diff --git a/lib/marked.js b/lib/marked.js
index 9e8c5d7e73..b56ad176e7 100644
--- a/lib/marked.js
+++ b/lib/marked.js
@@ -468,8 +468,8 @@ var inline = {
   link: /^!?\[(inside)\]\(href\)/,
   reflink: /^!?\[(inside)\]\s*\[([^\]]*)\]/,
   nolink: /^!?\[((?:\[[^\[\]]*\]|\\[\[\]]|[^\[\]])*)\]/,
-  strong: /^__([\s\S]+?)__(?!_)|^\*\*([\s\S]+?)\*\*(?!\*)/,
-  em: /^_([^\s_](?:[^_]|__)+?[^\s_])_\b|^\*((?:\*\*|[^*])+?)\*(?!\*)/,
+  strong: /^__([^\s][\s\S]*?[^\s])__(?!_)|^\*\*([^\s][\s\S]*?[^\s])\*\*(?!\*)|^__([^\s])__(?!_)|^\*\*([^\s])\*\*(?!\*)/,
+  em: /^_([^\s][\s\S]*?[^\s_])_(?!_)|^_([^\s_][\s\S]*?[^\s])_(?!_)|^\*([^\s][\s\S]*?[^\s*])\*(?!\*)|^\*([^\s*][\s\S]*?[^\s])\*(?!\*)|^_([^\s_])_(?!_)|^\*([^\s*])\*(?!\*)/,
   code: /^(`+)\s*([\s\S]*?[^`]?)\s*\1(?!`)/,
   br: /^ {2,}\n(?!\s*$)/,
   del: noop,
@@ -678,14 +678,14 @@ InlineLexer.prototype.output = function(src) {
     // strong
     if (cap = this.rules.strong.exec(src)) {
       src = src.substring(cap[0].length);
-      out += this.renderer.strong(this.output(cap[2] || cap[1]));
+      out += this.renderer.strong(this.output(cap[4] || cap[3] || cap[2] || cap[1]));
       continue;
     }
 
     // em
     if (cap = this.rules.em.exec(src)) {
       src = src.substring(cap[0].length);
-      out += this.renderer.em(this.output(cap[2] || cap[1]));
+      out += this.renderer.em(this.output(cap[6] || cap[5] || cap[4] || cap[3] || cap[2] || cap[1]));
       continue;
     }
 
diff --git a/test/new/em_2char.html b/test/new/em_2char.html
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..81da0a0001
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/new/em_2char.html
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+<p><em>123</em></p>
+
+<p><em>123</em></p>
+
+<p><em>12</em></p>
+
+<p><em>12</em></p>
+
+<p><em>1</em></p>
+
+<p><em>1</em></p>
+
+<p>__</p>
+
+<p>**</p>
+
+<p>_123 _</p>
+
+<p>*123 *</p>
+
+<p>_ 123_</p>
+
+<p><em>1_</em></p>
+
+<p><em>1*</em></p>
diff --git a/test/new/em_2char.md b/test/new/em_2char.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..ca8689aaba
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/new/em_2char.md
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+_123_
+
+*123*
+
+_12_
+
+*12*
+
+_1_
+
+*1*
+
+__
+
+**
+
+_123 _
+
+*123 *
+
+_ 123_
+
+_1__
+
+*1**