diff --git a/doxia-modules/doxia-module-apt/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/doxia/module/apt/AptSink.java b/doxia-modules/doxia-module-apt/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/doxia/module/apt/AptSink.java
index 974674764..3747370f3 100644
--- a/doxia-modules/doxia-module-apt/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/doxia/module/apt/AptSink.java
+++ b/doxia-modules/doxia-module-apt/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/doxia/module/apt/AptSink.java
@@ -65,6 +65,9 @@ public class AptSink
     /**  tableCaptionFlag. */
     private boolean tableCaptionFlag;
 
+    /**  tableCellFlag. */
+    private boolean tableCellFlag;
+
     /**  headerFlag. */
     private boolean headerFlag;
 
@@ -164,6 +167,7 @@ protected void init()
         this.date = null;
         this.startFlag = true;
         this.tableCaptionFlag = false;
+        this.tableCellFlag = false;
         this.headerFlag = false;
         this.bufferFlag = false;
         this.itemFlag = false;
@@ -518,7 +522,11 @@ public void pageBreak()
     /** {@inheritDoc} */
     public void paragraph()
     {
-        if ( itemFlag )
+        if ( tableCellFlag )
+        {
+            // ignore paragraphs in table cells
+        }
+        else if ( itemFlag )
         {
             write( EOL + EOL + "  " + listNestingIndent );
         }
@@ -531,7 +539,14 @@ public void paragraph()
     /** {@inheritDoc} */
     public void paragraph_()
     {
-        write( EOL + EOL );
+    	if ( tableCellFlag )
+    	{
+    		// ignore paragraphs in table cells
+    	}
+    	else
+    	{
+    		write( EOL + EOL );
+    	}
     }
 
     /** {@inheritDoc} */
@@ -696,6 +711,7 @@ public void tableCell( boolean headerRow )
         {
             buffer.append( TABLE_CELL_SEPARATOR_MARKUP );
         }
+        tableCellFlag = true;
     }
 
     /** {@inheritDoc} */
@@ -715,6 +731,7 @@ public void tableHeaderCell_()
      */
     private void endTableCell()
     {
+        tableCellFlag = false;
         buffer.append( TABLE_CELL_SEPARATOR_MARKUP );
         cellCount++;
     }
@@ -928,7 +945,14 @@ public void unknown( String name, Object[] requiredParams, SinkEventAttributes a
     protected void write( String text )
     {
         startFlag = false;
-        writer.write( unifyEOLs( text ) );
+        if ( tableCellFlag )
+        {
+        	buffer.append( text );
+    	}
+        else
+        {
+        	writer.write( unifyEOLs( text ) );
+    	}
     }
 
     /**
diff --git a/doxia-modules/doxia-module-apt/src/test/java/org/apache/maven/doxia/module/apt/AptSinkTest.java b/doxia-modules/doxia-module-apt/src/test/java/org/apache/maven/doxia/module/apt/AptSinkTest.java
index af310e9af..812f4965b 100644
--- a/doxia-modules/doxia-module-apt/src/test/java/org/apache/maven/doxia/module/apt/AptSinkTest.java
+++ b/doxia-modules/doxia-module-apt/src/test/java/org/apache/maven/doxia/module/apt/AptSinkTest.java
@@ -275,4 +275,58 @@ protected String getCommentBlock( String text )
     {
         return "~~" + text;
     }
+
+    /**
+     * test for DOXIA-497.
+     */
+    public void testLinksAndParagraphsInTableCells()
+    {
+        final String linkTarget = "target";
+        final String linkText = "link";
+        final String paragraphText = "paragraph text";
+        final Sink sink = getSink();
+        sink.table();
+        sink.tableRow();
+        sink.tableCell();
+        sink.link(linkTarget);
+        sink.text(linkText);
+        sink.link_();
+        sink.tableCell_();
+        sink.tableCell();
+        sink.paragraph();
+        sink.text(paragraphText);
+        sink.paragraph_();
+        sink.tableCell_();
+        sink.tableRow_();
+        sink.table_();
+        sink.flush();
+        sink.close();
+
+        String expected = EOL + AptMarkup.TABLE_ROW_START_MARKUP +
+                AptMarkup.MINUS +
+                AptMarkup.MINUS +
+                AptMarkup.TABLE_ROW_START_MARKUP +
+                AptMarkup.STAR +
+                EOL +
+                AptMarkup.LEFT_CURLY_BRACKET +
+                AptMarkup.LEFT_CURLY_BRACKET +
+                AptMarkup.LEFT_CURLY_BRACKET +
+                linkTarget +
+                AptMarkup.RIGHT_CURLY_BRACKET +
+                linkText +
+                AptMarkup.RIGHT_CURLY_BRACKET +
+                AptMarkup.RIGHT_CURLY_BRACKET +
+                AptMarkup.TABLE_CELL_SEPARATOR_MARKUP +
+                paragraphText +
+                AptMarkup.TABLE_CELL_SEPARATOR_MARKUP +
+                EOL +
+                AptMarkup.TABLE_ROW_START_MARKUP +
+                AptMarkup.MINUS +
+                AptMarkup.MINUS +
+                AptMarkup.TABLE_ROW_START_MARKUP +
+                AptMarkup.STAR +
+                EOL;
+
+        assertEquals("Wrong link or paragraph markup in table cell", expected, getSinkContent());
+    }
 }