diff --git a/helpers/helpers.js b/helpers/helpers.js
index f6a7e17a..d4a02bf1 100644
--- a/helpers/helpers.js
+++ b/helpers/helpers.js
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ module.exports.clearHtmlCommentText = function clearHtmlCommentText(text) {
     let j = text.indexOf(htmlCommentEnd, i);
     if (j === -1) {
       j = text.length;
-      text += "\\";
+      text += "\\\n";
     }
     const comment = text.slice(i + htmlCommentBegin.length, j);
     if ((comment.length > 0) &&
diff --git a/test/markdownlint-test.js b/test/markdownlint-test.js
index 16066f45..525723ae 100644
--- a/test/markdownlint-test.js
+++ b/test/markdownlint-test.js
@@ -1329,7 +1329,8 @@ function clearHtmlCommentTextValid(test) {
     "<!--    --><!--    -->",
     "text<!--    -->text<!--    -->text",
     "<!--",
-    "    \\"
+    "    \\",
+    ""
   ];
   const actual = helpers.clearHtmlCommentText(validComments.join("\n"));
   const expected = validResult.join("\n");
diff --git a/test/unclosed-html-comment-in-code-span.md b/test/unclosed-html-comment-in-code-span.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..602f466a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/unclosed-html-comment-in-code-span.md
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+# Heading
+
+`<!--`
diff --git a/test/unclosed-html-comment.md b/test/unclosed-html-comment.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..31cf3593
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/unclosed-html-comment.md
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+# Heading
+
+<!--