diff --git a/lib/marked.js b/lib/marked.js
index 1a472cf6..43e2802d 100644
--- a/lib/marked.js
+++ b/lib/marked.js
@@ -92,10 +92,10 @@ block.lexer = function(str) {
   // grab link definitons
   str = str.replace(
     /^ {0,3}\[([^\]]+)\]: *([^ ]+)(?: +"([^"]+)")? *(?:\n|$)/gm, 
-    function(_, id, href, title) {
+    function(__, id, href, title) {
       links[id] = {
         href: href,
-        title: unquote(title)
+        title: title
       };
       return '';
     }
@@ -241,8 +241,8 @@ var inline = {
   escape: /^\\([\\`*{}\[\]()#+\-.!])/,
   autolink: /^<([^ >]+(@|:\/)[^ >]+)>/,
   tag: /^<[^\n>]+>/,
-  link: /^!?\[([^\]]+)\]\(([^\)]+)\)/,
-  reflink: /^!?\[([^\]]+)\]\[([^\]]+)\]/,
+  link: /^!?\[([^\]]+)\] *\(([^\)]*)\)/,
+  reflink: /^!?\[([^\]]+)\] *\[([^\]]+)\]/,
   strong: /^__([\s\S]+?)__|^\*\*([\s\S]+?)\*\*/,
   em: /^_([^_]+)_|^\*([^*]+)\*/,
   code: /^`([^`]+)`|^``([\s\S]+?)``/
@@ -324,9 +324,10 @@ inline.lexer = function(str) {
             if (!link) throw new 
               Error('Undefined Reference: ' + cap[2]);
           } else {
+            text = /^\s*([^\s]*)(?:\s+"([^"]+)")?\s*$/.exec(cap[2]);
             link = {
-              href: cap[2],
-              title: unquote(cap[3])
+              href: text[1],
+              title: text[2]
             };
           }
           out += '<a href="' 
@@ -346,10 +347,10 @@ inline.lexer = function(str) {
             if (!link) throw new 
               Error('Undefined Reference: ' + cap[2]);
           } else {
-            text = /^([^\s]+)\s*(.+)?$/.exec(cap[2]);
+            text = /^\s*([^\s]*)(?:\s+"([^"]+)")?\s*$/.exec(cap[2]);
             link = {
               href: text[1],
-              title: unquote(text[2])
+              title: text[2]
             };
           }
           out += '<img src="' 
@@ -529,9 +530,10 @@ var each = function(obj, func) {
 
 var unquote = function(str) {
   if (!str) return str;
-  var ch = str[0];
+  /*var ch = str[0];
   return (ch === '"' || ch === '\'') 
-          ? str.slice(1, -1) : str;
+          ? str.slice(1, -1) : str;*/
+  return str.replace(/^['"\s]+|['"\s]+$/g, '');
 };
 
 /**