diff --git a/syntax/markdown.vim b/syntax/markdown.vim
index 348c500..b88a3db 100644
--- a/syntax/markdown.vim
+++ b/syntax/markdown.vim
@@ -88,12 +88,12 @@ 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\@<=\*\|\*\S\@=" end="\S\@<=\*\|\*\S\@=" keepend contains=markdownLineStart,@Spell' . s:concealends
-exe 'syn region markdownItalic matchgroup=markdownItalicDelimiter start="\w\@<!_\S\@=" end="\S\@<=_\w\@!" keepend contains=markdownLineStart,@Spell' . s:concealends
-exe 'syn region markdownBold matchgroup=markdownBoldDelimiter start="\S\@<=\*\*\|\*\*\S\@=" end="\S\@<=\*\*\|\*\*\S\@=" keepend contains=markdownLineStart,markdownItalic,@Spell' . s:concealends
-exe 'syn region markdownBold matchgroup=markdownBoldDelimiter start="\w\@<!__\S\@=" end="\S\@<=__\w\@!" keepend contains=markdownLineStart,markdownItalic,@Spell' . s:concealends
-exe 'syn region markdownBoldItalic matchgroup=markdownBoldItalicDelimiter start="\S\@<=\*\*\*\|\*\*\*\S\@=" end="\S\@<=\*\*\*\|\*\*\*\S\@=" keepend contains=markdownLineStart,@Spell' . s:concealends
-exe 'syn region markdownBoldItalic matchgroup=markdownBoldItalicDelimiter start="\w\@<!___\S\@=" end="\S\@<=___\w\@!" keepend contains=markdownLineStart,@Spell' . s:concealends
+exe 'syn region markdownItalic matchgroup=markdownItalicDelimiter start="\S\@<=\*\|\*\S\@=" end="\S\@<=\*\|\*\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\@<=\*\*\|\*\*\S\@=" end="\S\@<=\*\*\|\*\*\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\@<=\*\*\*\|\*\*\*\S\@=" end="\S\@<=\*\*\*\|\*\*\*\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