diff --git a/lib/textile/helpers.ex b/lib/textile/helpers.ex
index ecf54950..e874e4c3 100644
--- a/lib/textile/helpers.ex
+++ b/lib/textile/helpers.ex
@@ -38,4 +38,4 @@ defmodule Textile.Helpers do
   end
 
   defp binary_head(<<c::utf8, _rest::binary>>), do: <<c::utf8>>
-end
\ No newline at end of file
+end
diff --git a/lib/textile/lexer.ex b/lib/textile/lexer.ex
index 7835b5ce..ab37a295 100644
--- a/lib/textile/lexer.ex
+++ b/lib/textile/lexer.ex
@@ -14,13 +14,24 @@ defmodule Textile.Lexer do
     ignore(string("[=="))
     |> repeat(lookahead_not(string("==]")) |> utf8_char([]))
     |> ignore(string("==]"))
+
+  unbracketed_literal =
+    ignore(string("=="))
+    |> repeat(lookahead_not(string("==")) |> utf8_char([]))
+    |> ignore(string("=="))
+
+  literal =
+    choice([
+      bracketed_literal,
+      unbracketed_literal
+    ])
     |> reduce({List, :to_string, []})
-    |> unwrap_and_tag(:bracketed_literal)
+    |> unwrap_and_tag(:literal)
 
   blockquote_cite =
     lookahead_not(string("\""))
     |> choice([
-      bracketed_literal |> reduce(:unwrap),
+      literal |> reduce(:unwrap),
       utf8_char([])
     ])
     |> repeat()
@@ -146,7 +157,7 @@ defmodule Textile.Lexer do
       blockquote_open,
       blockquote_open_cite,
       blockquote_close,
-      bracketed_literal,
+      literal,
       link_markup_start
     ])
 
@@ -158,7 +169,7 @@ defmodule Textile.Lexer do
       blockquote_open,
       blockquote_open_cite,
       blockquote_close,
-      bracketed_literal,
+      literal,
       link_markup_element
     ])
 
@@ -215,7 +226,7 @@ defmodule Textile.Lexer do
 
   textile_default =
     choice([
-      bracketed_literal,
+      literal,
       blockquote_open_cite |> optional(markup_start),
       blockquote_open |> optional(markup_start),
       blockquote_close,
diff --git a/lib/textile/markup_lexer.ex b/lib/textile/markup_lexer.ex
index b8012066..8c839011 100644
--- a/lib/textile/markup_lexer.ex
+++ b/lib/textile/markup_lexer.ex
@@ -117,7 +117,7 @@ defmodule Textile.MarkupLexer do
         code_open,
         ins_open,
         sup_open,
-        del_open,
+        del_open |> lookahead_not(string(">")),
         sub_open
       ])
 
@@ -168,4 +168,4 @@ defmodule Textile.MarkupLexer do
 
     {markup_at_start, markup_element}
   end
-end
\ No newline at end of file
+end
diff --git a/lib/textile/parser.ex b/lib/textile/parser.ex
index 82316d48..1b1cfa69 100644
--- a/lib/textile/parser.ex
+++ b/lib/textile/parser.ex
@@ -102,13 +102,13 @@ defmodule Textile.Parser do
   # markup =
   #   blockquote | spoiler | link | image | bold | italic | strong | emphasis |
   #   code | inserted | superscript | deleted | subscript | newline | literal |
-  #   bracketed_literal | text;
+  #   literal | text;
   #
   defp markup(parser, tokens) do
     markups = [
       &blockquote/2, &spoiler/2, &link/2, &image/2, &bold/2, &italic/2, &strong/2,
       &emphasis/2, &code/2, &inserted/2, &superscript/2, &deleted/2, &subscript/2,
-      &newline/2, &literal/2, &bracketed_literal/2, &text/2
+      &newline/2, &literal/2, &literal/2, &text/2
     ]
 
     value =
@@ -305,16 +305,9 @@ defmodule Textile.Parser do
     do: {:error, "Expected a line break"}
 
 
-  defp bracketed_literal(_parser, [{:bracketed_literal, text} | r_tokens]),
-    do: {:ok, [markup: escape_nl2br(text)], r_tokens}
-
-  defp bracketed_literal(_parser, _tokens),
-    do: {:error, "Expected a bracketed literal"}
-
-
   defp text(_parser, [{:text, text} | r_tokens]),
     do: {:ok, [text: escape_nl2br(text)], r_tokens}
 
   defp text(_parser, _tokens),
     do: {:error, "Expected text"}
-end
\ No newline at end of file
+end