diff --git a/lib/lex/block.js b/lib/lex/block.js
index 96fc6f6..3efc6ab 100644
--- a/lib/lex/block.js
+++ b/lib/lex/block.js
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ var _utils = require('../utils');
 var noop = _utils.noop;
 
 var block = require('../rules/block');
+var tableRules = require('../rules/table');
 var defaultOptions = require('./options');
 
 /**
@@ -146,9 +147,18 @@ Lexer.prototype.token = function(src, top, bq) {
 
       item = {
         type: 'table',
-        header: cap[1].replace(/^ *| *\| *$/g, '').split(/ *\| */),
-        align: cap[2].replace(/^ *|\| *$/g, '').split(/ *\| */),
-        cells: cap[3].replace(/\n$/, '').split('\n')
+        header: cap[1]
+          .replace(/\\\|/g, "|")
+          .replace(tableRules.trailingPipe, '')
+          .split(tableRules.cell),
+        align: cap[2]
+          .replace(/\\\|/g, "|")
+          .replace(tableRules.trailingPipeAlign, '')
+          .split(tableRules.cell),
+        cells: cap[3]
+          .replace(/\\\|/g, "|")
+          .replace(/\n$/, '')
+          .split('\n')
       };
 
       for (i = 0; i < item.align.length; i++) {
@@ -164,7 +174,7 @@ Lexer.prototype.token = function(src, top, bq) {
       }
 
       for (i = 0; i < item.cells.length; i++) {
-        item.cells[i] = item.cells[i].split(/ *\| */);
+        item.cells[i] = item.cells[i].split(tableRules.cell);
       }
 
       this.tokens.push(item);
@@ -317,17 +327,23 @@ Lexer.prototype.token = function(src, top, bq) {
 
       item = {
         type: 'table',
-        header: cap[1].replace(/^ *| *\| *$/g, '').split(/ *\| */),
-        align: cap[2].replace(/^ *|\| *$/g, '').split(/ *\| */),
-        cells: cap[3].replace(/(?: *\| *)?\n$/, '').split('\n').slice(0),
+        header: cap[1].replace(/\\\|/g, "&#124;")
+          .replace(tableRules.trailingPipe, '')
+          .split(tableRules.cell),
+        align: cap[2].replace(/\\\|/g, "&#124;")
+          .replace(tableRules.trailingPipeAlign, '')
+          .split(tableRules.cell),
+        cells: cap[3].replace(/\\\|/g, "&#124;")
+          .replace(tableRules.trailingPipeCell, '')
+          .split('\n').slice(0),
       };
 
       for (i = 0; i < item.align.length; i++) {
-        if (/^ *-+: *$/.test(item.align[i])) {
+        if (tableRules.alignRight.test(item.align[i])) {
           item.align[i] = 'right';
-        } else if (/^ *:-+: *$/.test(item.align[i])) {
+        } else if (tableRules.alignCenter.test(item.align[i])) {
           item.align[i] = 'center';
-        } else if (/^ *:-+ *$/.test(item.align[i])) {
+        } else if (tableRules.alignLeft.test(item.align[i])) {
           item.align[i] = 'left';
         } else {
           item.align[i] = null;
@@ -336,8 +352,8 @@ Lexer.prototype.token = function(src, top, bq) {
 
       for (i = 0; i < item.cells.length; i++) {
         item.cells[i] = item.cells[i]
-          .replace(/^ *\| *| *\| *$/g, '')
-          .split(/ *\| */);
+          .replace(tableRules.edgePipesCell, '')
+          .split(tableRules.cell);
       }
 
       this.tokens.push(item);
diff --git a/lib/rules/inline.js b/lib/rules/inline.js
index 1d2fb57..fc6aa46 100644
--- a/lib/rules/inline.js
+++ b/lib/rules/inline.js
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ var noop = _utils.noop;
  */
 
 var inline = {
-  escape: /^\\([\\`*{}\[\]()#$+\-.!_>])/,
+  escape: /^\\([\\`*{}\[\]()#$+\-.!_>|])/,
   autolink: /^<([^ >]+(@|:\/)[^ >]+)>/,
   url: noop,
   html: /^<!--[\s\S]*?-->|^<(\w+(?!:\/|[^\w\s@]*@)\b)*?(?:"[^"]*"|'[^']*'|[^'">])*?>([\s\S]*?)?<\/\1>|^<(\w+(?!:\/|[^\w\s@]*@)\b)(?:"[^"]*"|'[^']*'|[^'">])*?>/,
diff --git a/lib/rules/table.js b/lib/rules/table.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9f0fbd1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/rules/table.js
@@ -0,0 +1,49 @@
+var _utils = require('../utils');
+var replace = _utils.replace;
+
+var table = {
+    // Split a row into cells
+    cell: / *pipe */,
+
+    // Replace trailing pipe
+    trailingPipe: /^ *| *pipe *$/g,
+
+    // Remove trailing pipe of align
+    trailingPipeAlign: /^ *|pipe *$/g,
+
+    // Remove trailing pipe of cell
+    trailingPipeCell: /(?: *pipe *)?\n$/,
+
+    // Remove edge pipes of a cell
+    edgePipesCell: /^ *pipe *| *pipe *$/g,
+
+
+    // Alignements
+    alignRight: /^ *-+: *$/,
+    alignCenter: /^ *:-+: *$/,
+    alignLeft: /^ *:-+ *$/
+};
+
+var pipe = /\|/;
+
+table.cell = replace(table.cell)
+  (/pipe/g, pipe)
+  ();
+
+table.trailingPipe = replace(table.trailingPipe, 'g')
+  (/pipe/g, pipe)
+  ();
+
+table.trailingPipeAlign = replace(table.trailingPipeAlign, 'g')
+  (/pipe/g, pipe)
+  ();
+
+table.trailingPipeCell = replace(table.trailingPipeCell, 'g')
+  (/pipe/g, pipe)
+  ();
+
+table.edgePipesCell = replace(table.edgePipesCell, 'g')
+  (/pipe/g, pipe)
+  ();
+
+module.exports = table;
diff --git a/test/tests/table_pipe.html b/test/tests/table_pipe.html
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..842d6f4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/tests/table_pipe.html
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+<table>
+<thead>
+<tr><th>My</th><th>Table</th></tr>
+</thead>
+<tbody><tr><td>1</td><td>2</td></tr><tr><td>3</td><td>&#124; 4</td></tr></tbody></table>
diff --git a/test/tests/table_pipe.text b/test/tests/table_pipe.text
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f35542d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/tests/table_pipe.text
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+| My | Table |
+| --- | --- |
+| 1 | 2 |
+| 3 | \| 4 |