diff --git a/lib/marked.js b/lib/marked.js
index caa54243f9..6a71e9201f 100644
--- a/lib/marked.js
+++ b/lib/marked.js
@@ -540,8 +540,8 @@ var inline = {
   link: /^!?\[(label)\]\(href(?:\s+(title))?\s*\)/,
   reflink: /^!?\[(label)\]\[(?!\s*\])((?:\\[\[\]]?|[^\[\]\\])+)\]/,
   nolink: /^!?\[(?!\s*\])((?:\[[^\[\]]*\]|\\[\[\]]|[^\[\]])*)\](?:\[\])?/,
-  strong: /^__([^\s][\s\S]*?[^\s])__(?!_)|^\*\*([^\s][\s\S]*?[^\s])\*\*(?!\*)|^__([^\s])__(?!_)|^\*\*([^\s])\*\*(?!\*)/,
-  em: /^_([^\s][\s\S]*?[^\s_])_(?!_)|^_([^\s_][\s\S]*?[^\s])_(?!_)|^\*([^\s][\s\S]*?[^\s*])\*(?!\*)|^\*([^\s*][\s\S]*?[^\s])\*(?!\*)|^_([^\s_])_(?!_)|^\*([^\s*])\*(?!\*)/,
+  strong: /^__([^\s])__(?!_)|^\*\*([^\s])\*\*(?!\*)|^__([^\s][\s\S]*?[^\s])__(?!_)|^\*\*([^\s][\s\S]*?[^\s])\*\*(?!\*)/,
+  em: /^_([^\s_])_(?!_)|^\*([^\s*"<\[])\*(?!\*)|^_([^\s][\s\S]*?[^\s_])_(?!_)|^_([^\s_][\s\S]*?[^\s])_(?!_)|^\*([^\s"<\[][\s\S]*?[^\s*])\*(?!\*)|^\*([^\s*"<\[][\s\S]*?[^\s])\*(?!\*)/,
   code: /^(`+)\s*([\s\S]*?[^`]?)\s*\1(?!`)/,
   br: /^( {2,}|\\)\n(?!\s*$)/,
   del: noop,
diff --git a/test/new/cm_strong_and_em.html b/test/new/cm_strong_and_em.html
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..084f638135
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/new/cm_strong_and_em.html
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+<p>So <em>a</em> single <em>word</em> followed <em>b</em>y <em>a</em>nother</p>
+
+<p>So <strong>a</strong> single <strong>word</strong> followed <strong>b</strong>y <strong>a</strong>nother</p>
+
+<p>So <em>a</em> single <em>word</em> followed <em>b</em>y <em>a</em>nother</p>
+
+<p>So <strong>a</strong> single <strong>word</strong> followed <strong>b</strong>y <strong>a</strong>nother</p>
diff --git a/test/new/cm_strong_and_em.md b/test/new/cm_strong_and_em.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..34b4a20b1f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/new/cm_strong_and_em.md
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+So *a* single *word* followed *b*y *a*nother
+
+So **a** single **word** followed **b**y **a**nother
+
+So _a_ single _word_ followed _b_y _a_nother
+
+So __a__ single __word__ followed __b__y __a__nother
diff --git a/test/specs/commonmark/commonmark-spec.js b/test/specs/commonmark/commonmark-spec.js
index 3bc003fbb7..4a429f3ebf 100644
--- a/test/specs/commonmark/commonmark-spec.js
+++ b/test/specs/commonmark/commonmark-spec.js
@@ -334,7 +334,7 @@ describe('CommonMark 0.28 Emphasis and strong emphasis', function() {
   var section = 'Emphasis and strong emphasis';
 
   // var shouldPassButFails = [];
-  var shouldPassButFails = [333, 334, 342, 348, 349, 352, 353, 354, 355, 356, 360, 368, 369, 371, 372, 378, 380, 381, 382, 387, 388, 392, 393, 394, 395, 396, 402, 403, 409, 416, 419, 420, 421, 422, 423, 424, 428, 431, 432, 433, 434, 435, 436, 443, 444, 445, 448, 449, 450, 451, 452, 453, 454, 455, 456, 457, 458];
+  var shouldPassButFails = [334, 342, 348, 349, 352, 353, 354, 355, 356, 360, 368, 369, 371, 372, 378, 380, 381, 382, 387, 388, 392, 393, 394, 395, 396, 402, 403, 409, 416, 419, 420, 421, 422, 423, 424, 428, 431, 432, 433, 434, 435, 436, 443, 444, 445, 448, 449, 451, 453, 454, 455, 456, 457, 458];
 
   var willNotBeAttemptedByCoreTeam = [];
 
@@ -349,7 +349,7 @@ describe('CommonMark 0.28 Links', function() {
   var section = 'Links';
 
   // var shouldPassButFails = [];
-  var shouldPassButFails = [474, 478, 483, 489, 490, 491, 492, 495, 496, 497, 499, 503, 504, 505, 507, 508, 509, 523, 535];
+  var shouldPassButFails = [474, 478, 483, 489, 490, 491, 495, 496, 497, 499, 503, 504, 507, 508, 509, 523];
 
   var willNotBeAttemptedByCoreTeam = [];