diff --git a/generate.c b/generate.c
index 61d3e31..870e946 100644
--- a/generate.c
+++ b/generate.c
@@ -1137,9 +1137,9 @@ text(MMIOT *f)
 			Qchar(c, f);
 		    break;
 	/* A^B -> A<sup>B</sup> */
-	case '^':   if ( !(f->flags & MKD_SUPERSCRIPT) ||
-		      (f->flags & (STRICT|INSIDE_TAG)) || isthisspace(f,-1)
-						       || isthisspace(f,1) )
+	case '^':   if ( (f->flags & (MKD_NOSUPERSCRIPT|STRICT|INSIDE_TAG))
+						       || isthisspace(f,-1)
+							|| isthisspace(f,1) )
 			Qchar(c,f);
 		    else {
 			char *sup = cursor(f);
@@ -1155,9 +1155,9 @@ text(MMIOT *f)
 		    break;
 	case '_':
 	/* Underscores don't count if they're in the middle of a word */
-		    if ( (f->flags & MKD_RELAXED) && !(f->flags & STRICT)
-						  && isthisalnum(f,-1)
-						  && isthisalnum(f,1) ) {
+		    if ( (f->flags & (MKD_NORELAXED|STRICT))
+					&& isthisalnum(f,-1)
+					 && isthisalnum(f,1) ) {
 			Qchar(c, f);
 			break;
 		    }
diff --git a/main.c b/main.c
index fcde68a..6dfd5e4 100644
--- a/main.c
+++ b/main.c
@@ -58,6 +58,8 @@ static struct {
     { "safelink",0, MKD_SAFELINK },
     { "del",     1, MKD_NOSTRIKETHROUGH },
     { "strikethrough", 1, MKD_NOSTRIKETHROUGH },
+    { "superscript", 1, MKD_NOSUPERSCRIPT },
+    { "emphasis",    0, MKD_NORELAXED },
     { "1.0",     0, MKD_1_COMPAT },
 } ;
 
diff --git a/markdown.h b/markdown.h
index be553c6..025dc6c 100644
--- a/markdown.h
+++ b/markdown.h
@@ -85,8 +85,8 @@ typedef struct mmiot {
 #define INSIDE_TAG	0x00000020
 #define NO_PSEUDO_PROTO	0x00000040
 #define CDATA_OUTPUT	0x00000080
-#define MKD_SUPERSCRIPT	0x00000100
-#define MKD_RELAXED	0x00000200
+#define MKD_NOSUPERSCRIPT 0x00000100
+#define MKD_NORELAXED	0x00000200
 #define NOTABLES	0x00000400
 #define NOSTRIKETHROUGH	0x00000800
 #define TOC		0x00001000