diff --git a/lib/marked.js b/lib/marked.js
index 255a1d200b..ec934cf299 100644
--- a/lib/marked.js
+++ b/lib/marked.js
@@ -542,7 +542,7 @@
     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\*])\*(?!\*|[^\spunctuation])|^\*([^\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,