diff --git a/src/Lexer.php b/src/Lexer.php
index af7033f..82b9222 100644
--- a/src/Lexer.php
+++ b/src/Lexer.php
@@ -83,6 +83,10 @@ class Lexer {
 						$clearBuffer();
 						array_push($tokens, new Token(TokenType::PIPE, $char));
 						break;
+					case '\\':
+						$clearBuffer();
+						array_push($tokens, new Token(TokenType::BACKSLASH, $char));
+						break;
 					case ':':
 						if (str_ends_with($buffer, "http") || str_ends_with($buffer, "https")) {
 							$buffer .= $char;
diff --git a/src/Parser.php b/src/Parser.php
index ccdd37e..a09bb8e 100644
--- a/src/Parser.php
+++ b/src/Parser.php
@@ -44,6 +44,10 @@ class Parser {
 		return $char;
 	}
 
+	private static function StripBackslashes(string $text) : string {
+		return stripslashes($text);
+	}
+
 	// PARSING
 
 	private function parseBold() : DOMNode {
@@ -122,7 +126,16 @@ class Parser {
 			if ((!$paragraph && $this->current()->type === TokenType::EOL) ||
 					($paragraph && ($this->current()->type === TokenType::EOL && $this->next()->type === TokenType::EOL)) || $this->current()->type === TokenType::EOF)
 				break;
-			if ($this->current()->type === TokenType::ASTERISK) {
+			if ($this->current()->type === TokenType::BACKSLASH && in_array($this->next()->type, [
+				TokenType::BACKTICK,
+				TokenType::ASTERISK,
+				TokenType::LBRACKET,
+				TokenType::BANG
+			])) {
+				$this->consume()->data; // backslash
+				$buffer .= $this->consume()->data;
+				continue;
+			} elseif ($this->current()->type === TokenType::ASTERISK) {
 				$clearBuffer();
 				if ($this->next()->type === TokenType::ASTERISK) {
 					$this->consume();
@@ -143,20 +156,20 @@ class Parser {
 					$clearBuffer();
 					array_push($elms, $links);
 				} else {
-					$buffer .= $this->consume()->data;	
+					$buffer .= self::StripBackslashes($this->consume()->data);
 					continue;
 				}
 				continue;
 			} elseif ($this->current()->type === TokenType::BANG) {
 				$bang = $this->consume();
 				if ($this->current()->type !== TokenType::LBRACKET) {
-					$buffer .= $this->consume()->data;
+					$buffer .= self::StripBackslashes($this->consume()->data);
 					continue;
 				}
 				$lbracket = $this->consume();
 				$alt      = "";
 				while ($this->current()->type !== TokenType::RBRACKET && $this->current()->type !== TokenType::EOL)
-					$alt .= $this->consume()->data;
+					$alt .= self::StripBackslashes($this->consume()->data);
 
 				if ($this->current()->type !== TokenType::RBRACKET || $this->next()->type !== TokenType::LPAREN) {
 					$buffer .= "!";
@@ -182,7 +195,7 @@ class Parser {
 				array_push($elms, $elm);
 				continue;
 			} else
-				$buffer .= $this->consume()->data;
+				$buffer .= self::StripBackslashes($this->consume()->data);
 		}
 		if (strlen($buffer) > 0)
 			array_push($elms, $this->document->createTextNode($buffer));
@@ -285,7 +298,7 @@ class Parser {
 		while (!($this->current()->type === TokenType::BACKTICK &&
 				$this->next()->type === TokenType::BACKTICK &&
 				$this->peek(2)->type === TokenType::BACKTICK) && $this->current()->type !== TokenType::EOF) {
-			$buffer .= $this->consume()->data;
+			$buffer .= self::StripBackslashes($this->consume()->data);
 		}
 		if ($this->current()->type !== TokenType::EOF) {
 			$this->consume();
@@ -412,6 +425,12 @@ class Parser {
 		}
 	}
 
+	public function debug() : void {
+		echo "<pre>";
+		print_r($this->tokenStream);
+		echo "</pre>";
+	}
+
 	public function parse() : DOMDocument {
 		while ($this->current()->type !== TokenType::EOF) {
 			switch($this->current()->type) {
diff --git a/src/Token.php b/src/Token.php
index 3d5711c..967e875 100644
--- a/src/Token.php
+++ b/src/Token.php
@@ -3,22 +3,23 @@
 namespace parkdown;
 
 enum TokenType {
-	case HASH    ;
-	case ASTERISK;
-	case TEXT    ;
-	case DOT     ;
-	case MINUS   ;
-	case NUMBER  ;
-	case EOL     ;
-	case EOF     ;
-	case BACKTICK;
-	case LBRACKET;
-	case RBRACKET;
-	case LPAREN  ;
-	case RPAREN  ;
-	case BANG    ;
-	case COLON   ;
-	case PIPE    ;
+	case HASH     ;
+	case ASTERISK ;
+	case TEXT     ;
+	case DOT      ;
+	case MINUS    ;
+	case NUMBER   ;
+	case EOL      ;
+	case EOF      ;
+	case BACKTICK ;
+	case LBRACKET ;
+	case RBRACKET ;
+	case LPAREN   ;
+	case RPAREN   ;
+	case BANG     ;
+	case COLON    ;
+	case BACKSLASH;
+	case PIPE     ;
 }
 
 class Token {