diff --git a/__tests__/lib/stripComments.test.ts b/__tests__/lib/stripComments.test.ts
index 108a3070b..227c9c2e2 100644
--- a/__tests__/lib/stripComments.test.ts
+++ b/__tests__/lib/stripComments.test.ts
@@ -118,4 +118,49 @@ Second code block
     const output = await stripComments(input);
     expect(output).toBe(input.trim());
   });
+
+  it.only('allows compact headings with no whitespace delimiter', async () => {
+    const input = `
+#Blue
+\\# Literal
+# Black`;
+
+    await expect(stripComments(input)).resolves.toMatchInlineSnapshot(`
+      "# Blue
+      \\# Literal
+      # Black"
+    `);
+  });
+
+  it.only('allows leading/trailing spaces between bold/italic markers', async () => {
+    const input = `
+single line with **bold ** text and \\*literal\\* asterisks.
+
+**bold**
+**  leading**
+**trailing  **
+
+__emphasis__
+__  leading__
+__trailing  __
+
+\\*literal\\*
+end"
+`;
+
+    await expect(stripComments(input)).resolves.toMatchInlineSnapshot(`
+      "single line with **bold** and \\*literal\\* asterisks.
+
+      **bold**
+      **  leading**
+      **trailing  **
+
+      **emphasis**
+      __  leading__
+      __trailing  __
+
+      \\*literal\\*
+      end"
+    `);
+  });
 });
diff --git a/lib/stripComments.ts b/lib/stripComments.ts
index bf5585b8d..d021f410d 100644
--- a/lib/stripComments.ts
+++ b/lib/stripComments.ts
@@ -12,6 +12,8 @@ interface Opts {
   mdx?: boolean;
 }
 
+const surroundedSyntax = /^([*_]{1,2})[^*]+\1$/;
+
 /**
  * Removes Markdown and MDX comments.
  */
@@ -30,9 +32,15 @@ async function stripComments(doc: string, { mdx }: Opts = {}): Promise<string> {
             handlers: {
               // Preserve <<...>> variables without escaping any angle brackets.
               text(node, _, state, info) {
+                const testValue = node.value.trim();
+                console.log(node, `"${testValue}"`);
+
                 // If text contains <<...>> pattern, return as is.
                 if (new RegExp(VARIABLE_REGEXP).test(node.value)) return node.value;
 
+                // Don't escape special markdown characters like #, *, or _.
+                if (surroundedSyntax.test(testValue)) return node.value;
+
                 // Otherwise, handle each text node normally.
                 return state.safe(node.value, info);
               },
@@ -42,7 +50,7 @@ async function stripComments(doc: string, { mdx }: Opts = {}): Promise<string> {
               // Our markdown renderer uses this to group these code blocks into a tabbed interface.
               (left, right) => {
                 // 0 = no newline between blocks
-                return  (left.type === 'code' && right.type === 'code') ? 0 : undefined;
+                return left.type === 'code' && right.type === 'code' ? 0 : undefined;
               },
             ],
           },