diff --git a/lisp/org-element.el b/lisp/org-element.el
index 0faf1fd..131b442 100644
--- a/lisp/org-element.el
+++ b/lisp/org-element.el
@@ -2612,6 +2612,11 @@ Assume point is at the first star marker."
 CONTENTS is the contents of the object."
   (format "*%s*" contents))
 
+(defvar org-element--marker->type 
+  (loop for markers in  (mapcar 'car org-emphasis-alist)
+	for element-type in '(bold italic underline verbatim code strike-through)
+	collect (cons markers element-type)))
+
 (defun org-element-text-markup-successor ()
   "Search for the next text-markup object.
 
@@ -2622,15 +2627,10 @@ and CDR is beginning position."
     (unless (bolp) (backward-char))
     (when (re-search-forward org-emph-re nil t)
       (let ((marker (match-string 3)))
-	(cons (cond
-	       ((equal marker "*") 'bold)
-	       ((equal marker "/") 'italic)
-	       ((equal marker "_") 'underline)
-	       ((equal marker "+") 'strike-through)
-	       ((equal marker "~") 'code)
-	       ((equal marker "=") 'verbatim)
-	       (t (error "Unknown marker at %d" (match-beginning 3))))
-	      (match-beginning 2))))))
+	(cons
+	 (or (assoc-default marker org-element--marker->type)
+	     (error "Unknown marker at %d" (match-beginning 3)))
+	 (match-beginning 2))))))
 
 
 ;;;; Code
diff --git a/lisp/org.el b/lisp/org.el
index f2bb99f..24f07f9 100644
--- a/lisp/org.el
+++ b/lisp/org.el
@@ -4191,10 +4191,14 @@ After a match, the match groups contain these elements:
 	   (body (nth 3 e))
 	   (nl (nth 4 e))
 	   (body1 (concat body "*?"))
-	   (markers (mapconcat 'car org-emphasis-alist ""))
+	   (markers (mapconcat (lambda (em)
+				 (regexp-quote (car em))
+				 )
+			       org-emphasis-alist "\\|"))
 	   (vmarkers (mapconcat
-		      (lambda (x) (if (eq (nth 2 x) 'verbatim) (car x) ""))
-		      org-emphasis-alist "")))
+		      (lambda (x)
+			(regexp-quote (if (eq (nth 2 x) 'verbatim) (car x) "")))
+		      org-emphasis-alist "\\|")))
       ;; make sure special characters appear at the right position in the class
       (if (string-match "\\^" markers)
 	  (setq markers (concat (replace-match "" t t markers) "^")))
@@ -4211,7 +4215,7 @@ After a match, the match groups contain these elements:
       (setq org-emph-re
 	    (concat "\\([" pre "]\\|^\\)"
 		    "\\("
-		    "\\([" markers "]\\)"
+		    "\\(" markers "\\)"
 		    "\\("
 		    "[^" border "]\\|"
 		    "[^" border "]"
@@ -4223,7 +4227,7 @@ After a match, the match groups contain these elements:
       (setq org-verbatim-re
 	    (concat "\\([" pre "]\\|^\\)"
 		    "\\("
-		    "\\([" vmarkers "]\\)"
+		    "\\(" vmarkers "\\)"
 		    "\\("
 		    "[^" border "]\\|"
 		    "[^" border "]"