diff --git a/syntax/markdown.vim b/syntax/markdown.vim
index 4d54d3c3..423c6ef7 100644
--- a/syntax/markdown.vim
+++ b/syntax/markdown.vim
@@ -86,14 +86,14 @@ syn region mkdLinkTitle matchgroup=mkdDelimiter start=+'+     end=+'+  contained
 syn region mkdLinkTitle matchgroup=mkdDelimiter start=+(+     end=+)+  contained
 
 "HTML headings
-syn region htmlH1       matchgroup=mkdHeading     start="^\s*#"                   end="$" contains=mkdLink,mkdInlineURL,@Spell
-syn region htmlH2       matchgroup=mkdHeading     start="^\s*##"                  end="$" contains=mkdLink,mkdInlineURL,@Spell
-syn region htmlH3       matchgroup=mkdHeading     start="^\s*###"                 end="$" contains=mkdLink,mkdInlineURL,@Spell
-syn region htmlH4       matchgroup=mkdHeading     start="^\s*####"                end="$" contains=mkdLink,mkdInlineURL,@Spell
-syn region htmlH5       matchgroup=mkdHeading     start="^\s*#####"               end="$" contains=mkdLink,mkdInlineURL,@Spell
-syn region htmlH6       matchgroup=mkdHeading     start="^\s*######"              end="$" contains=mkdLink,mkdInlineURL,@Spell
-syn match  htmlH1       /^.\+\n=\+$/ contains=mkdLink,mkdInlineURL,@Spell
-syn match  htmlH2       /^.\+\n-\+$/ contains=mkdLink,mkdInlineURL,@Spell
+syn region htmlH1       matchgroup=mkdHeading     start="^\s*#"                   end="$" contains=@mkdHeadingContent,@Spell
+syn region htmlH2       matchgroup=mkdHeading     start="^\s*##"                  end="$" contains=@mkdHeadingContent,@Spell
+syn region htmlH3       matchgroup=mkdHeading     start="^\s*###"                 end="$" contains=@mkdHeadingContent,@Spell
+syn region htmlH4       matchgroup=mkdHeading     start="^\s*####"                end="$" contains=@mkdHeadingContent,@Spell
+syn region htmlH5       matchgroup=mkdHeading     start="^\s*#####"               end="$" contains=@mkdHeadingContent,@Spell
+syn region htmlH6       matchgroup=mkdHeading     start="^\s*######"              end="$" contains=@mkdHeadingContent,@Spell
+syn match  htmlH1       /^.\+\n=\+$/ contains=@mkdHeadingContent,@Spell
+syn match  htmlH2       /^.\+\n-\+$/ contains=@mkdHeadingContent,@Spell
 
 "define Markdown groups
 syn match  mkdLineBreak    /  \+$/
@@ -156,6 +156,7 @@ if get(g:, 'vim_markdown_strikethrough', 0)
     HtmlHiLink mkdStrike        htmlStrike
 endif
 
+syn cluster mkdHeadingContent contains=htmlItalic,mkdLink,mkdInlineURL
 syn cluster mkdNonListItem contains=@htmlTop,htmlItalic,htmlBold,htmlBoldItalic,mkdFootnotes,mkdInlineURL,mkdLink,mkdLinkDef,mkdLineBreak,mkdBlockquote,mkdCode,mkdRule,htmlH1,htmlH2,htmlH3,htmlH4,htmlH5,htmlH6,mkdMath,mkdStrike
 
 "highlighting for Markdown groups
diff --git a/test/syntax.vader b/test/syntax.vader
index 3d1a9911..2f03bfab 100644
--- a/test/syntax.vader
+++ b/test/syntax.vader
@@ -1302,3 +1302,67 @@ Execute (HTML tag in text):
   AssertEqual SyntaxOf('span'), 'htmlTagName'
   AssertEqual SyntaxOf('<span>'), 'htmlTag'
   AssertEqual SyntaxOf('</span>'), 'htmlEndTag'
+
+Given markdown;
+# _h1_
+
+## _h2_
+
+### _h3_
+
+#### _h4_
+
+##### _h5_
+
+###### _h6_
+
+Execute (underscore italic text in atx headings):
+  AssertEqual SyntaxOf('h1'), 'htmlItalic'
+  AssertEqual SyntaxOf('h2'), 'htmlItalic'
+  AssertEqual SyntaxOf('h3'), 'htmlItalic'
+  AssertEqual SyntaxOf('h4'), 'htmlItalic'
+  AssertEqual SyntaxOf('h5'), 'htmlItalic'
+  AssertEqual SyntaxOf('h6'), 'htmlItalic'
+
+Given markdown;
+# *h1*
+
+## *h2*
+
+### *h3*
+
+#### *h4*
+
+##### *h5*
+
+###### *h6*
+
+Execute (asterisk italic text in atx headings):
+  AssertEqual SyntaxOf('h1'), 'htmlItalic'
+  AssertEqual SyntaxOf('h2'), 'htmlItalic'
+  AssertEqual SyntaxOf('h3'), 'htmlItalic'
+  AssertEqual SyntaxOf('h4'), 'htmlItalic'
+  AssertEqual SyntaxOf('h5'), 'htmlItalic'
+  AssertEqual SyntaxOf('h6'), 'htmlItalic'
+
+Given markdown;
+_h1_
+=
+
+_h2_
+-
+
+Execute (underscore italic text in setext headings):
+  AssertEqual SyntaxOf('h1'), 'htmlItalic'
+  AssertEqual SyntaxOf('h2'), 'htmlItalic'
+
+Given markdown;
+*h1*
+=
+
+*h2*
+-
+
+Execute (asterisk italic text in setext headings):
+  AssertEqual SyntaxOf('h1'), 'htmlItalic'
+  AssertEqual SyntaxOf('h2'), 'htmlItalic'