diff --git a/lib/textile/markup_lexer.ex b/lib/textile/markup_lexer.ex
index 6464c0cb..385c301c 100644
--- a/lib/textile/markup_lexer.ex
+++ b/lib/textile/markup_lexer.ex
@@ -5,6 +5,13 @@ defmodule Textile.MarkupLexer do
   # Markup tags
 
   def markup_ending_in(ending_sequence) do
+    double_newline =
+      string("\n\n")
+      |> unwrap_and_tag(:double_newline)
+
+    newline =
+      string("\n")
+      |> unwrap_and_tag(:newline)
 
     # The literal tag is special, because
     # 1. It needs to capture everything inside it as a distinct token.
@@ -147,6 +154,8 @@ defmodule Textile.MarkupLexer do
         bracketed_markup_opening_tags |> lookahead_not(space()),
         special_characters() |> concat(markup_opening_tags),
         markup_closing_tags |> choice([special_characters(), ending_sequence]),
+        double_newline,
+        newline,
         utf8_char([])
       ])
 
diff --git a/lib/textile/token_coalescer.ex b/lib/textile/token_coalescer.ex
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..8ef47e59
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/textile/token_coalescer.ex
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+defmodule Textile.TokenCoalescer do
+  # The lexer, as a practical concern, does not coalesce runs of
+  # character tokens. This fixes that.
+  def coalesce(tokens) do
+    tokens
+    |> Enum.chunk_by(&is_number(&1))
+    |> Enum.flat_map(fn
+      [t | _rest] = str when is_number(t) ->
+        [text: List.to_string(str)]
+
+      t ->
+        t
+    )
+  end
+end
\ No newline at end of file