diff --git a/extensions/markdown-basics/syntaxes/markdown.tmLanguage.json b/extensions/markdown-basics/syntaxes/markdown.tmLanguage.json
index 6b1a0d56b95..47578f330b9 100644
--- a/extensions/markdown-basics/syntaxes/markdown.tmLanguage.json
+++ b/extensions/markdown-basics/syntaxes/markdown.tmLanguage.json
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
 		"If you want to provide a fix or improvement, please create a pull request against the original repository.",
 		"Once accepted there, we are happy to receive an update request."
 	],
-	"version": "https://github.com/microsoft/vscode-markdown-tm-grammar/commit/641c88a57c3f33ef8bcb504202f8330acef39b9e",
+	"version": "https://github.com/microsoft/vscode-markdown-tm-grammar/commit/c41ddcc21a75655bd90708f1048023476b232ee0",
 	"name": "Markdown",
 	"scopeName": "text.html.markdown",
 	"patterns": [
@@ -2164,7 +2164,7 @@
 					"name": "meta.image.reference.markdown"
 				},
 				"italic": {
-					"begin": "(?x) (\\*\\b|\\b_)(?=\\S)                # Open\n  (?=\n    (\n      <[^>]*+>              # HTML tags\n      | (?<raw>`+)([^`]|(?!(?<!`)\\k<raw>(?!`))`)*+\\k<raw>\n                        # Raw\n      | \\\\[\\\\`*_{}\\[\\]()#.!+\\->]?+      # Escapes\n      | \\[\n      (\n          (?<square>          # Named group\n            [^\\[\\]\\\\]        # Match most chars\n            | \\\\.            # Escaped chars\n            | \\[ \\g<square>*+ \\]    # Nested brackets\n          )*+\n        \\]\n        (\n          (              # Reference Link\n            [ ]?          # Optional space\n            \\[[^\\]]*+\\]        # Ref name\n          )\n          | (              # Inline Link\n            \\(            # Opening paren\n              [ \\t]*+        # Optional whtiespace\n              <?(.*?)>?      # URL\n              [ \\t]*+        # Optional whtiespace\n              (          # Optional Title\n                (?<title>['\"])\n                (.*?)\n                \\k<title>\n              )?\n            \\)\n          )\n        )\n      )\n      | \\1\\1                # Must be bold closer\n      | (?!(?<=\\S)\\1).            # Everything besides\n                        # style closer\n    )++\n    (?<=\\S)\\1                # Close\n  )\n",
+					"begin": "(?x) (\\*\\b|\\b_)(?=\\S)                # Open\n  (?=\n    (\n      <[^>]*+>              # HTML tags\n      | (?<raw>`+)([^`]|(?!(?<!`)\\k<raw>(?!`))`)*+\\k<raw>\n                        # Raw\n      | \\\\[\\\\`*_{}\\[\\]()#.!+\\->]?+      # Escapes\n      | \\[\n      (\n          (?<square>          # Named group\n            [^\\[\\]\\\\]        # Match most chars\n            | \\\\.            # Escaped chars\n            | \\[ \\g<square>*+ \\]    # Nested brackets\n          )*+\n        \\]\n        (\n          (              # Reference Link\n            [ ]?          # Optional space\n            \\[[^\\]]*+\\]        # Ref name\n          )\n          | (              # Inline Link\n            \\(            # Opening paren\n              [ \\t]*+        # Optional whtiespace\n              <?(.*?)>?      # URL\n              [ \\t]*+        # Optional whtiespace\n              (          # Optional Title\n                (?<title>['\"])\n                (.*?)\n                \\k<title>\n              )?\n            \\)\n          )\n        )\n      )\n      | \\1\\1                # Must be bold closer\n      | (?!(?<=\\S)\\1).            # Everything besides\n                        # style closer\n    )++\n    (?<=\\w)\\1                # Close\n  )\n",
 					"captures": {
 						"1": {
 							"name": "punctuation.definition.italic.markdown"