diff --git a/idea/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/idea/kdoc/KDocRenderer.kt b/idea/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/idea/kdoc/KDocRenderer.kt
index 14e34911068..f752440ac98 100644
--- a/idea/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/idea/kdoc/KDocRenderer.kt
+++ b/idea/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/idea/kdoc/KDocRenderer.kt
@@ -161,7 +161,7 @@ object KDocRenderer {
                 MarkdownElementTypes.FULL_REFERENCE_LINK -> {
                     val label = node.child(MarkdownElementTypes.LINK_LABEL)?.child(MarkdownTokenTypes.TEXT)?.text
                     if (label != null) {
-                        val linkText = node.child(MarkdownElementTypes.LINK_TEXT)?.child(MarkdownTokenTypes.TEXT)?.text ?: label
+                        val linkText = node.child(MarkdownElementTypes.LINK_TEXT)?.toHtml() ?: label
                         DocumentationManagerUtil.createHyperlink(sb, label, linkText, true)
                     }
                     else {
@@ -169,10 +169,10 @@ object KDocRenderer {
                     }
                 }
                 MarkdownElementTypes.INLINE_LINK -> {
-                    val label = node.child(MarkdownElementTypes.LINK_TEXT)?.child(MarkdownTokenTypes.TEXT)?.text
+                    val label = node.child(MarkdownElementTypes.LINK_TEXT)?.toHtml()
                     val destination = node.child(MarkdownElementTypes.LINK_DESTINATION)?.text
                     if (label != null && destination != null) {
-                        sb.append("<a href=\"$destination\">${label.htmlEscape()}</a>")
+                        sb.append("<a href=\"$destination\">$label</a>")
                     }
                     else {
                         sb.append(node.text)
@@ -202,6 +202,14 @@ object KDocRenderer {
                 }
                 MarkdownTokenTypes.GT -> sb.append("&gt;")
                 MarkdownTokenTypes.LT -> sb.append("&lt;")
+
+                MarkdownElementTypes.LINK_TEXT -> {
+                    val childrenWithoutBrackets = node.children.drop(1).dropLast(1)
+                    for (child in childrenWithoutBrackets) {
+                        sb.append(child.toHtml())
+                    }
+                }
+
                 else -> {
                     processChildren()
                 }
diff --git a/idea/testData/editor/quickDoc/OnMethodUsageWithMarkdown.kt b/idea/testData/editor/quickDoc/OnMethodUsageWithMarkdown.kt
index 6c1708fa14e..a151af0aea7 100644
--- a/idea/testData/editor/quickDoc/OnMethodUsageWithMarkdown.kt
+++ b/idea/testData/editor/quickDoc/OnMethodUsageWithMarkdown.kt
@@ -2,10 +2,11 @@
  * Some documentation. **Bold** *underline* `code` foo: bar (baz) [quux] <xyzzy> 'apos'
  *
  * [Kotlin](http://www.kotlinlang.org)
+ * [a**b**__d__ kas ](http://www.ibm.com)
  *
  * [C]
  *
- * [See this class][C]
+ * [See **this** class][C]
  */
 fun testMethod() {
 
@@ -19,6 +20,6 @@ fun test() {
 }
 
 //INFO: <b>public</b> <b>fun</b> testMethod(): Unit <i>defined in</i> root package<p>Some documentation. <strong>Bold</strong> <em>underline</em> <code>code</code> foo: bar (baz) <a href="psi_element://quux">quux</a>  'apos'</p>
-//INFO: <p><a href="http://www.kotlinlang.org">Kotlin</a></p>
+//INFO: <p><a href="http://www.kotlinlang.org">Kotlin</a> <a href="http://www.ibm.com">a<strong>b</strong><strong>d</strong>kas</a></p>
 //INFO: <p><a href="psi_element://C">C</a></p>
-//INFO: <p><a href="psi_element://C">See this class</a></p>
+//INFO: <p><a href="psi_element://C">See<strong>this</strong>class</a></p>