diff --git a/lib/rdoc/markdown.rb b/lib/rdoc/markdown.rb
index 8db9ae0f1d..c68aa07b64 100644
--- a/lib/rdoc/markdown.rb
+++ b/lib/rdoc/markdown.rb
@@ -16132,73 +16132,13 @@ class RDoc::Markdown
     return _tmp
   end
 
-  # TableItem = < (!"|" !@Newline .)+ > { text.strip }
+  # TableItem = < /(?:\\.|[^|\n])+/ > { text.strip.gsub(/\\(.)/, '\1')  }
   def _TableItem
 
     _save = self.pos
     while true # sequence
       _text_start = self.pos
-      _save1 = self.pos
-
-      _save2 = self.pos
-      while true # sequence
-        _save3 = self.pos
-        _tmp = match_string("|")
-        _tmp = _tmp ? nil : true
-        self.pos = _save3
-        unless _tmp
-          self.pos = _save2
-          break
-        end
-        _save4 = self.pos
-        _tmp = _Newline()
-        _tmp = _tmp ? nil : true
-        self.pos = _save4
-        unless _tmp
-          self.pos = _save2
-          break
-        end
-        _tmp = get_byte
-        unless _tmp
-          self.pos = _save2
-        end
-        break
-      end # end sequence
-
-      if _tmp
-        while true
-
-          _save5 = self.pos
-          while true # sequence
-            _save6 = self.pos
-            _tmp = match_string("|")
-            _tmp = _tmp ? nil : true
-            self.pos = _save6
-            unless _tmp
-              self.pos = _save5
-              break
-            end
-            _save7 = self.pos
-            _tmp = _Newline()
-            _tmp = _tmp ? nil : true
-            self.pos = _save7
-            unless _tmp
-              self.pos = _save5
-              break
-            end
-            _tmp = get_byte
-            unless _tmp
-              self.pos = _save5
-            end
-            break
-          end # end sequence
-
-          break unless _tmp
-        end
-        _tmp = true
-      else
-        self.pos = _save1
-      end
+      _tmp = scan(/\G(?-mix:(?:\\.|[^|\n])+)/)
       if _tmp
         text = get_text(_text_start)
       end
@@ -16206,7 +16146,7 @@ class RDoc::Markdown
         self.pos = _save
         break
       end
-      @result = begin;  text.strip ; end
+      @result = begin;  text.strip.gsub(/\\(.)/, '\1')  ; end
       _tmp = true
       unless _tmp
         self.pos = _save
@@ -16337,7 +16277,7 @@ class RDoc::Markdown
     return _tmp
   end
 
-  # TableAlign = < /:?-+:?/ > @Sp { text.start_with?(":") ? :left :                 text.end_with?(":") ? :right : nil               }
+  # TableAlign = < /:?-+:?/ > @Sp {                 text.start_with?(":") ?                 (text.end_with?(":") ? :center : :left) :                 (text.end_with?(":") ? :right : nil)               }
   def _TableAlign
 
     _save = self.pos
@@ -16356,8 +16296,10 @@ class RDoc::Markdown
         self.pos = _save
         break
       end
-      @result = begin;  text.start_with?(":") ? :left :
-                text.end_with?(":") ? :right : nil
+      @result = begin; 
+                text.start_with?(":") ?
+                (text.end_with?(":") ? :center : :left) :
+                (text.end_with?(":") ? :right : nil)
               ; end
       _tmp = true
       unless _tmp
@@ -16806,10 +16748,10 @@ class RDoc::Markdown
   Rules[:_TableHead] = rule_info("TableHead", "TableItem2+:items \"|\"? @Newline { items }")
   Rules[:_TableRow] = rule_info("TableRow", "((TableItem:item1 TableItem2*:items { [item1, *items] }):row | TableItem2+:row) \"|\"? @Newline { row }")
   Rules[:_TableItem2] = rule_info("TableItem2", "\"|\" TableItem")
-  Rules[:_TableItem] = rule_info("TableItem", "< (!\"|\" !@Newline .)+ > { text.strip }")
+  Rules[:_TableItem] = rule_info("TableItem", "< /(?:\\\\.|[^|\\n])+/ > { text.strip.gsub(/\\\\(.)/, '\\1')  }")
   Rules[:_TableLine] = rule_info("TableLine", "((TableAlign:align1 TableAlign2*:aligns {[align1, *aligns] }):line | TableAlign2+:line) \"|\"? @Newline { line }")
   Rules[:_TableAlign2] = rule_info("TableAlign2", "\"|\" @Sp TableAlign")
-  Rules[:_TableAlign] = rule_info("TableAlign", "< /:?-+:?/ > @Sp { text.start_with?(\":\") ? :left :                 text.end_with?(\":\") ? :right : nil               }")
+  Rules[:_TableAlign] = rule_info("TableAlign", "< /:?-+:?/ > @Sp {                 text.start_with?(\":\") ?                 (text.end_with?(\":\") ? :center : :left) :                 (text.end_with?(\":\") ? :right : nil)               }")
   Rules[:_DefinitionList] = rule_info("DefinitionList", "&{ definition_lists? } DefinitionListItem+:list { RDoc::Markup::List.new :NOTE, *list.flatten }")
   Rules[:_DefinitionListItem] = rule_info("DefinitionListItem", "DefinitionListLabel+:label DefinitionListDefinition+:defns { list_items = []                        list_items <<                          RDoc::Markup::ListItem.new(label, defns.shift)                         list_items.concat defns.map { |defn|                          RDoc::Markup::ListItem.new nil, defn                        } unless list_items.empty?                         list_items                      }")
   Rules[:_DefinitionListLabel] = rule_info("DefinitionListLabel", "StrChunk:label @Sp @Newline { label }")
diff --git a/test/rdoc/test_rdoc_markdown.rb b/test/rdoc/test_rdoc_markdown.rb
index 75195dab56..dd6f312fa9 100644
--- a/test/rdoc/test_rdoc_markdown.rb
+++ b/test/rdoc/test_rdoc_markdown.rb
@@ -1065,14 +1065,14 @@ and an extra note.[^2]
   def test_gfm_table_2
     doc = parse <<~'MD'
     | Cmd | Returns | Meaning
-    ----- | ------- | -------
+    ----- | :-----: | -------
     |"b"  | boolean | True if file1 is a block device
     "c"   | boolean | True if file1 is a character device
     |"\|" | boolean | escaped bar \| test
     MD
 
     head = %w[Cmd Returns Meaning]
-    align = [nil, nil, nil]
+    align = [nil, :center, nil]
     body = [
       ['"b"', 'boolean', 'True if file1 is a block device'],
       ['"c"', 'boolean', 'True if file1 is a character device'],