diff --git a/lib/marked.js b/lib/marked.js
index 9e99346462..c25fa07c39 100644
--- a/lib/marked.js
+++ b/lib/marked.js
@@ -541,13 +541,18 @@ var inline = {
   reflink: /^!?\[(label)\]\[(?!\s*\])((?:\\[\[\]]?|[^\[\]\\])+)\]/,
   nolink: /^!?\[(?!\s*\])((?:\[[^\[\]]*\]|\\[\[\]]|[^\[\]])*)\](?:\[\])?/,
   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\S]*?[^\s])\*(?!\*)/,
+  em: /^_([^\s_])_(?!_)|^\*([^\s*"<\[])\*(?!\*)|^_([^\s][\s\S]*?[^\s_])_(?!_|[^\spunctuation])|^_([^\s_][\s\S]*?[^\s])_(?!_|[^\spunctuation])|^\*([^\s"<\[][\s\S]*?[^\s*])\*(?!\*)|^\*([^\s*"<\[][\s\S]*?[^\s])\*(?!\*)/,
   code: /^(`+)([^`]|[^`][\s\S]*?[^`])\1(?!`)/,
   br: /^( {2,}|\\)\n(?!\s*$)/,
   del: noop,
   text: /^(`+|[^`])[\s\S]*?(?=[\\<!\[`*]|\b_| {2,}\n|$)/
 };
 
+// list of punctuation marks from common mark spec
+// without ` and ] to workaround Rule 17 (inline code blocks/links)
+inline._punctuation = '!"#$%&\'()*+,\\-./:;<=>?@\\[^_{|}~';
+inline.em = edit(inline.em).replace(/punctuation/g, inline._punctuation).getRegex();
+
 inline._escapes = /\\([!"#$%&'()*+,\-./:;<=>?@\[\]\\^_`{|}~])/g;
 
 inline._scheme = /[a-zA-Z][a-zA-Z0-9+.-]{1,31}/;
diff --git a/test/specs/marked/marked-spec.js b/test/specs/marked/marked-spec.js
index acc4495c7f..0bc73a7846 100644
--- a/test/specs/marked/marked-spec.js
+++ b/test/specs/marked/marked-spec.js
@@ -87,3 +87,17 @@ describe('Marked Table cells', function() {
     messenger.test(spec, section, ignore);
   });
 });
+
+describe('Emphasis extra tests', function() {
+  var section = 'Emphasis extra tests';
+
+  var shouldPassButFails = [];
+
+  var willNotBeAttemptedByCoreTeam = [];
+
+  var ignore = shouldPassButFails.concat(willNotBeAttemptedByCoreTeam);
+
+  markedSpec.forEach(function(spec) {
+    messenger.test(spec, section, ignore);
+  });
+});
diff --git a/test/specs/marked/marked.json b/test/specs/marked/marked.json
index 1afeea3457..a42f6dc981 100644
--- a/test/specs/marked/marked.json
+++ b/test/specs/marked/marked.json
@@ -94,5 +94,11 @@
     "markdown": "**me@example.com**",
     "html": "<p><strong><a href=\"mailto:me@example.com\">me@example.com</a></strong></p>",
     "example": 1327
+  },
+  {  
+    "section": "Emphasis extra tests",
+    "markdown": "_test_. _test_: _test_! _test_? _test_-",
+    "html": "<p><em>test</em>. <em>test</em>: <em>test</em>! <em>test</em>? <em>test</em>-</p>",
+    "example": 15
   }
 ]