diff --git a/src/Text/Pandoc/Readers/Markdown.hs b/src/Text/Pandoc/Readers/Markdown.hs
index 6ee8df7b6..abf8061e0 100644
--- a/src/Text/Pandoc/Readers/Markdown.hs
+++ b/src/Text/Pandoc/Readers/Markdown.hs
@@ -334,8 +334,9 @@ anyOrderedListStart = try $ do
   if stateStrict state
      then do many1 digit
              char '.'
+             spaceChar
              return (1, DefaultStyle, DefaultDelim)
-     else anyOrderedListMarker
+     else anyOrderedListMarker >>~ spaceChar
 
 orderedListStart style delim = try $ do
   optional newline -- if preceded by a Plain block in a list context
@@ -346,7 +347,7 @@ orderedListStart style delim = try $ do
              char '.'
              return 1
      else orderedListMarker style delim 
-  oneOf spaceChars
+  spaceChar
   skipSpaces
 
 -- parse a line of a list item (start = parser for beginning of list item)
diff --git a/src/Text/Pandoc/Readers/RST.hs b/src/Text/Pandoc/Readers/RST.hs
index ce8fedf02..878c1355c 100644
--- a/src/Text/Pandoc/Readers/RST.hs
+++ b/src/Text/Pandoc/Readers/RST.hs
@@ -418,7 +418,7 @@ listItem start = try $ do
   return parsed
 
 orderedList = try $ do
-  (start, style, delim) <- lookAhead anyOrderedListMarker 
+  (start, style, delim) <- lookAhead (anyOrderedListMarker >>~ spaceChar)
   items <- many1 (listItem (orderedListStart style delim))
   let items' = compactify items
   return $ OrderedList (start, style, delim) items'
@@ -551,7 +551,8 @@ endline = try $ do
   -- parse potential list-starts at beginning of line differently in a list:
   st <- getState
   if ((stateParserContext st) == ListItemState)
-     then notFollowedBy' anyOrderedListMarker >> notFollowedBy' bulletListStart
+     then notFollowedBy (anyOrderedListMarker >> spaceChar) >>
+          notFollowedBy' bulletListStart
      else return ()
   return Space
 
diff --git a/tests/testsuite.native b/tests/testsuite.native
index 11719eb16..9950341c4 100644
--- a/tests/testsuite.native
+++ b/tests/testsuite.native
@@ -178,6 +178,8 @@ Pandoc (Meta [Str "Pandoc",Space,Str "Test",Space,Str "Suite"] ["John MacFarlane
     , OrderedList (1,DefaultStyle,DefaultDelim)
       [ [ Plain [Str "Nested",Str "."] ]
      ] ] ]
+, Para [Str "Should",Space,Str "not",Space,Str "be",Space,Str "a",Space,Str "list",Space,Str "item:"]
+, Para [Str "M",Str ".",Str "A",Str ".",Space,Str "2007"]
 , HorizontalRule
 , Header 1 [Str "Definition",Space,Str "Lists"]
 , Para [Str "Tight",Space,Str "using",Space,Str "spaces:"]
diff --git a/tests/testsuite.txt b/tests/testsuite.txt
index 31b5c3bed..f8d9221b9 100644
--- a/tests/testsuite.txt
+++ b/tests/testsuite.txt
@@ -281,6 +281,10 @@ Autonumbering:
  #.  More.
      #.  Nested.
 
+Should not be a list item:
+
+M.A. 2007
+
   *   *   *   *   *
 
 # Definition Lists
diff --git a/tests/writer.context b/tests/writer.context
index fe7c58851..c0b633117 100644
--- a/tests/writer.context
+++ b/tests/writer.context
@@ -399,6 +399,10 @@ Autonumbering:
 \item Nested.
 \stopltxenum
 \stopltxenum
+Should not be a list item:
+
+M.A. 2007
+
 \thinrule
 
 \section{Definition Lists}
diff --git a/tests/writer.docbook b/tests/writer.docbook
index 390c9f4fe..7b3f39f34 100644
--- a/tests/writer.docbook
+++ b/tests/writer.docbook
@@ -642,6 +642,12 @@ These should not be escaped:  \$ \\ \&gt; \[ \{
           </orderedlist>
         </listitem>
       </orderedlist>
+      <para>
+        Should not be a list item:
+      </para>
+      <para>
+        M.A. 2007
+      </para>
     </section>
   </section>
   <section>
diff --git a/tests/writer.html b/tests/writer.html
index 6c3637315..46a95cde7 100644
--- a/tests/writer.html
+++ b/tests/writer.html
@@ -449,6 +449,10 @@ These should not be escaped:  \$ \\ \&gt; \[ \{
 	  ></ol
 	></li
       ></ol
+    ><p
+    >Should not be a list item:</p
+    ><p
+    >M.A. 2007</p
     ><hr
      /><h1 id="definition-lists"
     >Definition Lists</h1
diff --git a/tests/writer.latex b/tests/writer.latex
index fb771182f..ec35ae30d 100644
--- a/tests/writer.latex
+++ b/tests/writer.latex
@@ -345,6 +345,10 @@ Autonumbering:
 \item Nested.
 \end{enumerate}
 \end{enumerate}
+Should not be a list item:
+
+M.A. 2007
+
 \begin{center}\rule{3in}{0.4pt}\end{center}
 
 \section{Definition Lists}
diff --git a/tests/writer.man b/tests/writer.man
index 05d766108..5b8d97094 100644
--- a/tests/writer.man
+++ b/tests/writer.man
@@ -321,6 +321,10 @@ More\.
 .IP "1." 3
 Nested\.
 .RE
+.PP
+Should not be a list item:
+.PP
+M\.A\. 2007
 .PP
    *   *   *   *   *
 .SH Definition Lists
diff --git a/tests/writer.markdown b/tests/writer.markdown
index 298e8e825..42f63abca 100644
--- a/tests/writer.markdown
+++ b/tests/writer.markdown
@@ -284,6 +284,10 @@ Autonumbering:
     1.  Nested.
 
 
+Should not be a list item:
+
+M.A. 2007
+
 
 * * * * *
 
diff --git a/tests/writer.native b/tests/writer.native
index 11719eb16..9950341c4 100644
--- a/tests/writer.native
+++ b/tests/writer.native
@@ -178,6 +178,8 @@ Pandoc (Meta [Str "Pandoc",Space,Str "Test",Space,Str "Suite"] ["John MacFarlane
     , OrderedList (1,DefaultStyle,DefaultDelim)
       [ [ Plain [Str "Nested",Str "."] ]
      ] ] ]
+, Para [Str "Should",Space,Str "not",Space,Str "be",Space,Str "a",Space,Str "list",Space,Str "item:"]
+, Para [Str "M",Str ".",Str "A",Str ".",Space,Str "2007"]
 , HorizontalRule
 , Header 1 [Str "Definition",Space,Str "Lists"]
 , Para [Str "Tight",Space,Str "using",Space,Str "spaces:"]
diff --git a/tests/writer.rst b/tests/writer.rst
index 0f059761c..188df8c7b 100644
--- a/tests/writer.rst
+++ b/tests/writer.rst
@@ -348,6 +348,10 @@ Autonumbering:
     #. Nested.
 
 
+Should not be a list item:
+
+M.A. 2007
+
 --------------
 
 Definition Lists
diff --git a/tests/writer.rtf b/tests/writer.rtf
index 6ff422603..35607ebba 100644
--- a/tests/writer.rtf
+++ b/tests/writer.rtf
@@ -157,6 +157,8 @@ These should not be escaped:  \\$ \\\\ \\> \\[ \\\{\par}
 {\pard \ql \f0 \sa0 \li360 \fi-360 1.\tx360\tab Autonumber.\par}
 {\pard \ql \f0 \sa0 \li360 \fi-360 2.\tx360\tab More.\par}
 {\pard \ql \f0 \sa0 \li720 \fi-360 a.\tx360\tab Nested.\sa180\sa180\par}
+{\pard \ql \f0 \sa180 \li0 \fi0 Should not be a list item:\par}
+{\pard \ql \f0 \sa180 \li0 \fi0 M.A. 2007\par}
 {\pard \qc \f0 \sa180 \li0 \fi0 \emdash\emdash\emdash\emdash\emdash\par}
 {\pard \ql \f0 \sa180 \li0 \fi0 \b \fs36 Definition Lists\par}
 {\pard \ql \f0 \sa180 \li0 \fi0 Tight using spaces:\par}