diff --git a/lib/rdoc/markdown.kpeg b/lib/rdoc/markdown.kpeg
index e1193fbb00..ba03000224 100644
--- a/lib/rdoc/markdown.kpeg
+++ b/lib/rdoc/markdown.kpeg
@@ -1198,19 +1198,26 @@ CodeFence = &{ github? }
             }
 
 Table = &{ github? }
-        TableRow:header TableLine:line TableRow+:body
+        TableHead:header TableLine:line TableRow+:body
         { table = RDoc::Markup::Table.new(header, line, body) }
 
-TableRow = TableItem+:row "|" @Newline
-           { row }
-TableItem = "|" < (!"|" !@Newline .)+ >
-            { text.strip }
-
-TableLine = TableColumn+:line "|" @Newline
-            { line }
-TableColumn = "|" < ( "-"+ ":"? | ":" "-"* ) >
-              { text.start_with?(":") ? :left :
-                text.end_with?(":") ? :right : nil
+TableHead = TableItem2+:items "|"? @Newline
+            { items }
+
+TableRow = ( ( TableItem:item1 TableItem2*:items { [item1, *items] } ):row | TableItem2+:row ) "|"? @Newline
+	   { row }
+TableItem2 = "|" TableItem
+TableItem = < /(?:\\.|[^|\n])+/ >
+	    { text.strip.gsub(/\\(.)/, '\1')  }
+
+TableLine = ( ( TableAlign:align1 TableAlign2*:aligns {[align1, *aligns] } ):line | TableAlign2+:line ) "|"? @Newline
+	    { line }
+TableAlign2 = "|" @Sp TableAlign
+TableAlign = < /:?-+:?/ > @Sp
+              {
+                text.start_with?(":") ?
+                (text.end_with?(":") ? :center : :left) :
+                (text.end_with?(":") ? :right : nil)
               }
 
 DefinitionList = &{ definition_lists? }
diff --git a/test/rdoc/test_rdoc_markdown.rb b/test/rdoc/test_rdoc_markdown.rb
index ca76c34f43..dd6f312fa9 100644
--- a/test/rdoc/test_rdoc_markdown.rb
+++ b/test/rdoc/test_rdoc_markdown.rb
@@ -1062,6 +1062,27 @@ def test_gfm_table
     assert_equal expected, doc
   end
 
+  def test_gfm_table_2
+    doc = parse <<~'MD'
+    | Cmd | Returns | Meaning
+    ----- | :-----: | -------
+    |"b"  | boolean | True if file1 is a block device
+    "c"   | boolean | True if file1 is a character device
+    |"\|" | boolean | escaped bar \| test
+    MD
+
+    head = %w[Cmd Returns Meaning]
+    align = [nil, :center, nil]
+    body = [
+      ['"b"', 'boolean', 'True if file1 is a block device'],
+      ['"c"', 'boolean', 'True if file1 is a character device'],
+      ['"|"', 'boolean', 'escaped bar | test'],
+    ]
+    expected = doc(@RM::Table.new(head, align, body))
+
+    assert_equal expected, doc
+  end
+
   def parse text
     @parser.parse text
   end