diff --git a/content.py b/content.py
index 0bf1f9273..387ec7b59 100644
--- a/content.py
+++ b/content.py
@@ -1351,7 +1351,8 @@ def bold_reading_string(text: str) -> str:
                 reading_markup = False
             if not reading_markup and len(wrd) > 1 and \
                '<' not in wrd and '>' not in wrd and \
-               '&' not in wrd and not wrd.startswith(':'):
+               '&' not in wrd and '=' not in wrd and \
+               not wrd.startswith(':'):
 
                 prefix = ''
                 postfix = ''
@@ -1370,6 +1371,8 @@ def bold_reading_string(text: str) -> str:
                 new_parag += wrd + ' '
         parag_ctr += 1
         new_parag = new_parag.strip()
+        if not new_parag:
+            continue
         if parag_ctr < len(paragraphs):
             if not add_paragraph_markup:
                 new_text += new_parag + '\n'
diff --git a/tests.py b/tests.py
index 98d4e4d4a..5bdbb364e 100644
--- a/tests.py
+++ b/tests.py
@@ -6739,6 +6739,20 @@ def _test_bold_reading() -> None:
         print(text_bold)
     assert text_bold == expected
 
+    text = '<p><span class=\"h-card\"><a ' + \
+        'href=\"https://something.social/@someone\" ' + \
+        'class=\"u-url mention\">@<span>Someone or other' + \
+        '</span></a></span> some text</p>'
+    text_bold = bold_reading_string(text)
+    expected = \
+        '<p><span class="h-card">' + \
+        '<a href="https://something.social/@someone" ' + \
+        'class="u-url mention">@<span>Someone <b>o</b>r other' + \
+        '</span></a></span> <b>so</b>me <b>te</b>xt</p>'
+    if text_bold != expected:
+        print(text_bold)
+    assert text_bold == expected
+
 
 def run_all_tests():
     base_dir = os.getcwd()