diff --git a/src/rules.js b/src/rules.js
index 8877852d54..e41e00ae50 100644
--- a/src/rules.js
+++ b/src/rules.js
@@ -169,7 +169,7 @@ const inline = {
   reflink: /^!?\[(label)\]\[(?!\s*\])((?:\\[\[\]]?|[^\[\]\\])+)\]/,
   nolink: /^!?\[(?!\s*\])((?:\[[^\[\]]*\]|\\[\[\]]|[^\[\]])*)\](?:\[\])?/,
   strong: /^__([^\s_])__(?!_)|^\*\*([^\s*])\*\*(?!\*)|^__([^\s][\s\S]*?[^\s])__(?!_)|^\*\*([^\s][\s\S]*?[^\s])\*\*(?!\*)/,
-  em: /^_([^\s_])_(?!_)|^_([^\s_<][\s\S]*?[^\s_])_(?!_|[^\spunctuation])|^_([^\s_<][\s\S]*?[^\s])_(?!_|[^\spunctuation])|^\*([^\s*<\[])\*(?!\*)|^\*([^\s<"][\s\S]*?[^\s\[\*])\*(?![\]`punctuation])|^\*([^\s*"<\[][\s\S]*?[^\s])\*(?!\*)/,
+  em: /^_([^\s_])_(?!_)|^_([^\s_<][\s\S]*?[^\s_])_(?!_|[^\spunctuation])|^_([^\s_<][\s\S]*?[^\s])_(?!_|[^\spunctuation])|^\*([^\s*<\[])\*(?!\*)|^\*([^\s<"][\s\S]*?[^\s\[\*])\*(?![\]`punctuation])|^\*([^\s*"<\[][\s\S]*[^\s])\*(?!\*)/,
   code: /^(`+)([^`]|[^`][\s\S]*?[^`])\1(?!`)/,
   br: /^( {2,}|\\)\n(?!\s*$)/,
   del: noopTest,
@@ -178,7 +178,7 @@ const inline = {
 
 // list of punctuation marks from common mark spec
 // without ` and ] to workaround Rule 17 (inline code blocks/links)
-inline._punctuation = '!"#$%&\'()*+,\\-./:;<=>?@\\[^_{|}~';
+inline._punctuation = '!"#$%&\'()*+\\-./:;<=>?@\\[^_{|}~';
 inline.em = edit(inline.em).replace(/punctuation/g, inline._punctuation).getRegex();
 
 inline._escapes = /\\([!"#$%&'()*+,\-./:;<=>?@\[\]\\^_`{|}~])/g;
diff --git a/test/specs/commonmark/commonmark.0.29.json b/test/specs/commonmark/commonmark.0.29.json
index e15f83c1ba..57ee02b3bf 100644
--- a/test/specs/commonmark/commonmark.0.29.json
+++ b/test/specs/commonmark/commonmark.0.29.json
@@ -3359,8 +3359,7 @@
     "example": 413,
     "start_line": 6895,
     "end_line": 6899,
-    "section": "Emphasis and strong emphasis",
-    "shouldFail": true
+    "section": "Emphasis and strong emphasis"
   },
   {
     "markdown": "*foo**bar***\n",
@@ -3368,8 +3367,7 @@
     "example": 414,
     "start_line": 6902,
     "end_line": 6906,
-    "section": "Emphasis and strong emphasis",
-    "shouldFail": true
+    "section": "Emphasis and strong emphasis"
   },
   {
     "markdown": "foo***bar***baz\n",
diff --git a/test/specs/gfm/commonmark.0.29.json b/test/specs/gfm/commonmark.0.29.json
index 5dc9d47d8c..a726cdc5b8 100644
--- a/test/specs/gfm/commonmark.0.29.json
+++ b/test/specs/gfm/commonmark.0.29.json
@@ -3359,8 +3359,7 @@
     "example": 413,
     "start_line": 6895,
     "end_line": 6899,
-    "section": "Emphasis and strong emphasis",
-    "shouldFail": true
+    "section": "Emphasis and strong emphasis"
   },
   {
     "markdown": "*foo**bar***\n",
@@ -3368,8 +3367,7 @@
     "example": 414,
     "start_line": 6902,
     "end_line": 6906,
-    "section": "Emphasis and strong emphasis",
-    "shouldFail": true
+    "section": "Emphasis and strong emphasis"
   },
   {
     "markdown": "foo***bar***baz\n",