diff --git a/org/inline.go b/org/inline.go
index b1bb28c..b91d6b8 100644
--- a/org/inline.go
+++ b/org/inline.go
@@ -371,19 +371,30 @@ func (d *Document) parseEmphasis(input string, start int, isRaw bool) (int, Node
 // see org-emphasis-regexp-components (emacs elisp variable)
 
 func hasValidPreAndBorderChars(input string, i int) bool {
-	return (i+1 >= len(input) || isValidBorderChar(rune(input[i+1]))) && (i == 0 || isValidPreChar(rune(input[i-1])))
+	return isValidBorderChar(nextRune(input, i)) && isValidPreChar(prevRune(input, i))
 }
 
 func hasValidPostAndBorderChars(input string, i int) bool {
-	return (i == 0 || isValidBorderChar(rune(input[i-1]))) && (i+1 >= len(input) || isValidPostChar(rune(input[i+1])))
+	return (isValidPostChar(nextRune(input, i))) && isValidBorderChar(prevRune(input, i))
+}
+
+func prevRune(input string, i int) rune {
+	r, _ := utf8.DecodeLastRuneInString(input[:i])
+	return r
+}
+
+func nextRune(input string, i int) rune {
+	_, c := utf8.DecodeRuneInString(input[i:])
+	r, _ := utf8.DecodeRuneInString(input[i+c:])
+	return r
 }
 
 func isValidPreChar(r rune) bool {
-	return unicode.IsSpace(r) || strings.ContainsRune(`-({'"`, r)
+	return r == utf8.RuneError || unicode.IsSpace(r) || strings.ContainsRune(`-({'"`, r)
 }
 
 func isValidPostChar(r rune) bool {
-	return unicode.IsSpace(r) || strings.ContainsRune(`-.,:!?;'")}[`, r)
+	return r == utf8.RuneError || unicode.IsSpace(r) || strings.ContainsRune(`-.,:!?;'")}[`, r)
 }
 
 func isValidBorderChar(r rune) bool { return !unicode.IsSpace(r) }
diff --git a/org/testdata/inline.html b/org/testdata/inline.html
index b0b886d..383fd81 100644
--- a/org/testdata/inline.html
+++ b/org/testdata/inline.html
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ also hard line breaks not followed by a newline get ignored, see \\</li>
 <li><em>.emphasis with dot border chars.</em></li>
 <li><em>emphasis with a slash/inside</em></li>
 <li><em>emphasis</em> followed by raw text with slash /</li>
+<li><strong>emphasis ending with a &#34;difficult&#34; multibyte character 习</strong></li>
 <li>-&gt;/not an emphasis/&lt;-</li>
 <li>links with slashes do not become <em>emphasis</em>: <a href="https://somelinkshouldntrenderaccidentalemphasis.com">https://somelinkshouldntrenderaccidentalemphasis.com</a>/ <em>emphasis</em></li>
 <li><span style="text-decoration: underline;">underlined</span> <strong>bold</strong>  <code class="verbatim">verbatim</code> <code>code</code> <del>strikethrough</del></li>
diff --git a/org/testdata/inline.org b/org/testdata/inline.org
index a2b486a..8e2fd78 100644
--- a/org/testdata/inline.org
+++ b/org/testdata/inline.org
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 - /.emphasis with dot border chars./
 - /emphasis with a slash/inside/
 - /emphasis/ followed by raw text with slash /
+- *emphasis ending with a "difficult" multibyte character 习*
 - ->/not an emphasis/<-
 - links with slashes do not become /emphasis/: [[https://somelinkshouldntrenderaccidentalemphasis.com]]/ /emphasis/
 - _underlined_ *bold*  =verbatim= ~code~ +strikethrough+
diff --git a/org/testdata/inline.pretty_org b/org/testdata/inline.pretty_org
index dfd0b6a..b6275fb 100644
--- a/org/testdata/inline.pretty_org
+++ b/org/testdata/inline.pretty_org
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 - /.emphasis with dot border chars./
 - /emphasis with a slash/inside/
 - /emphasis/ followed by raw text with slash /
+- *emphasis ending with a "difficult" multibyte character 习*
 - ->/not an emphasis/<-
 - links with slashes do not become /emphasis/: [[https://somelinkshouldntrenderaccidentalemphasis.com]]/ /emphasis/
 - _underlined_ *bold*  =verbatim= ~code~ +strikethrough+