diff --git a/demo/markdownlint-browser.js b/demo/markdownlint-browser.js
index b7ca1ad6..70f86f47 100644
--- a/demo/markdownlint-browser.js
+++ b/demo/markdownlint-browser.js
@@ -52,9 +52,6 @@ var emphasisMarkersRe = /[_*]/g;
 // Regular expression for inline links and shortcut reference links
 var linkRe = /(\[(?:[^[\]]?(?:\[[^[\]]*\])?)*\])(\([^)]*\)|\[[^\]]*\])?/g;
 module.exports.linkRe = linkRe;
-// Regular expression for empty inline links
-module.exports.emptyLinkRe =
-    /\[(?:[^[\]]?(?:\[[^[\]]*\])?)*\]\((?:|#|<>)\)/;
 // Regular expression for link reference definition lines
 module.exports.linkReferenceRe = /^ {0,3}\[[^\]]+]:\s.*$/;
 // All punctuation characters (normal and full-width)
@@ -3917,7 +3914,7 @@ module.exports = {
 "use strict";
 // @ts-check
 
-var _a = __webpack_require__(/*! ../helpers */ "../helpers/helpers.js"), addErrorContext = _a.addErrorContext, emptyLinkRe = _a.emptyLinkRe, filterTokens = _a.filterTokens, rangeFromRegExp = _a.rangeFromRegExp;
+var _a = __webpack_require__(/*! ../helpers */ "../helpers/helpers.js"), addErrorContext = _a.addErrorContext, escapeForRegExp = _a.escapeForRegExp, filterTokens = _a.filterTokens;
 module.exports = {
     "names": ["MD042", "no-empty-links"],
     "description": "No empty links",
@@ -3940,7 +3937,14 @@ module.exports = {
                 else if (child.type === "link_close") {
                     inLink = false;
                     if (emptyLink) {
-                        addErrorContext(onError, child.lineNumber, "[" + linkText + "]()", null, null, rangeFromRegExp(child.line, emptyLinkRe));
+                        var context = "[".concat(linkText, "]");
+                        var range = null;
+                        var match = child.line.match(new RegExp("".concat(escapeForRegExp(context), "\\((?:|#|<>)\\)")));
+                        if (match) {
+                            context = match[0];
+                            range = [match.index + 1, match[0].length];
+                        }
+                        addErrorContext(onError, child.lineNumber, context, null, null, range);
                         emptyLink = false;
                     }
                 }
diff --git a/helpers/helpers.js b/helpers/helpers.js
index 873c978b..da378898 100644
--- a/helpers/helpers.js
+++ b/helpers/helpers.js
@@ -31,10 +31,6 @@ const linkRe =
   /(\[(?:[^[\]]?(?:\[[^[\]]*\])?)*\])(\([^)]*\)|\[[^\]]*\])?/g;
 module.exports.linkRe = linkRe;
 
-// Regular expression for empty inline links
-module.exports.emptyLinkRe =
-  /\[(?:[^[\]]?(?:\[[^[\]]*\])?)*\]\((?:|#|<>)\)/;
-
 // Regular expression for link reference definition lines
 module.exports.linkReferenceRe = /^ {0,3}\[[^\]]+]:\s.*$/;
 
diff --git a/lib/md042.js b/lib/md042.js
index 12c7ea7d..1695542d 100644
--- a/lib/md042.js
+++ b/lib/md042.js
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 
 "use strict";
 
-const { addErrorContext, emptyLinkRe, filterTokens, rangeFromRegExp } =
+const { addErrorContext, escapeForRegExp, filterTokens } =
   require("../helpers");
 
 module.exports = {
@@ -26,9 +26,18 @@ module.exports = {
         } else if (child.type === "link_close") {
           inLink = false;
           if (emptyLink) {
-            addErrorContext(onError, child.lineNumber,
-              "[" + linkText + "]()", null, null,
-              rangeFromRegExp(child.line, emptyLinkRe));
+            let context = `[${linkText}]`;
+            let range = null;
+            const match = child.line.match(
+              new RegExp(`${escapeForRegExp(context)}\\((?:|#|<>)\\)`)
+            );
+            if (match) {
+              context = match[0];
+              range = [ match.index + 1, match[0].length ];
+            }
+            addErrorContext(
+              onError, child.lineNumber, context, null, null, range
+            );
             emptyLink = false;
           }
         } else if (inLink) {
diff --git a/test/detailed-results-MD041-MD050.results.json b/test/detailed-results-MD041-MD050.results.json
index d9b7b38b..e4c35d34 100644
--- a/test/detailed-results-MD041-MD050.results.json
+++ b/test/detailed-results-MD041-MD050.results.json
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@
     "ruleDescription": "No empty links",
     "ruleInformation": "https://github.com/DavidAnson/markdownlint/blob/v0.0.0/doc/Rules.md#md042",
     "errorDetail": null,
-    "errorContext": "[empty]()",
+    "errorContext": "[empty](#)",
     "errorRange": [
       4,
       10
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@
     "ruleDescription": "No empty links",
     "ruleInformation": "https://github.com/DavidAnson/markdownlint/blob/v0.0.0/doc/Rules.md#md042",
     "errorDetail": null,
-    "errorContext": "[empty]()",
+    "errorContext": "[empty](<>)",
     "errorRange": [
       4,
       11