diff --git a/MarkdownTOC.sublime-settings b/MarkdownTOC.sublime-settings
index 596e94c..2e05f7d 100644
--- a/MarkdownTOC.sublime-settings
+++ b/MarkdownTOC.sublime-settings
@@ -14,14 +14,6 @@
     "markdown_preview": ""
   },
   "id_replacements": [
-    {
-      "pattern": "[_*]{2}([^\\s])[_*]{2}",
-      "replacement": "\\1"
-    },
-    {
-      "pattern": "[_*]([^\\s])[_*]",
-      "replacement": "\\1"
-    },
     {
       "pattern": "\\s+",
       "replacement": "-"
diff --git a/markdowntoc/id.py b/markdowntoc/id.py
index 1c91587..948f8e6 100644
--- a/markdowntoc/id.py
+++ b/markdowntoc/id.py
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ def do_id_replacements(self, _str):
         _str = re.sub(r'`([^`]*)`', '[codeblock]', _str)
 
         # Treat '_' for italic and '_' as text
-        _str = re.sub(r'( |^)_([^_ ].*[^_ ])_( |$)', '\\1\\2\\3', _str)
+        _str = re.sub(r'( |^)([\*|_]{1,3})([^\*|_\s]+|[^\*|_\s].*[^\*|_\s])\2( |$)', '\\1\\3\\4', _str)
 
         # **[2] recover codeblocks
         for match in matches:
diff --git a/tests/italic_in_heading.py b/tests/italic_in_heading.py
index 8177e7a..d600cef 100644
--- a/tests/italic_in_heading.py
+++ b/tests/italic_in_heading.py
@@ -29,6 +29,8 @@ class TestItalic(TestBase):
 # `_should ignore underscores in codeblocks 2_ `
 # this is ` _more complex_ ` exmaple
 # this_is_not_italic
+# t_h_i_s__i_s__n_o_t__i_t_a_l_i_c
+# _t_h_i_s__i_s__i_t_a_l_i_c_
 """
 
     def test_italic_in_inheading1(self):
@@ -77,4 +79,12 @@ def test_italic_in_inheading11(self):
 
     def test_italic_in_inheading12(self):
         toc = self.init_update(self.bracket_text)['toc']
-        self.assert_In('- [this_is_not_italic](#this_is_not_italic)', toc)
\ No newline at end of file
+        self.assert_In('- [this_is_not_italic](#this_is_not_italic)', toc)
+
+    def test_italic_in_inheading13(self):
+        toc = self.init_update(self.bracket_text)['toc']
+        self.assert_In('- [t_h_i_s__i_s__n_o_t__i_t_a_l_i_c](#t_h_i_s__i_s__n_o_t__i_t_a_l_i_c)', toc)
+
+    def test_italic_in_inheading14(self):
+        toc = self.init_update(self.bracket_text)['toc']
+        self.assert_In('- [_t_h_i_s__i_s__i_t_a_l_i_c_](#t_h_i_s__i_s__i_t_a_l_i_c)', toc)
\ No newline at end of file