
 
     def get_bitmap_rects(self, scale: float = 1) -> Iterable[BoundingBox]:
         AREA_THRESHOLD = 32 * 32
diff --git a/docling/backend/pdf_backend.py b/docling/backend/pdf_backend.py
index cd7a0815..295f9030 100644
--- a/docling/backend/pdf_backend.py
+++ b/docling/backend/pdf_backend.py
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 from abc import ABC, abstractmethod
 from io import BytesIO
 from pathlib import Path
-from typing import Iterable, Optional, Set, Union
+from typing import Iterable, Optional, Set, Tuple, Union
 
 from docling_core.types.doc import BoundingBox, Size
 from PIL import Image
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ class PdfPageBackend(ABC):
         pass
 
     @abstractmethod
-    def get_text_cells(self) -> Iterable[Cell]:
+    def get_text_cells(self) -> Tuple[Iterable[Cell], Optional[Iterable[Cell]]]:
         pass
 
     @abstractmethod
diff --git a/docling/datamodel/base_models.py b/docling/datamodel/base_models.py
index d06b6097..9cbd87a2 100644
--- a/docling/datamodel/base_models.py
+++ b/docling/datamodel/base_models.py
@@ -180,6 +180,7 @@ class Page(BaseModel):
     # page_hash: Optional[str] = None
     size: Optional[Size] = None
     cells: List[Cell] = []
+    word_cells: List[Cell] = []
     predictions: PagePredictions = PagePredictions()
     assembled: Optional[AssembledUnit] = None
 
diff --git a/docling/models/page_preprocessing_model.py b/docling/models/page_preprocessing_model.py
index 63f1a4f6..316ce2b3 100644
--- a/docling/models/page_preprocessing_model.py
+++ b/docling/models/page_preprocessing_model.py
@@ -53,7 +53,17 @@ class PagePreprocessingModel(BasePageModel):
     def _parse_page_cells(self, conv_res: ConversionResult, page: Page) -> Page:
         assert page._backend is not None
 
-        page.cells = list(page._backend.get_text_cells())
+        # page.cells = list(page._backend.get_text_cells())
+        cells_result = page._backend.get_text_cells()
+        if type(cells_result) is not tuple:
+            # Backend supports just PDF cells
+            page.cells = list(cells_result)
+        else:
+            # Backend also supports word cells
+            pdf_cells, word_cells = cells_result
+            page.cells = list(pdf_cells)
+            # preserve word_cells for usage in tables
+            page.word_cells = list(word_cells)
 
         # DEBUG code:
         def draw_text_boxes(image, cells, show: bool = False):
diff --git a/docling/models/table_structure_model.py b/docling/models/table_structure_model.py
index 12bc2838..309b7110 100644
--- a/docling/models/table_structure_model.py
+++ b/docling/models/table_structure_model.py
@@ -122,7 +122,12 @@ class TableStructureModel(BasePageModel):
                         continue
 
                     tokens = []
-                    for c in page.cells:
+
+                    page_cells = page.cells
+                    if hasattr(page, "word_cells"):
+                        page_cells = page.word_cells
+
+                    for c in page_cells:
                         for cluster, _ in in_tables:
                             if c.bbox.area() > 0:
                                 if (