diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 049c2465..7962de84 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -5,6 +5,8 @@
 * Improve strict spec compliance for `blockquote` by always putting the closing
   tag on a new line.
 * Improve strict spec compliance for `code` elements defined with "\`".
+* Properly encode `<`, `>`, and `"` as their respective HTML entities when
+  interpreted as text.
 
 ## 2.0.3
 
diff --git a/lib/src/inline_parser.dart b/lib/src/inline_parser.dart
index a1fede50..10b56f2c 100644
--- a/lib/src/inline_parser.dart
+++ b/lib/src/inline_parser.dart
@@ -234,8 +234,20 @@ class EscapeSyntax extends InlineSyntax {
   EscapeSyntax() : super(r'''\\[!"#$%&'()*+,\-./:;<=>?@\[\\\]^_`{|}~]''');
 
   bool onMatch(InlineParser parser, Match match) {
-    // Insert the substitution.
-    parser.addNode(Text(match[0][1]));
+    final char = match[0].codeUnitAt(1);
+    // Insert the substitution. Why these three charactes are replaced with
+    // their equivalent HTML entity referenced appears to be missing from the
+    // CommonMark spec, but is very present in all of the examples.
+    // https://talk.commonmark.org/t/entity-ification-of-quotes-and-brackets-missing-from-spec/3207
+    if (char == $double_quote) {
+      parser.addNode(Text('&quot;'));
+    } else if (char == $lt) {
+      parser.addNode(Text('&lt;'));
+    } else if (char == $gt) {
+      parser.addNode(Text('&gt;'));
+    } else {
+      parser.addNode(Text(match[0][1]));
+    }
     return true;
   }
 }
diff --git a/test/common_mark/backslash_escapes.unit b/test/common_mark/backslash_escapes.unit
index f16ddfda..f906dc38 100644
--- a/test/common_mark/backslash_escapes.unit
+++ b/test/common_mark/backslash_escapes.unit
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 >>> Backslash escapes - 298
 \!\"\#\$\%\&\'\(\)\*\+\,\-\.\/\:\;\<\=\>\?\@\[\\\]\^\_\`\{\|\}\~
 <<<
-<p>!"#$%&'()*+,-./:;<=>?@[\]^_`{|}~</p>
+<p>!&quot;#$%&'()*+,-./:;&lt;=&gt;?@[\]^_`{|}~</p>
 >>> Backslash escapes - 299
 \	\A\a\ \3\φ\«
 <<<
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@
 \&ouml; not a character entity
 <<<
 <p>*not emphasized*
-<br/> not a tag
+&lt;br/> not a tag
 [not a link](/foo)
 `not code`
 1. not a list
diff --git a/test/common_mark/link_reference_definitions.unit b/test/common_mark/link_reference_definitions.unit
index 388ed8d0..16f86fb0 100644
--- a/test/common_mark/link_reference_definitions.unit
+++ b/test/common_mark/link_reference_definitions.unit
@@ -84,7 +84,7 @@ with blank line'
 
 [foo]
 <<<
-<p>[foo]: /url\bar*baz "foo"bar\baz"</p>
+<p>[foo]: /url\bar*baz "foo&quot;bar\baz"</p>
 <p>[foo]</p>
 >>> Link reference definitions - 172
 [foo]
diff --git a/test/common_mark/links.unit b/test/common_mark/links.unit
index 7f9707fd..fb9cf5f4 100644
--- a/test/common_mark/links.unit
+++ b/test/common_mark/links.unit
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ bar>)</p>
 >>> Links - 490
 [link](<foo\>)
 <<<
-<p>[link](&lt;foo>)</p>
+<p>[link](&lt;foo&gt;)</p>
 >>> Links - 491
 [a](<b)c
 [a](<b)c>
diff --git a/test/common_mark/setext_headings.unit b/test/common_mark/setext_headings.unit
index 563018d9..e0e45722 100644
--- a/test/common_mark/setext_headings.unit
+++ b/test/common_mark/setext_headings.unit
@@ -183,7 +183,7 @@ Baz
 \> foo
 ------
 <<<
-<h2>> foo</h2>
+<h2>&gt; foo</h2>
 >>> Setext headings - 73
 Foo
 
diff --git a/test/gfm/backslash_escapes.unit b/test/gfm/backslash_escapes.unit
index ca03f364..e0f5dfb2 100644
--- a/test/gfm/backslash_escapes.unit
+++ b/test/gfm/backslash_escapes.unit
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 >>> Backslash escapes - 308
 \!\"\#\$\%\&\'\(\)\*\+\,\-\.\/\:\;\<\=\>\?\@\[\\\]\^\_\`\{\|\}\~
 <<<
-<p>!"#$%&'()*+,-./:;<=>?@[\]^_`{|}~</p>
+<p>!&quot;#$%&'()*+,-./:;&lt;=&gt;?@[\]^_`{|}~</p>
 >>> Backslash escapes - 309
 \	\A\a\ \3\φ\«
 <<<
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@
 \&ouml; not a character entity
 <<<
 <p>*not emphasized*
-<br/> not a tag
+&lt;br/> not a tag
 [not a link](/foo)
 `not code`
 1. not a list
diff --git a/test/gfm/link_reference_definitions.unit b/test/gfm/link_reference_definitions.unit
index 388ed8d0..16f86fb0 100644
--- a/test/gfm/link_reference_definitions.unit
+++ b/test/gfm/link_reference_definitions.unit
@@ -84,7 +84,7 @@ with blank line'
 
 [foo]
 <<<
-<p>[foo]: /url\bar*baz "foo"bar\baz"</p>
+<p>[foo]: /url\bar*baz "foo&quot;bar\baz"</p>
 <p>[foo]</p>
 >>> Link reference definitions - 172
 [foo]
diff --git a/test/gfm/links.unit b/test/gfm/links.unit
index a64166a3..698282d5 100644
--- a/test/gfm/links.unit
+++ b/test/gfm/links.unit
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ bar>)</p>
 >>> Links - 502
 [link](<foo\>)
 <<<
-<p>[link](&lt;foo>)</p>
+<p>[link](&lt;foo&gt;)</p>
 >>> Links - 503
 [a](<b)c
 [a](<b)c>
diff --git a/test/gfm/setext_headings.unit b/test/gfm/setext_headings.unit
index 563018d9..e0e45722 100644
--- a/test/gfm/setext_headings.unit
+++ b/test/gfm/setext_headings.unit
@@ -183,7 +183,7 @@ Baz
 \> foo
 ------
 <<<
-<h2>> foo</h2>
+<h2>&gt; foo</h2>
 >>> Setext headings - 73
 Foo
 
diff --git a/test/original/backslash_escapes.unit b/test/original/backslash_escapes.unit
index 8828c497..05a8c999 100644
--- a/test/original/backslash_escapes.unit
+++ b/test/original/backslash_escapes.unit
@@ -5,8 +5,8 @@ and \? and \@ and \[ and \\ and \] and \^ and \_ and \` and \{ and \| and \}
 and \~.
 
 <<<
-<p>Punctuations like ! and " and # and $ and % and & and ' and ( and )
-and * and + and , and - and . and / and : and ; and < and = and >
+<p>Punctuations like ! and &quot; and # and $ and % and & and ' and ( and )
+and * and + and , and - and . and / and : and ; and &lt; and = and &gt;
 and ? and @ and [ and \ and ] and ^ and _ and ` and { and | and }
 and ~.</p>
 >>> Inline code blocks can be escaped.
diff --git a/tool/common_mark_stats.json b/tool/common_mark_stats.json
index 5318f46f..a250f903 100644
--- a/tool/common_mark_stats.json
+++ b/tool/common_mark_stats.json
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@
  "Backslash escapes": {
   "298": "loose",
   "299": "strict",
-  "300": "fail",
+  "300": "loose",
   "301": "strict",
   "302": "strict",
   "303": "strict",
@@ -435,7 +435,7 @@
   "487": "strict",
   "488": "strict",
   "489": "strict",
-  "490": "loose",
+  "490": "strict",
   "491": "strict",
   "492": "strict",
   "493": "strict",
@@ -651,7 +651,7 @@
   "69": "strict",
   "70": "strict",
   "71": "strict",
-  "72": "loose",
+  "72": "strict",
   "73": "strict",
   "74": "strict",
   "75": "strict",
diff --git a/tool/common_mark_stats.txt b/tool/common_mark_stats.txt
index 86ccf5d0..249ed100 100644
--- a/tool/common_mark_stats.txt
+++ b/tool/common_mark_stats.txt
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
   17 of   18 –  94.4%  ATX headings
   19 of   19 – 100.0%  Autolinks
-  11 of   13 –  84.6%  Backslash escapes
+  12 of   13 –  92.3%  Backslash escapes
    1 of    1 – 100.0%  Blank lines
   22 of   25 –  88.0%  Block quotes
   21 of   22 –  95.5%  Code spans
@@ -24,5 +24,5 @@
   11 of   11 – 100.0%  Tabs
    3 of    3 – 100.0%  Textual content
   19 of   19 – 100.0%  Thematic breaks
- 597 of  649 –  92.0%  TOTAL
- 523 of  597 –  87.6%  TOTAL Strict
+ 598 of  649 –  92.1%  TOTAL
+ 525 of  598 –  87.8%  TOTAL Strict
diff --git a/tool/gfm_stats.json b/tool/gfm_stats.json
index a1ac55fb..243cd6cd 100644
--- a/tool/gfm_stats.json
+++ b/tool/gfm_stats.json
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@
  "Backslash escapes": {
   "308": "loose",
   "309": "strict",
-  "310": "fail",
+  "310": "loose",
   "311": "strict",
   "312": "strict",
   "313": "strict",
@@ -451,7 +451,7 @@
   "499": "strict",
   "500": "strict",
   "501": "strict",
-  "502": "loose",
+  "502": "strict",
   "503": "strict",
   "504": "strict",
   "505": "strict",
@@ -667,7 +667,7 @@
   "69": "strict",
   "70": "strict",
   "71": "strict",
-  "72": "loose",
+  "72": "strict",
   "73": "strict",
   "74": "strict",
   "75": "strict",
diff --git a/tool/gfm_stats.txt b/tool/gfm_stats.txt
index 3c7f6ba1..ab2fb170 100644
--- a/tool/gfm_stats.txt
+++ b/tool/gfm_stats.txt
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
   17 of   18 –  94.4%  ATX headings
   17 of   19 –  89.5%  Autolinks
    8 of   11 –  72.7%  Autolinks (extension)
-  11 of   13 –  84.6%  Backslash escapes
+  12 of   13 –  92.3%  Backslash escapes
    1 of    1 – 100.0%  Blank lines
   22 of   25 –  88.0%  Block quotes
   21 of   22 –  95.5%  Code spans
@@ -28,5 +28,5 @@
   11 of   11 – 100.0%  Tabs
    3 of    3 – 100.0%  Textual content
   19 of   19 – 100.0%  Thematic breaks
- 612 of  671 –  91.2%  TOTAL
- 529 of  612 –  86.4%  TOTAL Strict
+ 613 of  671 –  91.4%  TOTAL
+ 531 of  613 –  86.6%  TOTAL Strict