diff --git a/syntax/markdown.vim b/syntax/markdown.vim
index e8e25d5..e0a09dc 100644
--- a/syntax/markdown.vim
+++ b/syntax/markdown.vim
@@ -110,12 +110,12 @@ let s:concealends = ''
 if has('conceal') && get(g:, 'markdown_syntax_conceal', 1) == 1
   let s:concealends = ' concealends'
 endif
-exe 'syn region markdownItalic matchgroup=markdownItalicDelimiter start="\*\S\@=" end="\S\@<=\*" skip="\\\*" contains=markdownLineStart,@Spell' . s:concealends
-exe 'syn region markdownItalic matchgroup=markdownItalicDelimiter start="\w\@<!_\S\@=" end="\S\@<=_\w\@!" skip="\\_" contains=markdownLineStart,@Spell' . s:concealends
-exe 'syn region markdownBold matchgroup=markdownBoldDelimiter start="\*\*\S\@=" end="\S\@<=\*\*" skip="\\\*" contains=markdownLineStart,markdownItalic,@Spell' . s:concealends
-exe 'syn region markdownBold matchgroup=markdownBoldDelimiter start="\w\@<!__\S\@=" end="\S\@<=__\w\@!" skip="\\_" contains=markdownLineStart,markdownItalic,@Spell' . s:concealends
-exe 'syn region markdownBoldItalic matchgroup=markdownBoldItalicDelimiter start="\*\*\*\S\@=" end="\S\@<=\*\*\*" skip="\\\*" contains=markdownLineStart,@Spell' . s:concealends
-exe 'syn region markdownBoldItalic matchgroup=markdownBoldItalicDelimiter start="\w\@<!___\S\@=" end="\S\@<=___\w\@!" skip="\\_" contains=markdownLineStart,@Spell' . s:concealends
+exe 'syn region markdownItalic matchgroup=markdownItalicDelimiter start="\*\S\@=" end="\S\@<=\*\|^$" skip="\\\*" contains=markdownLineStart,@Spell' . s:concealends
+exe 'syn region markdownItalic matchgroup=markdownItalicDelimiter start="\w\@<!_\S\@=" end="\S\@<=_\w\@!\|^$" skip="\\_" contains=markdownLineStart,@Spell' . s:concealends
+exe 'syn region markdownBold matchgroup=markdownBoldDelimiter start="\*\*\S\@=" end="\S\@<=\*\*\|^$" skip="\\\*" contains=markdownLineStart,markdownItalic,@Spell' . s:concealends
+exe 'syn region markdownBold matchgroup=markdownBoldDelimiter start="\w\@<!__\S\@=" end="\S\@<=__\w\@!\|^$" skip="\\_" contains=markdownLineStart,markdownItalic,@Spell' . s:concealends
+exe 'syn region markdownBoldItalic matchgroup=markdownBoldItalicDelimiter start="\*\*\*\S\@=" end="\S\@<=\*\*\*\|^$" skip="\\\*" contains=markdownLineStart,@Spell' . s:concealends
+exe 'syn region markdownBoldItalic matchgroup=markdownBoldItalicDelimiter start="\w\@<!___\S\@=" end="\S\@<=___\w\@!\|^$" skip="\\_" contains=markdownLineStart,@Spell' . s:concealends
 
 syn region markdownCode matchgroup=markdownCodeDelimiter start="`" end="`" keepend contains=markdownLineStart
 syn region markdownCode matchgroup=markdownCodeDelimiter start="`` \=" end=" \=``" keepend contains=markdownLineStart