diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index e21b07d..7a667b6 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -31,6 +31,10 @@ jobs:
         with:
           ruby-version: '2.5'
 
+      - uses: actions/setup-python@v2
+        with:
+          python-version: '3.8'
+
       - name: Install bundler
         run: gem install bundler
 
@@ -51,3 +55,19 @@ jobs:
           bundle exec jekyll --version
           bundle exec jekyll build
           python tests.py
+
+  on_complete:
+    name: Notify IRC on Completion
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    needs: tests
+    if: always()
+
+    steps:
+      - name: Send IRC notification
+        uses: allejo/supybot-notification-action@v1
+        with:
+          status: ${{ needs.tests.result }}
+          hostname: ${{ secrets.SUPYBOT_HOSTNAME }}
+          credentials: ${{ secrets.SUPYBOT_PASSWORD }}
+          channel: '#sujevo-dev'
+          default_message: true
diff --git a/_includes/anchor_headings.html b/_includes/anchor_headings.html
index 69a5328..be83180 100644
--- a/_includes/anchor_headings.html
+++ b/_includes/anchor_headings.html
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@
     OTHER DEALINGS IN THE SOFTWARE.
   {% endcomment %}
   {% comment %}
-    Version 1.0.8
+    Version 1.0.9
       https://github.com/allejo/jekyll-anchor-headings
 
     "Be the pull request you wish to see in the world." ~Ben Balter
@@ -97,8 +97,10 @@
     {% capture anchor %}{% endcapture %}
 
     {% if html_id and headerLevel >= minHeader and headerLevel <= maxHeader %}
+      {% assign escaped_header = header | strip_html %}
+
       {% if include.headerAttrs %}
-        {% capture _hAttrToStrip %}{{ _hAttrToStrip | split: '>' | first }} {{ include.headerAttrs | replace: '%heading%', header | replace: '%html_id%', html_id }}>{% endcapture %}
+        {% capture _hAttrToStrip %}{{ _hAttrToStrip | split: '>' | first }} {{ include.headerAttrs | replace: '%heading%', escaped_header | replace: '%html_id%', html_id }}>{% endcapture %}
       {% endif %}
 
       {% capture anchor %}href="#{{ html_id }}"{% endcapture %}
@@ -108,14 +110,14 @@
       {% endif %}
 
       {% if include.anchorTitle %}
-        {% capture anchor %}{{ anchor }} title="{{ include.anchorTitle | replace: '%heading%', header }}"{% endcapture %}
+        {% capture anchor %}{{ anchor }} title="{{ include.anchorTitle | replace: '%heading%', escaped_header }}"{% endcapture %}
       {% endif %}
 
       {% if include.anchorAttrs %}
-        {% capture anchor %}{{ anchor }} {{ include.anchorAttrs | replace: '%heading%', header | replace: '%html_id%', html_id }}{% endcapture %}
+        {% capture anchor %}{{ anchor }} {{ include.anchorAttrs | replace: '%heading%', escaped_header | replace: '%html_id%', html_id }}{% endcapture %}
       {% endif %}
 
-      {% capture anchor %}<a {{ anchor }}>{{ include.anchorBody | replace: '%heading%', header | default: '' }}</a>{% endcapture %}
+      {% capture anchor %}<a {{ anchor }}>{{ include.anchorBody | replace: '%heading%', escaped_header | default: '' }}</a>{% endcapture %}
 
       <!-- In order to prevent adding extra space after a heading, we'll let the 'anchor' value contain it -->
       {% if beforeHeading %}
diff --git a/_tests/escapeHeadingPlaceholder.html b/_tests/escapeHeadingPlaceholder.html
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b49b913
--- /dev/null
+++ b/_tests/escapeHeadingPlaceholder.html
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+---
+# https://github.com/allejo/jekyll-anchor-headings/issues/27
+---
+
+{% capture markdown %}
+### The [**match**](#match) Expression
+{% endcapture %}
+{% assign text = markdown | markdownify %}
+
+{% include anchor_headings.html
+  beforeHeading=false
+  h_min=2
+  html=text
+  anchorClass="permalink icon-link"
+  anchorBody=""
+  anchorTitle="Permalink for '%heading%'"
+  anchorAttrs='data-heading="%heading%"'
+  headerAttrs='data-heading="%heading%"'
+%}
+
+<!-- /// -->
+
+<h3 id="the-match-expression" data-heading="The match Expression">
+  The <a href="#match"><strong>match</strong></a> Expression <a href="#the-match-expression" class="permalink icon-link" title="Permalink for 'The match Expression'" data-heading="The match Expression"></a>
+</h3>
diff --git a/tests.py b/tests.py
index 511e1e0..f179411 100644
--- a/tests.py
+++ b/tests.py
@@ -6,17 +6,23 @@
 import unittest
 import xml.etree.ElementTree as ET
 
-class TestSequense(unittest.TestCase):
+class TestSequence(unittest.TestCase):
     pass
 
 def test_generator(a, b):
     def test(self):
+        self.maxDiff = None
         self.assertEqual(a, b)
     return test
 
-def normalize_xml(xml):
-    tree = ET.fromstring(xml)
-    return re.sub('\\n\s+|\\n', '', ET.tostring(tree))
+def normalize_xml(xml, test_file):
+    try:
+        tree = ET.fromstring(xml)
+    except:
+        print(f">> Invalid XML in {test_file}")
+        raise
+
+    return re.sub(r'(\\n|\n)\s*', '', str(ET.tostring(tree)), 0, re.MULTILINE)
 
 if __name__ == '__main__':
     test_path = os.path.join(os.getcwd(), '_site', 'tests')
@@ -25,12 +31,12 @@ def normalize_xml(xml):
         path = os.path.join(test_path, test_file)
         with open(path, 'r') as file:
             actual, expected = file.read().split('<!-- /// -->')
-            actual = normalize_xml(actual)
-            expected = normalize_xml(expected)
+            actual = normalize_xml(actual, test_file)
+            expected = normalize_xml(expected, test_file)
 
-            # Add the unit test to our TestSequense
+            # Add the unit test to our TestSequence
             test_name = 'test_{}'.format(test_file)
             test = test_generator(actual, expected)
-            setattr(TestSequense, test_name, test)
+            setattr(TestSequence, test_name, test)
 
     unittest.main()