-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}$/
-
-"HTML headings
-syn region htmlH1 start="^\s*#" end="$" contains=@Spell
-syn region htmlH2 start="^\s*##" end="$" contains=@Spell
-syn region htmlH3 start="^\s*###" end="$" contains=@Spell
-syn region htmlH4 start="^\s*####" end="$" contains=@Spell
-syn region htmlH5 start="^\s*#####" end="$" contains=@Spell
-syn region htmlH6 start="^\s*######" end="$" contains=@Spell
-syn match htmlH1 /^.\+\n=\+$/ contains=@Spell
-syn match htmlH2 /^.\+\n-\+$/ contains=@Spell
+syn match mkdCode /\%^\(\(\s\{4,}[^ ]\|\t\+[^\t]\).*\n\)\+/
+syn match mkdCode /^\s*\n\(\(\s\{4,}[^ ]\|\t\+[^\t]\).*\n\)\+/ contained
+syn match mkdListItem /^\s*\%([-*+]\|\d\+\.\)\ze\s\+/ contained
+syn region mkdListItemLine start="^\s*\%([-*+]\|\d\+\.\)\s\+" end="$" oneline contains=@mkdNonListItem,mkdListItem,@Spell
+syn region mkdNonListItemBlock start="\(\%^\(\s*\([-*+]\|\d\+\.\)\s\+\)\@!\|\n\(\_^\_$\|\s\{4,}[^ ]\|\t+[^\t]\)\@!\)" end="^\(\s*\([-*+]\|\d\+\.\)\s\+\)\@=" contains=@mkdNonListItem,@Spell
+syn match mkdRule /^\s*\*\s\{0,1}\*\s\{0,1}\*\(\*\|\s\)*$/
+syn match mkdRule /^\s*-\s\{0,1}-\s\{0,1}-\(-\|\s\)*$/
+syn match mkdRule /^\s*_\s\{0,1}_\s\{0,1}_\(_\|\s\)*$/