diff --git a/gem_rake_helper.rb b/gem_rake_helper.rb
index de2d91a4..109cb0c6 100644
--- a/gem_rake_helper.rb
+++ b/gem_rake_helper.rb
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ require 'cucumber/rake/task'
 Cucumber::Rake::Task.new do |t|
   exempt_tags = ["--tags ~@wip"]
   exempt_tags << "--tags ~@nojava" if RUBY_PLATFORM == "java"
+  exempt_tags << "--tags ~@no18" if RUBY_VERSION < "1.9"
   exempt_tags << "--tags ~@encoding" unless Object.const_defined?(:Encoding)
   exempt_tags << "--tags ~@travishatesme" if ENV["TRAVIS"] == "true"
 
diff --git a/middleman-core/features/markdown_redcarpet.feature b/middleman-core/features/markdown_redcarpet.feature
index 54b8dd30..aaf53334 100644
--- a/middleman-core/features/markdown_redcarpet.feature
+++ b/middleman-core/features/markdown_redcarpet.feature
@@ -12,17 +12,12 @@ Feature: Markdown support
                      :fenced_code_blocks => true,
                      :autolink => true,
                      :strikethrough => true,
-                     :lax_html_blocks => true,
                      :space_after_headers => true,
-                     :with_toc_data => true,
                      :superscript => true,
-                     :smartypants => true,
-                     :hard_wrap => true
-                     
+                     :lax_spacing => true
+
       """
     Given the Server is running at "markdown-app"
-    When I go to "/smarty_pants.html"
-    Then I should see "&ldquo;"
     When I go to "/no_intra_emphasis.html"
     Then I should not see "<em>"
     When I go to "/tables.html"
@@ -37,36 +32,97 @@ Feature: Markdown support
     Then I should not see "<h1>"
     When I go to "/superscript.html"
     Then I should see "<sup>"
-    When I go to "/with_toc_data.html"
-    Then I should see "toc_0"
-    When I go to "/hard_wrap.html"
-    Then I should see "br"
+    When I go to "/lax_spacing.html"
+    Then I should see "<p>hello</p>"
 
-  Scenario: Redcarpet 2 no_images extension (with overrides)
+  @no18
+  Scenario: Redcarpet 3 extensions
     Given a fixture app "markdown-app"
     And a file named "config.rb" with:
       """
       set :markdown_engine, :redcarpet
-      set :markdown, :no_images => true
-                     
+      set :markdown, :underline => true,
+                     :highlight => true,
+                     :disable_indented_code_blocks => true
       """
     Given the Server is running at "markdown-app"
+    When I go to "/underline.html"
+    Then I should see "<u>underlined</u>"
+    When I go to "/highlighted.html"
+    Then I should see "<mark>highlighted</mark>"
+    When I go to "/indented_code_blocks.html"
+    Then I should not see "<code>"
+
+  Scenario: Redcarpet smartypants extension
+    Given a fixture app "markdown-app"
+    And a file named "config.rb" with:
+      """
+      set :markdown_engine, :redcarpet
+      set :markdown, :smartypants => true
+      """
+    Given the Server is running at "markdown-app"
+    When I go to "/smarty_pants.html"
+    Then I should see "&ldquo;"
+
+  Scenario: Redcarpet::Render::HTML options
+    Given a fixture app "markdown-app"
+    And a file named "config.rb" with:
+      """
+      set :markdown_engine, :redcarpet
+      set :markdown, :filter_html => true,
+                     :no_images => true,
+                     :no_links => true,
+                     :with_toc_data => true,
+                     :hard_wrap => true,
+                     :safe_links_only => true,
+                     :prettify => true
+
+      """
+    Given the Server is running at "markdown-app"
+    When I go to "/filter_html.html"
+    Then I should not see "<em>"
     When I go to "/img.html"
     Then I should see "![dust mite](http://dust.mite/image.png)"
     And I should not see "<img"
+    When I go to "/with_toc_data.html"
+    Then I should see 'id="toc_0"'
+    And I should see 'id="toc_1"'
+    When I go to "/hard_wrap.html"
+    Then I should see "br"
+    When I go to "/link.html"
+    Then I should see "[This link](http://example.net/) links"
+    And I should not see "<a"
+    When I go to "/safe_links.html"
+    Then I should see "[IRC](irc://chat.freenode.org/#freenode)"
+    When I go to "/prettify.html"
+    Then I should see '<code class="prettyprint">'
 
-  Scenario: Redcarpet 2 no_links extension (with overrides)
+  Scenario: Redcarpet link_attributes option
     Given a fixture app "markdown-app"
     And a file named "config.rb" with:
       """
       set :markdown_engine, :redcarpet
-      set :markdown, :no_links => true
-                     
+      set :markdown, :link_attributes => { :target => "_blank" }
+      """
+    And a file named "source/link.html.markdown" with:
+      """
+      [A link](/foo.html)
       """
     Given the Server is running at "markdown-app"
     When I go to "/link.html"
-    Then I should see "[This link](http://example.net/) links"
-    And I should not see "<a"
+    Then I should see 'target="_blank"'
+
+  Scenario: Redcarpet xhtml option
+    Given a fixture app "markdown-app"
+    And a file named "config.rb" with:
+      """
+      set :markdown_engine, :redcarpet
+      set :markdown, :xhtml => true,
+                     :hard_wrap => true
+      """
+    Given the Server is running at "markdown-app"
+    When I go to "/hard_wrap.html"
+    Then I should see "<br/>"
 
   Scenario: Redcarpet per-page frontmatter options
     Given a fixture app "markdown-frontmatter-options-app"
@@ -109,4 +165,3 @@ Feature: Markdown support
     Then I should see 'width="1"'
     And I should see 'height="1"'
     And I should see 'src="/images/blank.gif"'
-    
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/middleman-core/fixtures/markdown-app/source/filter_html.html.markdown b/middleman-core/fixtures/markdown-app/source/filter_html.html.markdown
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..e54916a2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/middleman-core/fixtures/markdown-app/source/filter_html.html.markdown
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+I <em>shouldn't</em> be emphasised
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/middleman-core/fixtures/markdown-app/source/footnote.html.markdown b/middleman-core/fixtures/markdown-app/source/footnote.html.markdown
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..dd14ffd3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/middleman-core/fixtures/markdown-app/source/footnote.html.markdown
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+This is a footnote.[^1]
+
+[^1]: It provides additional information.
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/middleman-core/fixtures/markdown-app/source/highlighted.html.markdown b/middleman-core/fixtures/markdown-app/source/highlighted.html.markdown
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..11a363bd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/middleman-core/fixtures/markdown-app/source/highlighted.html.markdown
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+this is ==highlighted==
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/middleman-core/fixtures/markdown-app/source/indented_code_blocks.html.markdown b/middleman-core/fixtures/markdown-app/source/indented_code_blocks.html.markdown
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..01c813e6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/middleman-core/fixtures/markdown-app/source/indented_code_blocks.html.markdown
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+Hello
+
+    Something that would be flagged as code
+
+World
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/middleman-core/fixtures/markdown-app/source/lax_spacing.html.markdown b/middleman-core/fixtures/markdown-app/source/lax_spacing.html.markdown
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..c47785b9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/middleman-core/fixtures/markdown-app/source/lax_spacing.html.markdown
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+hello
+<div>world</div>
+again
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/middleman-core/fixtures/markdown-app/source/prettify.html.markdown b/middleman-core/fixtures/markdown-app/source/prettify.html.markdown
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..fc057a09
--- /dev/null
+++ b/middleman-core/fixtures/markdown-app/source/prettify.html.markdown
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+```
+code block
+```
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/middleman-core/fixtures/markdown-app/source/quote.html.markdown b/middleman-core/fixtures/markdown-app/source/quote.html.markdown
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..928ed5f1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/middleman-core/fixtures/markdown-app/source/quote.html.markdown
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+this is "quote"
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/middleman-core/fixtures/markdown-app/source/safe_links.html.markdown b/middleman-core/fixtures/markdown-app/source/safe_links.html.markdown
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..655fd33a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/middleman-core/fixtures/markdown-app/source/safe_links.html.markdown
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+[IRC](irc://chat.freenode.org/#freenode)
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/middleman-core/fixtures/markdown-app/source/underline.html.markdown b/middleman-core/fixtures/markdown-app/source/underline.html.markdown
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..baadeda9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/middleman-core/fixtures/markdown-app/source/underline.html.markdown
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+hello _underlined_ text
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/middleman-core/fixtures/markdown-app/source/with_toc_data.html.markdown b/middleman-core/fixtures/markdown-app/source/with_toc_data.html.markdown
index 2ccb0be5..018d5ef5 100644
--- a/middleman-core/fixtures/markdown-app/source/with_toc_data.html.markdown
+++ b/middleman-core/fixtures/markdown-app/source/with_toc_data.html.markdown
@@ -1,3 +1,3 @@
-# Header 1
+# First Header
 
-## Header 2
\ No newline at end of file
+## Second Header
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/middleman-core/lib/middleman-core/renderers/redcarpet.rb b/middleman-core/lib/middleman-core/renderers/redcarpet.rb
index 6c3616f4..a2e75b03 100644
--- a/middleman-core/lib/middleman-core/renderers/redcarpet.rb
+++ b/middleman-core/lib/middleman-core/renderers/redcarpet.rb
@@ -4,12 +4,21 @@ module Middleman
   module Renderers
 
     class RedcarpetTemplate < ::Tilt::RedcarpetTemplate::Redcarpet2
+
+      # because tilt has decided to convert these
+      # in the wrong direction
+      ALIASES = {
+        :escape_html => :filter_html
+      }
+
       # Overwrite built-in Tilt version.
       # Don't overload :renderer option with smartypants
       # Support renderer-level options
       def generate_renderer
         return options.delete(:renderer) if options.has_key?(:renderer)
 
+        covert_options_to_aliases!
+
         # Pick a renderer
         renderer = MiddlemanRedcarpetHTML
 
@@ -30,6 +39,14 @@ module Middleman
 
         renderer.new(render_options)
       end
+
+      private
+
+        def covert_options_to_aliases!
+          ALIASES.each do |aka, actual|
+            options[actual] = options.delete(aka) if options.has_key? aka
+          end
+        end
     end
 
     # Custom Redcarpet renderer that uses our helpers for images and links
@@ -54,7 +71,10 @@ module Middleman
 
       def link(link, title, content)
         if !@local_options[:no_links]
-          middleman_app.link_to(content, link, :title => title)
+          attributes = { :title => title }
+          attributes.merge!( @local_options[:link_attributes] ) if @local_options[:link_attributes]
+
+          middleman_app.link_to(content, link, attributes )
         else
           link_string = link.dup
           link_string << %Q{"#{title}"} if title && title.length > 0 && title != alt_text