diff --git a/app/helpers/status_messages_helper.rb b/app/helpers/status_messages_helper.rb
index 39ba258d3..80a20d00b 100644
--- a/app/helpers/status_messages_helper.rb
+++ b/app/helpers/status_messages_helper.rb
@@ -36,8 +36,8 @@ module StatusMessagesHelper
     end
 
     # markdown
-    message.gsub!(/([^\\]|^)\*\*(([^*]|([^*]\*[^*]))*[^\\])\*\*/, '\1<strong>\2</strong>')
-    message.gsub!(/([^\\]|^)__(([^_]|([^_]_[^_]))*[^\\])__/, '\1<strong>\2</strong>')
+    message.gsub!(/([^\\]|^)\*\*(([^*]|([^*]\*[^*]))*[^*\\])\*\*/, '\1<strong>\2</strong>')
+    message.gsub!(/([^\\]|^)__(([^_]|([^_]_[^_]))*[^_\\])__/, '\1<strong>\2</strong>')
     message.gsub!(/([^\\]|^)\*([^*]*[^\\])\*/, '\1<em>\2</em>')
     message.gsub!(/([^\\]|^)_([^_]*[^\\])_/, '\1<em>\2</em>')
     message.gsub!(/([^\\]|^)\*/, '\1')
diff --git a/spec/helpers/status_messages_helper_spec.rb b/spec/helpers/status_messages_helper_spec.rb
index 9f89a1eb5..0f699781b 100644
--- a/spec/helpers/status_messages_helper_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/helpers/status_messages_helper_spec.rb
@@ -99,6 +99,8 @@ describe StatusMessagesHelper do
         make_links(message).should == "<strong>this is <em>some</em> text</strong>"
         message = "*this is **some** text*"
         make_links(message).should == "<em>this is <strong>some</strong> text</em>"
+        message = "___some text___"
+        make_links(message).should == "<em><strong>some text</strong></em>"
       end
     end