diff --git a/lib/marked.js b/lib/marked.js
index 6f0e87c4c5..3590ae2655 100644
--- a/lib/marked.js
+++ b/lib/marked.js
@@ -459,7 +459,7 @@ var inline = {
   text: /^[\s\S]+?(?=[\\<!\[_*`]| {2,}\n|$)/
 };
 
-inline._inside = /(?:\[[^\]]*\]|[^\[\]]|\](?=[^\[]*\]))*/;
+inline._inside = /(?:\[[^\]]*\]|\\[\[\]]|[^\[\]]|\](?=[^\[]*\]))*/;
 inline._href = /\s*<?([\s\S]*?)>?(?:\s+['"]([\s\S]*?)['"])?\s*/;
 
 inline.link = replace(inline.link)
diff --git a/test/tests/links_inline_style.html b/test/tests/links_inline_style.html
index 09df236ed7..04921aa080 100644
--- a/test/tests/links_inline_style.html
+++ b/test/tests/links_inline_style.html
@@ -13,3 +13,17 @@
 <p><a href="/url/has space/" title="url has space and title">URL and title</a>.</p>
 
 <p><a href="">Empty</a>.</p>
+
+<p>Now some links with special link text.</p>
+
+<p><a href="http://abc.com">hello [ ok</a></p>
+
+<p><a href="http://abc.com">hello [] with balanced brackets</a></p>
+
+<p><a href="http://abc.com">hello! [ ] with escaped balanced brackets</a></p>
+
+<p><a href="http://abc.com">hello \ with a backslash</a></p>
+
+<p><a href="http://abc.com">link w/ escaped back\slash</a></p>
+
+<p><a href="http://abc.com">link w/ back\slash\</a></p>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/test/tests/links_inline_style.text b/test/tests/links_inline_style.text
index 8c8eb4902e..6a94265871 100644
--- a/test/tests/links_inline_style.text
+++ b/test/tests/links_inline_style.text
@@ -13,3 +13,17 @@ Just a [URL](/url/).
 [URL and title]( /url/has space/ "url has space and title").
 
 [Empty]().
+
+Now some links with special link text.
+
+[hello \[ ok](http://abc.com)
+
+[hello [] with balanced brackets](http://abc.com)
+
+[hello! \[ \] with escaped balanced brackets](http://abc.com)
+
+[hello \ with a backslash](http://abc.com)
+
+[link w/ escaped back\\slash](http://abc.com)
+
+[link w/ back\\slash\\](http://abc.com)
\ No newline at end of file