-syn match mkdRule /^\s*\*\s\{0,1}\*\s\{0,1}\*$/
-syn match mkdRule /^\s*-\s\{0,1}-\s\{0,1}-$/
-syn match mkdRule /^\s*_\s\{0,1}_\s\{0,1}_$/
-syn match mkdRule /^\s*-\{3,}$/
-syn match mkdRule /^\s*\*\{3,5}$/
-syn match mkdListItem "^\s*[-*+]\s\+"
-syn match mkdListItem "^\s*\d\+\.\s\+"
-syn match mkdCode /^\s*\n\(\(\s\{4,}[^ ]\|\t\+[^\t]\).*\n\)\+/
-syn match mkdLineBreak / \+$/
-syn region mkdCode start=/\\\@<!`/ end=/\\\@<!`/
-syn region mkdCode start=/\s*``[^`]*/ end=/[^`]*``\s*/
-syn region mkdBlockquote start=/^\s*>/ end=/$/ contains=mkdLineBreak,mkdLineContinue,@Spell
-syn region mkdCode start="<pre[^>]*>" end="</pre>"
-syn region mkdCode start="<code[^>]*>" end="</code>"
+syn match mkdLineBreak / \+$/
+syn region mkdBlockquote start=/^\s*>/ end=/$/ contains=mkdLineBreak,mkdLineContinue,@Spell
+syn region mkdCode start=/\(\([^\\]\|^\)\\\)\@<!`/ end=/\(\([^\\]\|^\)\\\)\@<!`/
+syn region mkdCode start=/\s*``[^`]*/ end=/[^`]*``\s*/
+syn region mkdCode start=/^\s*```\s*[0-9A-Za-z_-]*\s*$/ end=/^\s*```\s*$/
+syn region mkdCode start=/\s*\~\~[^\~]*/ end=/[^\~]*\~\~\s*/
+syn region mkdCode start=/^\s*\~\~\~\s*[0-9A-Za-z_-]*\s*$/ end=/^\s*\~\~\~\s*$/
+syn region mkdCode start="<pre[^>]*>" end="</pre>"
+syn region mkdCode start="<code[^>]*>" end="</code>"
+syn region mkdFootnote start="\[^" end="\]"
+syn match mkdCode /^\s*\n\(\(\s\{8,}[^ ]\|\t\t\+[^\t]\).*\n\)\+/
+syn match mkdIndentCode /^\s*\n\(\(\s\{4,}[^ ]\|\t\+[^\t]\).*\n\)\+/ contained
+syn match mkdListItem "^\s*[-*+]\s\+"
+syn match mkdListItem "^\s*\d\+\.\s\+"
+syn region mkdNonListItemBlock start="\n\(\_^\_$\|\s\{4,}[^ ]\|\t+[^\t]\)\@!" end="^\(\s*\([-*+]\|\d\+\.\)\s\+\)\@=" contains=@mkdNonListItem,@Spell
+syn match mkdRule /^\s*\*\s\{0,1}\*\s\{0,1}\*$/
+syn match mkdRule /^\s*-\s\{0,1}-\s\{0,1}-$/
+syn match mkdRule /^\s*_\s\{0,1}_\s\{0,1}_$/
+syn match mkdRule /^\s*-\{3,}$/
+syn match mkdRule /^\s*\*\{3,5}$/