diff --git a/lib/marked.js b/lib/marked.js
index 762a2137..93071828 100644
--- a/lib/marked.js
+++ b/lib/marked.js
@@ -124,7 +124,7 @@ block.token = function(str, tokens) {
           type: 'list_start',
           ordered: isFinite(cap[2])
         });
-        loose = /\n *\n *(?:\*|\+|-|\d+\.)/.test(cap[0]);
+        loose = /\n *\n *(?:[*+-]|\d+\.)/.test(cap[0]);
         // get each top-level item
         cap = cap[0].match(
           /^( *)([*+-]|\d+\.)[^\n]*(?:\n(?!\1(?:\2|\d+\.))[^\n]*)*/gm
@@ -132,7 +132,7 @@ block.token = function(str, tokens) {
         each(cap, function(item) {
           // remove the list items sigil 
           // so its seen as the next token
-          item = item.replace(/^ *(\*|\+|-|\d+\.) */, '');
+          item = item.replace(/^ *([*+-]|\d+\.) */, '');
           // outdent whatever the 
           // list item contains, hacky
           var space = /\n( +)/.exec(item);