diff --git a/README.org b/README.org
index f72c252..a20f0a2 100644
--- a/README.org
+++ b/README.org
@@ -3,6 +3,10 @@ A basic org-mode parser in go.
 Take a look at [[https://niklasfasching.github.io/go-org/][github pages]] for some examples and an online org->html demo.
 * next
 - more keywords: https://orgmode.org/manual/In_002dbuffer-settings.html
+- improve list parsing
+  - handle list items with empty first line
+  - handle checkboxes & statistic cookies
+  - handle ordered list overrides [@10]
 ** TODO list checkboxes & statistics [0/2]
 https://orgmode.org/manual/Checkboxes.html
 1. [ ] parse checkbox of list item
diff --git a/org/list.go b/org/list.go
index 853a1b6..3e2ece6 100644
--- a/org/list.go
+++ b/org/list.go
@@ -83,9 +83,6 @@ func (d *Document) parseListItem(l List, i int, parentStop stopFn) (int, Node) {
 	if l.Kind == "descriptive" {
 		if m := descriptiveListItemRegexp.FindStringIndex(content); m != nil {
 			dterm, content = content[:m[0]], content[m[1]:]
-			if len(content) == 0 {
-				content = "\n"
-			}
 		}
 	}
 	d.tokens[i] = tokenize(strings.Repeat(" ", minIndent) + content)
@@ -96,7 +93,7 @@ func (d *Document) parseListItem(l List, i int, parentStop stopFn) (int, Node) {
 		t := d.tokens[i]
 		return t.lvl < minIndent && !(t.kind == "text" && t.content == "")
 	}
-	for !stop(d, i) && !isSecondBlankLine(d, i) {
+	for !stop(d, i) && (i <= start+1 || !isSecondBlankLine(d, i)) {
 		consumed, node := d.parseOne(i, stop)
 		i += consumed
 		nodes = append(nodes, node)
diff --git a/org/org.go b/org/org.go
index 116038d..fe90179 100644
--- a/org/org.go
+++ b/org/org.go
@@ -201,22 +201,30 @@ func (w *OrgWriter) writeComment(c Comment) {
 func (w *OrgWriter) writeList(l List) { w.writeNodes(l.Items...) }
 
 func (w *OrgWriter) writeListItem(li ListItem) {
-	w.WriteString(w.indent + li.Bullet + " ")
 	liWriter := w.emptyClone()
 	liWriter.indent = w.indent + strings.Repeat(" ", len(li.Bullet)+1)
 	liWriter.writeNodes(li.Children...)
-	w.WriteString(strings.TrimPrefix(liWriter.String(), liWriter.indent))
+	content := strings.TrimPrefix(liWriter.String(), liWriter.indent)
+	w.WriteString(w.indent + li.Bullet)
+	if len(content) > 0 && content[0] == '\n' {
+		w.WriteString(content)
+	} else {
+		w.WriteString(" " + content)
+	}
 }
 
 func (w *OrgWriter) writeDescriptiveListItem(di DescriptiveListItem) {
+	w.WriteString(w.indent + di.Bullet)
+	indent := w.indent + strings.Repeat(" ", len(di.Bullet)+1)
+	if len(di.Term) != 0 {
+		term := w.nodesAsString(di.Term...)
+		w.WriteString(" " + term + " ::")
+		indent = indent + strings.Repeat(" ", len(term)+4)
+	}
 	diWriter := w.emptyClone()
-	diWriter.indent = w.indent + strings.Repeat(" ", len(di.Bullet)+1)
+	diWriter.indent = indent
 	diWriter.writeNodes(di.Details...)
 	details := strings.TrimPrefix(diWriter.String(), diWriter.indent)
-	w.WriteString(w.indent + di.Bullet)
-	if len(di.Term) != 0 {
-		w.WriteString(" " + w.nodesAsString(di.Term...) + " ::")
-	}
 	if len(details) > 0 && details[0] == '\n' {
 		w.WriteString(details)
 	} else {
diff --git a/org/testdata/lists.html b/org/testdata/lists.html
index 4d93680..63af830 100644
--- a/org/testdata/lists.html
+++ b/org/testdata/lists.html
@@ -98,19 +98,32 @@ descriptive lists
 <dt>
 term<dd>
 <p>
-description
+details
+continued details
 </p>
 <dd>
 <dt>
 ?<dd>
 <p>
-without term
+details without a term
 </p>
 <dd>
 <dt>
 term<dd>
 <p>
-description
+details on a new line
 </p>
 <dd>
+<dt>
+term<dd>
+<p>
+details on a new line (with an empty line in between)
+<strong>continued</strong>
+</p>
+<div class="highlight">
+<pre>
+echo &#34;Hello World!&#34;
+</pre>
+</div>
+<dd>
 </dl>
diff --git a/org/testdata/lists.org b/org/testdata/lists.org
index bf96925..43d0627 100644
--- a/org/testdata/lists.org
+++ b/org/testdata/lists.org
@@ -24,8 +24,15 @@
 
 
 descriptive lists
-
-- term :: description
-- without term
+- term :: details
+          continued details
+- details without a term
 - term ::
-  description
+          details on a new line
+- term ::
+
+          details on a new line (with an empty line in between)
+          *continued*
+          #+BEGIN_SRC bash
+          echo "Hello World!"
+          #+END_SRC