diff --git a/Michelf/Markdown.php b/Michelf/Markdown.php
index 088b7cd..c0c7791 100644
--- a/Michelf/Markdown.php
+++ b/Michelf/Markdown.php
@@ -979,19 +979,19 @@ class Markdown implements MarkdownInterface {
 
 
 	protected $em_relist = array(
-		''  => '(?:(?<!\*)\*(?!\*)|(?<!_)_(?!_))(?=\S|$)(?![\.,:;]\s)',
-		'*' => '(?<=\S|^)(?<!\*)\*(?!\*)',
-		'_' => '(?<=\S|^)(?<!_)_(?!_)',
+		''  => '(?:(?<!\*)\*(?!\*)|(?<!_)_(?!_))(?![\.,:;]?\s)',
+		'*' => '(?<![\s*])\*(?!\*)',
+		'_' => '(?<![\s_])_(?!_)',
 		);
 	protected $strong_relist = array(
-		''   => '(?:(?<!\*)\*\*(?!\*)|(?<!_)__(?!_))(?=\S|$)(?![\.,:;]\s)',
-		'**' => '(?<=\S|^)(?<!\*)\*\*(?!\*)',
-		'__' => '(?<=\S|^)(?<!_)__(?!_)',
+		''   => '(?:(?<!\*)\*\*(?!\*)|(?<!_)__(?!_))(?![\.,:;]?\s)',
+		'**' => '(?<![\s*])\*\*(?!\*)',
+		'__' => '(?<![\s_])__(?!_)',
 		);
 	protected $em_strong_relist = array(
-		''    => '(?:(?<!\*)\*\*\*(?!\*)|(?<!_)___(?!_))(?=\S|$)(?![\.,:;]\s)',
-		'***' => '(?<=\S|^)(?<!\*)\*\*\*(?!\*)',
-		'___' => '(?<=\S|^)(?<!_)___(?!_)',
+		''    => '(?:(?<!\*)\*\*\*(?!\*)|(?<!_)___(?!_))(?![\.,:;]?\s)',
+		'***' => '(?<![\s*])\*\*\*(?!\*)',
+		'___' => '(?<![\s_])___(?!_)',
 		);
 	protected $em_strong_prepared_relist;
 	
@@ -2837,19 +2837,19 @@ abstract class _MarkdownExtra_TmpImpl extends \Michelf\Markdown {
 	# work in the middle of a word.
 	#
 	protected $em_relist = array(
-		''  => '(?:(?<!\*)\*(?!\*)|(?<![a-zA-Z0-9_])_(?!_))(?=\S|$)(?![\.,:;]\s)',
-		'*' => '(?<=\S|^)(?<!\*)\*(?!\*)',
-		'_' => '(?<=\S|^)(?<!_)_(?![a-zA-Z0-9_])',
+		''  => '(?:(?<!\*)\*(?!\*)|(?<![a-zA-Z0-9_])_(?!_))(?![\.,:;]?\s)',
+		'*' => '(?<![\s*])\*(?!\*)',
+		'_' => '(?<![\s_])_(?![a-zA-Z0-9_])',
 		);
 	protected $strong_relist = array(
-		''   => '(?:(?<!\*)\*\*(?!\*)|(?<![a-zA-Z0-9_])__(?!_))(?=\S|$)(?![\.,:;]\s)',
-		'**' => '(?<=\S|^)(?<!\*)\*\*(?!\*)',
-		'__' => '(?<=\S|^)(?<!_)__(?![a-zA-Z0-9_])',
+		''   => '(?:(?<!\*)\*\*(?!\*)|(?<![a-zA-Z0-9_])__(?!_))(?![\.,:;]?\s)',
+		'**' => '(?<![\s*])\*\*(?!\*)',
+		'__' => '(?<![\s_])__(?![a-zA-Z0-9_])',
 		);
 	protected $em_strong_relist = array(
-		''    => '(?:(?<!\*)\*\*\*(?!\*)|(?<![a-zA-Z0-9_])___(?!_))(?=\S|$)(?![\.,:;]\s)',
-		'***' => '(?<=\S|^)(?<!\*)\*\*\*(?!\*)',
-		'___' => '(?<=\S|^)(?<!_)___(?![a-zA-Z0-9_])',
+		''    => '(?:(?<!\*)\*\*\*(?!\*)|(?<![a-zA-Z0-9_])___(?!_))(?![\.,:;]?\s)',
+		'***' => '(?<![\s*])\*\*\*(?!\*)',
+		'___' => '(?<![\s_])___(?![a-zA-Z0-9_])',
 		);