diff --git a/lib/parser_inline.js b/lib/parser_inline.js
index 1e73998..6906a43 100644
--- a/lib/parser_inline.js
+++ b/lib/parser_inline.js
@@ -30,13 +30,7 @@ var _rules = [
 var BAD_PROTOCOLS = [ 'vbscript', 'javascript', 'file' ];
 
 function validateLink(url) {
-  var str = '';
-
-  try {
-    str = decodeURI(url).trim().toLowerCase();
-  } catch (_) {}
-
-  if (!str) { return false; }
+  var str = decodeURI(url).trim().toLowerCase();
 
   if (str.indexOf(':') >= 0 && BAD_PROTOCOLS.indexOf(str.split(':')[0]) >= 0) {
     return false;
diff --git a/lib/renderer.js b/lib/renderer.js
index d66e225..9bfa05a 100644
--- a/lib/renderer.js
+++ b/lib/renderer.js
@@ -9,19 +9,6 @@ var replaceEntities = require('./common/utils').replaceEntities;
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 // Helpers
 
-function escapeUrl(str) {
-  try {
-    return encodeURI(str);
-  } catch (__) {}
-  return '';
-}
-function unescapeUrl(str) {
-  try {
-    return decodeURI(str);
-  } catch (__) {}
-  return '';
-}
-
 var HTML_ESCAPE_TEST_RE = /[&<>"]/;
 var HTML_ESCAPE_REPLACE_RE = /[&<>"]/g;
 var HTML_REPLACEMENTS = {
@@ -44,12 +31,10 @@ function escapeHtml(str) {
 
 function nextToken(tokens, idx) {
   if (++idx >= tokens.length - 2) { return idx; }
-  if (tokens[idx].type === 'paragraph_open' && tokens[idx].tight) {
-    if (tokens[idx + 1].type === 'inline' && tokens[idx + 1].content.length === 0) {
-      if (tokens[idx + 2].type === 'paragraph_close' && tokens[idx + 2].tight) {
-        return nextToken(tokens, idx + 2);
-      }
-    }
+  if ((tokens[idx].type === 'paragraph_open' && tokens[idx].tight) &&
+      (tokens[idx + 1].type === 'inline' && tokens[idx + 1].content.length === 0) &&
+      (tokens[idx + 2].type === 'paragraph_close' && tokens[idx + 2].tight)) {
+    return nextToken(tokens, idx + 2);
   }
   return idx;
 }
@@ -72,8 +57,7 @@ var rules = {};
 
 
 rules.abbr_open = function (tokens, idx/*, options*/) {
-  var title = tokens[idx].title ? (' title="' + escapeHtml(replaceEntities(tokens[idx].title)) + '"') : '';
-  return '<abbr' + title + '>';
+  return '<abbr title="' + escapeHtml(replaceEntities(tokens[idx].title)) + '">';
 };
 rules.abbr_close = function (/*tokens, idx, options*/) {
   return '</abbr>';
@@ -170,7 +154,7 @@ rules.paragraph_close = function (tokens, idx /*, options*/) {
 
 rules.link_open = function (tokens, idx /*, options*/) {
   var title = tokens[idx].title ? (' title="' + escapeHtml(replaceEntities(tokens[idx].title)) + '"') : '';
-  return '<a href="' + escapeHtml(escapeUrl(unescapeUrl(replaceEntities(tokens[idx].href)))) + '"' + title + '>';
+  return '<a href="' + escapeHtml(encodeURI(decodeURI(replaceEntities(tokens[idx].href)))) + '"' + title + '>';
 };
 rules.link_close = function (/*tokens, idx, options*/) {
   return '</a>';
@@ -178,7 +162,7 @@ rules.link_close = function (/*tokens, idx, options*/) {
 
 
 rules.image = function (tokens, idx, options) {
-  var src = ' src="' + escapeHtml(escapeUrl(tokens[idx].src)) + '"';
+  var src = ' src="' + escapeHtml(encodeURI(tokens[idx].src)) + '"';
   var title = tokens[idx].title ? (' title="' + escapeHtml(replaceEntities(tokens[idx].title)) + '"') : '';
   var alt = ' alt="' + (tokens[idx].alt ? escapeHtml(replaceEntities(tokens[idx].alt)) : '') + '"';
   var suffix = options.xhtmlOut ? ' /' : '';
diff --git a/test/misc.js b/test/misc.js
index 0f4d3e4..59acadd 100644
--- a/test/misc.js
+++ b/test/misc.js
@@ -92,6 +92,28 @@ describe('API', function () {
     assert.strictEqual(md.render('```\n&\n```'), '<pre><code>&amp;\n</code></pre>\n');
   });
 
+  it('force hardbreaks', function () {
+    var md = new Remarkable({ breaks: true });
+
+    assert.strictEqual(md.render('a\nb'), '<p>a<br>\nb</p>\n');
+  });
+
+  it('xhtmlOut enabled', function () {
+    var md = new Remarkable({ breaks: true, xhtmlOut: true });
+
+    assert.strictEqual(md.render('---'), '<hr />\n');
+    assert.strictEqual(md.render('![]()'), '<p><img src="" alt="" /></p>\n');
+    assert.strictEqual(md.render('a\nb'), '<p>a<br />\nb</p>\n');
+  });
+
+  it('xhtmlOut disabled', function () {
+    var md = new Remarkable();
+
+    assert.strictEqual(md.render('---'), '<hr>\n');
+    assert.strictEqual(md.render('![]()'), '<p><img src="" alt=""></p>\n');
+    assert.strictEqual(md.render('a  \\\nb'), '<p>a  <br>\nb</p>\n');
+  });
+
 });