diff --git a/lib/marked.js b/lib/marked.js
index d9e3bafeb1..6964429d35 100644
--- a/lib/marked.js
+++ b/lib/marked.js
@@ -561,7 +561,7 @@ var inline = {
   reflink: /^!?\[(label)\]\[(?!\s*\])((?:\\[\[\]]?|[^\[\]\\])+)\]/,
   nolink: /^!?\[(?!\s*\])((?:\[[^\[\]]*\]|\\[\[\]]|[^\[\]])*)\](?:\[\])?/,
   strong: /^__([^\s_])__(?!_)|^\*\*([^\s*])\*\*(?!\*)|^__([^\s][\s\S]*?[^\s])__(?!_)|^\*\*([^\s][\s\S]*?[^\s])\*\*(?!\*)/,
-  em: /^_([^\s_])_(?!_)|^\*([^\s*"<\[])\*(?!\*)|^_([^\s][\s\S]*?[^\s_])_(?!_|[^\spunctuation])|^_([^\s_][\s\S]*?[^\s])_(?!_|[^\spunctuation])|^\*([^\s"<\[][\s\S]*?[^\s*])\*(?!\*)|^\*([^\s*"<\[][\s\S]*?[^\s])\*(?!\*)/,
+  em: /^_([^\s_])_(?!_)|^\*([^\s*<\[])\*(?!\*)|^_([^\s<][\s\S]*?[^\s_])_(?!_|[^\spunctuation])|^_([^\s_<][\s\S]*?[^\s])_(?!_|[^\spunctuation])|^\*([^\s<"][\s\S]*?[^\s\*])\*(?!\*|[^\spunctuation])|^\*([^\s*"<\[][\s\S]*?[^\s])\*(?!\*)/,
   code: /^(`+)([^`]|[^`][\s\S]*?[^`])\1(?!`)/,
   br: /^( {2,}|\\)\n(?!\s*$)/,
   del: noop,
diff --git a/test/specs/commonmark/commonmark.0.29.json b/test/specs/commonmark/commonmark.0.29.json
index 9c52c13672..e080b070ff 100644
--- a/test/specs/commonmark/commonmark.0.29.json
+++ b/test/specs/commonmark/commonmark.0.29.json
@@ -3414,8 +3414,7 @@
     "example": 418,
     "start_line": 6935,
     "end_line": 6939,
-    "section": "Emphasis and strong emphasis",
-    "shouldFail": true
+    "section": "Emphasis and strong emphasis"
   },
   {
     "markdown": "** is not an empty emphasis\n",
@@ -3909,8 +3908,7 @@
     "example": 477,
     "start_line": 7399,
     "end_line": 7403,
-    "section": "Emphasis and strong emphasis",
-    "shouldFail": true
+    "section": "Emphasis and strong emphasis"
   },
   {
     "markdown": "_a `_`_\n",
diff --git a/test/specs/new/em_list_links.html b/test/specs/new/em_list_links.html
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..b52cd2a926
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/specs/new/em_list_links.html
@@ -0,0 +1,55 @@
+<ul>
+<li>italic<ul>
+<li><a href="https://www.google.com"><em>named link</em></a></li>
+<li><em><a href="https://www.google.com">named link</a></em></li>
+<li><a href="https://www.google.com"><em>named link</em></a></li>
+<li><em><a href="https://www.google.com">named link</a></em></li>
+</ul>
+</li>
+<li>bold<ul>
+<li><a href="https://www.google.com"><strong>named link</strong></a></li>
+<li><strong><a href="https://www.google.com">named link</a></strong></li>
+<li><a href="https://www.google.com"><strong>named link</strong></a></li>
+<li><strong><a href="https://www.google.com">named link</a></strong></li>
+</ul>
+</li>
+<li>bold italic<ul>
+<li><a href="https://www.google.com"><strong><em>named link</em></strong></a></li>
+<li><strong><em><a href="https://www.google.com">named link</a></em></strong></li>
+<li><a href="https://www.google.com"><strong><em>named link</em></strong></a></li>
+<li><strong><em><a href="https://www.google.com">named link</a></em></strong></li>
+<li><a href="https://www.google.com"><em><strong>named link</strong></em></a></li>
+<li><a href="https://www.google.com"><strong><em>named link</em></strong></a></li>
+<li><strong><em><a href="https://www.google.com">named link</a></em></strong></li>
+</ul>
+</li>
+<li>code<ul>
+<li><a href="https://www.google.com"><code>named link</code></a></li>
+</ul>
+</li>
+<li>code italic<ul>
+<li><em><a href="https://www.google.com"><code>named link</code></a></em></li>
+<li><a href="https://www.google.com"><em><code>named link</code></em></a></li>
+<li><em><a href="https://www.google.com"><code>named link</code></a></em></li>
+<li><a href="https://www.google.com"><em><code>named link</code></em></a></li>
+</ul>
+</li>
+<li>code bold<ul>
+<li><strong><a href="https://www.google.com"><code>named link</code></a></strong></li>
+<li><a href="https://www.google.com"><strong><code>named link</code></strong></a></li>
+<li><strong><a href="https://www.google.com"><code>named link</code></a></strong></li>
+<li><a href="https://www.google.com"><strong><code>named link</code></strong></a></li>
+</ul>
+</li>
+<li>code bold italic<ul>
+<li><a href="https://www.google.com"><strong><em><code>named link</code></em></strong></a></li>
+<li><strong><em><a href="https://www.google.com"><code>named link</code></a></em></strong></li>
+<li><a href="https://www.google.com"><strong><em><code>named link</code></em></strong></a></li>
+<li><strong><em><a href="https://www.google.com"><code>named link</code></a></em></strong></li>
+<li><a href="https://www.google.com"><em><strong><code>named link</code></strong></em></a></li>
+<li><a href="https://www.google.com"><strong><em><code>named link</code></em></strong></a></li>
+<li><strong><em><a href="https://www.google.com"><code>named link</code></a></em></strong></li>
+</ul>
+</li>
+</ul>
+
diff --git a/test/specs/new/em_list_links.md b/test/specs/new/em_list_links.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..1cc50d5ce9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/specs/new/em_list_links.md
@@ -0,0 +1,40 @@
+- italic
+  - [*named link*][some-url]
+  - *[named link][some-url]*
+  - [_named link_][some-url]
+  - _[named link][some-url]_
+- bold
+  - [**named link**][some-url]
+  - **[named link][some-url]**
+  - [__named link__][some-url]
+  - __[named link][some-url]__
+- bold italic
+  - [***named link***][some-url]
+  - ***[named link][some-url]***
+  - [___named link___][some-url]
+  - ___[named link][some-url]___
+  - [*__named link__*][some-url]
+  - [__*named link*__][some-url]
+  - __*[named link][some-url]*__
+- code
+  - [`named link`][some-url]
+- code italic
+  - *[`named link`][some-url]*
+  - [*`named link`*][some-url]
+  - _[`named link`][some-url]_
+  - [_`named link`_][some-url]
+- code bold
+  - **[`named link`][some-url]**
+  - [**`named link`**][some-url]
+  - __[`named link`][some-url]__
+  - [__`named link`__][some-url]
+- code bold italic
+  - [***`named link`***][some-url]
+  - ***[`named link`][some-url]***
+  - [___`named link`___][some-url]
+  - ___[`named link`][some-url]___
+  - [*__`named link`__*][some-url]
+  - [__*`named link`*__][some-url]
+  - __*[`named link`][some-url]*__
+
+[some-url]: https://www.google.com
\ No newline at end of file