diff --git a/demo/markdownlint-browser.js b/demo/markdownlint-browser.js
index bb2549de..7225e113 100644
--- a/demo/markdownlint-browser.js
+++ b/demo/markdownlint-browser.js
@@ -3967,7 +3967,7 @@ module.exports = {
             var linkText = "";
             var lineIndex = 0;
             children.forEach(function (child) {
-                var content = child.content, type = child.type;
+                var content = child.content, markup = child.markup, type = child.type;
                 if (type === "link_open") {
                     inLink = true;
                     linkText = "";
@@ -4000,7 +4000,9 @@ module.exports = {
                     lineIndex = 0;
                 }
                 else if (inLink) {
-                    linkText += content;
+                    linkText += type.endsWith("_inline") ?
+                        "".concat(markup).concat(content).concat(markup) :
+                        (content || markup);
                 }
             });
         });
diff --git a/lib/md039.js b/lib/md039.js
index 8397cfc5..791acfc5 100644
--- a/lib/md039.js
+++ b/lib/md039.js
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ module.exports = {
       let linkText = "";
       let lineIndex = 0;
       children.forEach((child) => {
-        const { content, type } = child;
+        const { content, markup, type } = child;
         if (type === "link_open") {
           inLink = true;
           linkText = "";
@@ -57,7 +57,9 @@ module.exports = {
           lineNumber++;
           lineIndex = 0;
         } else if (inLink) {
-          linkText += content;
+          linkText += type.endsWith("_inline") ?
+            `${markup}${content}${markup}` :
+            (content || markup);
         }
       });
     });
diff --git a/test/detailed-results-spaces-inside-link-text.md b/test/detailed-results-spaces-inside-link-text.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..27027ca7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/detailed-results-spaces-inside-link-text.md
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+# Spaces Inside Link Text
+
+[ link ](https://example.com/) {MD039}
+
+[ "link" ](https://example.com/) {MD039}
+
+[ `link` ](https://example.com/) {MD039}
+
+[ *link* ](https://example.com/) {MD039}
+
+[ __link__ ](https://example.com/) {MD039}
+
+[ link "link" ](https://example.com/) {MD039}
+
+[ link `link` ](https://example.com/) {MD039}
+
+[ *link* link ](https://example.com/) {MD039}
diff --git a/test/detailed-results-spaces-inside-link-text.md.fixed b/test/detailed-results-spaces-inside-link-text.md.fixed
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..588c1a99
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/detailed-results-spaces-inside-link-text.md.fixed
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+# Spaces Inside Link Text
+
+[link](https://example.com/) {MD039}
+
+["link"](https://example.com/) {MD039}
+
+[`link`](https://example.com/) {MD039}
+
+[*link*](https://example.com/) {MD039}
+
+[__link__](https://example.com/) {MD039}
+
+[link "link"](https://example.com/) {MD039}
+
+[link `link`](https://example.com/) {MD039}
+
+[*link* link](https://example.com/) {MD039}
diff --git a/test/detailed-results-spaces-inside-link-text.results.json b/test/detailed-results-spaces-inside-link-text.results.json
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..177fbd2d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/detailed-results-spaces-inside-link-text.results.json
@@ -0,0 +1,162 @@
+[
+  {
+    "errorContext": "[ link ]",
+    "errorDetail": null,
+    "errorRange": [
+      1,
+      8
+    ],
+    "fixInfo": {
+      "deleteCount": 6,
+      "editColumn": 2,
+      "insertText": "link"
+    },
+    "lineNumber": 3,
+    "ruleDescription": "Spaces inside link text",
+    "ruleInformation": "https://github.com/DavidAnson/markdownlint/blob/v0.0.0/doc/Rules.md#md039",
+    "ruleNames": [
+      "MD039",
+      "no-space-in-links"
+    ]
+  },
+  {
+    "errorContext": "[ \"link\" ]",
+    "errorDetail": null,
+    "errorRange": [
+      1,
+      10
+    ],
+    "fixInfo": {
+      "deleteCount": 8,
+      "editColumn": 2,
+      "insertText": "\"link\""
+    },
+    "lineNumber": 5,
+    "ruleDescription": "Spaces inside link text",
+    "ruleInformation": "https://github.com/DavidAnson/markdownlint/blob/v0.0.0/doc/Rules.md#md039",
+    "ruleNames": [
+      "MD039",
+      "no-space-in-links"
+    ]
+  },
+  {
+    "errorContext": "[ `link` ]",
+    "errorDetail": null,
+    "errorRange": [
+      1,
+      10
+    ],
+    "fixInfo": {
+      "deleteCount": 8,
+      "editColumn": 2,
+      "insertText": "`link`"
+    },
+    "lineNumber": 7,
+    "ruleDescription": "Spaces inside link text",
+    "ruleInformation": "https://github.com/DavidAnson/markdownlint/blob/v0.0.0/doc/Rules.md#md039",
+    "ruleNames": [
+      "MD039",
+      "no-space-in-links"
+    ]
+  },
+  {
+    "errorContext": "[ *link* ]",
+    "errorDetail": null,
+    "errorRange": [
+      1,
+      10
+    ],
+    "fixInfo": {
+      "deleteCount": 8,
+      "editColumn": 2,
+      "insertText": "*link*"
+    },
+    "lineNumber": 9,
+    "ruleDescription": "Spaces inside link text",
+    "ruleInformation": "https://github.com/DavidAnson/markdownlint/blob/v0.0.0/doc/Rules.md#md039",
+    "ruleNames": [
+      "MD039",
+      "no-space-in-links"
+    ]
+  },
+  {
+    "errorContext": "[ __link__ ]",
+    "errorDetail": null,
+    "errorRange": [
+      1,
+      12
+    ],
+    "fixInfo": {
+      "deleteCount": 10,
+      "editColumn": 2,
+      "insertText": "__link__"
+    },
+    "lineNumber": 11,
+    "ruleDescription": "Spaces inside link text",
+    "ruleInformation": "https://github.com/DavidAnson/markdownlint/blob/v0.0.0/doc/Rules.md#md039",
+    "ruleNames": [
+      "MD039",
+      "no-space-in-links"
+    ]
+  },
+  {
+    "errorContext": "[ link \"link\" ]",
+    "errorDetail": null,
+    "errorRange": [
+      1,
+      15
+    ],
+    "fixInfo": {
+      "deleteCount": 13,
+      "editColumn": 2,
+      "insertText": "link \"link\""
+    },
+    "lineNumber": 13,
+    "ruleDescription": "Spaces inside link text",
+    "ruleInformation": "https://github.com/DavidAnson/markdownlint/blob/v0.0.0/doc/Rules.md#md039",
+    "ruleNames": [
+      "MD039",
+      "no-space-in-links"
+    ]
+  },
+  {
+    "errorContext": "[ link `link` ]",
+    "errorDetail": null,
+    "errorRange": [
+      1,
+      15
+    ],
+    "fixInfo": {
+      "deleteCount": 13,
+      "editColumn": 2,
+      "insertText": "link `link`"
+    },
+    "lineNumber": 15,
+    "ruleDescription": "Spaces inside link text",
+    "ruleInformation": "https://github.com/DavidAnson/markdownlint/blob/v0.0.0/doc/Rules.md#md039",
+    "ruleNames": [
+      "MD039",
+      "no-space-in-links"
+    ]
+  },
+  {
+    "errorContext": "[ *link* link ]",
+    "errorDetail": null,
+    "errorRange": [
+      1,
+      15
+    ],
+    "fixInfo": {
+      "deleteCount": 13,
+      "editColumn": 2,
+      "insertText": "*link* link"
+    },
+    "lineNumber": 17,
+    "ruleDescription": "Spaces inside link text",
+    "ruleInformation": "https://github.com/DavidAnson/markdownlint/blob/v0.0.0/doc/Rules.md#md039",
+    "ruleNames": [
+      "MD039",
+      "no-space-in-links"
+    ]
+  }
+]
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/test/spaces_inside_link_text.md b/test/spaces_inside_link_text.md
index 84176ff4..df11518b 100644
--- a/test/spaces_inside_link_text.md
+++ b/test/spaces_inside_link_text.md
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@
 
 [*foo*](https://bar/)
 
-[**foo**](https://bar/)
+[__foo__](https://bar/)
 
 [foo "bar"](https://baz/)
 
@@ -28,6 +28,8 @@
 
 [ *foo* ](https://bar/) {MD039}
 
+[ __foo__ ](https://bar/) {MD039}
+
 The following shouldn't break anything:
 [![Screenshot.png](/images/Screenshot.png)](/images/Screenshot.png)