diff --git a/lib/redcarpet/render/gitlab_html.rb b/lib/redcarpet/render/gitlab_html.rb
index c3378d6a18f..54d740908d5 100644
--- a/lib/redcarpet/render/gitlab_html.rb
+++ b/lib/redcarpet/render/gitlab_html.rb
@@ -10,6 +10,17 @@ class Redcarpet::Render::GitlabHTML < Redcarpet::Render::HTML
     super options
   end
 
+  # If project has issue number 39, apostrophe will be linked in
+  # regular text to the issue as Redcarpet will convert apostrophe to
+  # #39;
+  # We replace apostrophe with right single quote before Redcarpet
+  # does the processing and put the apostrophe back in postprocessing.
+  # This only influences regular text, code blocks are untouched.
+  def normal_text(text)
+    return text unless text.present?
+    text.gsub("'", "&rsquo;")
+  end
+
   def block_code(code, language)
     # New lines are placed to fix an rendering issue
     # with code wrapped inside <h1> tag for next case:
@@ -44,6 +55,7 @@ class Redcarpet::Render::GitlabHTML < Redcarpet::Render::HTML
   end
 
   def postprocess(full_document)
+    full_document.gsub!("&rsquo;", "'")
     unless @template.instance_variable_get("@project_wiki") || @project.nil?
       full_document = h.create_relative_links(full_document)
     end
diff --git a/spec/helpers/gitlab_markdown_helper_spec.rb b/spec/helpers/gitlab_markdown_helper_spec.rb
index 26908abc30a..328942d32b0 100644
--- a/spec/helpers/gitlab_markdown_helper_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/helpers/gitlab_markdown_helper_spec.rb
@@ -530,6 +530,24 @@ describe GitlabMarkdownHelper do
       markdown(actual).should match(%r{<li>light by <a.+>@#{member.user.username}</a></li>})
     end
 
+    it "should not link the apostrophe to issue 39" do
+      project.team << [user, :master]
+      project.issues.stub(:where).with(iid: '39').and_return([issue])
+
+      actual   = "Yes, it is @#{member.user.username}'s task."
+      expected = /Yes, it is <a.+>@#{member.user.username}<\/a>'s task/
+      markdown(actual).should match(expected)
+    end
+
+    it "should not link the apostrophe to issue 39 in code blocks" do
+      project.team << [user, :master]
+      project.issues.stub(:where).with(iid: '39').and_return([issue])
+
+      actual   = "Yes, `it is @#{member.user.username}'s task.`"
+      expected = /Yes, <code>it is @gfm\'s task.<\/code>/
+      markdown(actual).should match(expected)
+    end
+
     it "should handle references in <em>" do
       actual = "Apply _!#{merge_request.iid}_ ASAP"