diff --git a/syntax/markdown.vim b/syntax/markdown.vim
index 607488d..8c981bb 100644
--- a/syntax/markdown.vim
+++ b/syntax/markdown.vim
@@ -75,12 +75,14 @@ syn region markdownLink matchgroup=markdownLinkDelimiter start="(" end=")" conta
 syn region markdownId matchgroup=markdownIdDelimiter start="\[" end="\]" keepend contained
 syn region markdownAutomaticLink matchgroup=markdownUrlDelimiter start="<\%(\w\+:\|[[:alnum:]_+-]\+@\)\@=" end=">" keepend oneline
 
-syn region markdownItalic start="\S\@<=\*\|\*\S\@=" end="\S\@<=\*\|\*\S\@=" keepend contains=markdownLineStart
-syn region markdownItalic start="\S\@<=_\|_\S\@=" end="\S\@<=_\|_\S\@=" keepend contains=markdownLineStart
-syn region markdownBold start="\S\@<=\*\*\|\*\*\S\@=" end="\S\@<=\*\*\|\*\*\S\@=" keepend contains=markdownLineStart,markdownItalic
-syn region markdownBold start="\S\@<=__\|__\S\@=" end="\S\@<=__\|__\S\@=" keepend contains=markdownLineStart,markdownItalic
-syn region markdownBoldItalic start="\S\@<=\*\*\*\|\*\*\*\S\@=" end="\S\@<=\*\*\*\|\*\*\*\S\@=" keepend contains=markdownLineStart
-syn region markdownBoldItalic start="\S\@<=___\|___\S\@=" end="\S\@<=___\|___\S\@=" keepend contains=markdownLineStart
+let s:concealends = has('conceal') ? ' concealends' : ''
+exe 'syn region markdownItalic matchgroup=markdownItalicDelimiter start="\S\@<=\*\|\*\S\@=" end="\S\@<=\*\|\*\S\@=" keepend contains=markdownLineStart' . s:concealends
+exe 'syn region markdownItalic matchgroup=markdownItalicDelimiter start="\S\@<=_\|_\S\@=" end="\S\@<=_\|_\S\@=" keepend contains=markdownLineStart' . s:concealends
+exe 'syn region markdownBold matchgroup=markdownBoldDelimiter start="\S\@<=\*\*\|\*\*\S\@=" end="\S\@<=\*\*\|\*\*\S\@=" keepend contains=markdownLineStart,markdownItalic' . s:concealends
+exe 'syn region markdownBold matchgroup=markdownBoldDelimiter start="\S\@<=__\|__\S\@=" end="\S\@<=__\|__\S\@=" keepend contains=markdownLineStart,markdownItalic' . s:concealends
+exe 'syn region markdownBoldItalic matchgroup=markdownBoldItalicDelimiter start="\S\@<=\*\*\*\|\*\*\*\S\@=" end="\S\@<=\*\*\*\|\*\*\*\S\@=" keepend contains=markdownLineStart' . s:concealends
+exe 'syn region markdownBoldItalic matchgroup=markdownBoldItalicDelimiter start="\S\@<=___\|___\S\@=" end="\S\@<=___\|___\S\@=" keepend contains=markdownLineStart' . s:concealends
+
 syn region markdownCode matchgroup=markdownCodeDelimiter start="`" end="`" keepend contains=markdownLineStart
 syn region markdownCode matchgroup=markdownCodeDelimiter start="`` \=" end=" \=``" keepend contains=markdownLineStart
 syn region markdownCode matchgroup=markdownCodeDelimiter start="^\s*```.*$" end="^\s*```\ze\s*$" keepend
@@ -125,8 +127,11 @@ hi def link markdownUrlDelimiter          htmlTag
 hi def link markdownUrlTitleDelimiter     Delimiter
 
 hi def link markdownItalic                htmlItalic
+hi def link markdownItalicDelimiter       markdownItalic
 hi def link markdownBold                  htmlBold
+hi def link markdownBoldDelimiter         markdownBold
 hi def link markdownBoldItalic            htmlBoldItalic
+hi def link markdownBoldItalicDelimiter   markdownBoldItalic
 hi def link markdownCodeDelimiter         Delimiter
 
 hi def link markdownEscape                Special