diff --git a/tests/test_block.py b/tests/test_block.py
index 0e6dc14f..c69105c2 100644
--- a/tests/test_block.py
+++ b/tests/test_block.py
@@ -62,3 +62,10 @@ def test_blockcode_in_README():
     with open('tests/fixtures/README.txt') as f:
         expect = ''.join(f.readlines())
     assert result == expect
+
+def test_blockcode_comment():
+    input = '###.. block comment\nanother line\n\np. New line'
+    expect = '\t<p>New line</p>'
+    t = textile.Textile()
+    result = t.parse(input)
+    assert result == expect
diff --git a/tests/test_urls.py b/tests/test_urls.py
index 69bae4f5..0ae78e6e 100644
--- a/tests/test_urls.py
+++ b/tests/test_urls.py
@@ -46,6 +46,14 @@ def test_urls():
     expect = '\t<p>A link that starts with an h is <a href="/test/">handled</a> incorrectly.</p>'
     assert result == expect
 
+    result = t.parse('A link that starts with a space" raises":/test/ an exception.')
+    expect = '\t<p><a href="/test/">A link that starts with a space&#8221; raises</a> an exception.</p>'
+    assert result == expect
+
+    result = t.parse('A link that "contains a\nnewline":/test/ raises an exception.')
+    expect = '\t<p>A link that <a href="/test/">contains a\nnewline</a> raises an exception.</p>'
+    assert result == expect
+
 def test_rel_attribute():
     t = Textile(rel='nofollow')
     result = t.parse('"$":http://domain.tld')
diff --git a/textile/core.py b/textile/core.py
index ce526946..018ccdb1 100644
--- a/textile/core.py
+++ b/textile/core.py
@@ -465,7 +465,7 @@ def block(self, text):
             else:
                 # if we're inside an extended block, add the text from the
                 # previous extension to the front
-                if ext:
+                if ext and out:
                     line = '{0}\n\n{1}'.format(out.pop(), line)
                 whitespace = ' \t\n\r\f\v'
                 if ext or not line[0] in whitespace:
@@ -494,7 +494,7 @@ def block(self, text):
                 cite = ''
                 graf = ''
 
-        if ext:
+        if ext and out:
             out.append(generate_tag(block.outer_tag, out.pop(),
                 block.outer_atts))
         return '\n\n'.join(out)
@@ -672,7 +672,10 @@ def markStartOfLinks(self, text):
                             balanced = balanced - 1
                         if re.search(r'\S$', possibility, flags=re.U): # pragma: no branch
                             balanced = balanced + 1
-                        possibility = possible_start_quotes.pop()
+                        try:
+                            possibility = possible_start_quotes.pop()
+                        except IndexError:
+                            break
                     else:
                         # If quotes occur next to each other, we get zero
                         # length strings.  eg. ...""Open the door,
@@ -756,9 +759,9 @@ def fLink(self, m):
             $'''.format(cls_re_s, regex_snippets['space']), inner,
                 flags=re.X | re.U)
 
-        atts = m.group('atts') or ''
-        text = m.group('text') or '' or inner
-        title = m.group('title') or ''
+        atts = (m and m.group('atts')) or ''
+        text = (m and m.group('text')) or inner
+        title = (m and m.group('title')) or ''
 
         pop, tight = '', ''
         counts = { '[': None, ']': url.count(']'), '(': None, ')': None }
diff --git a/textile/objects/block.py b/textile/objects/block.py
index 3c7dc015..89e6b2e3 100644
--- a/textile/objects/block.py
+++ b/textile/objects/block.py
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+# -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
 from __future__ import unicode_literals
 
 try: