diff --git a/lib/rdoc/markup/to_html.rb b/lib/rdoc/markup/to_html.rb
index 2bfabc8942..61f14d3ab7 100644
--- a/lib/rdoc/markup/to_html.rb
+++ b/lib/rdoc/markup/to_html.rb
@@ -324,7 +324,7 @@ class RDoc::Markup::ToHtml < RDoc::Markup::Formatter
     header.zip(aligns) do |text, align|
       @res << '<th'
       @res << ' align="' << align << '"' if align
-      @res << '>' << CGI.escapeHTML(text) << "</th>\n"
+      @res << '>' << to_html(text) << "</th>\n"
     end
     @res << "</tr>\n</thead>\n<tbody>\n"
     body.each do |row|
@@ -332,7 +332,7 @@ class RDoc::Markup::ToHtml < RDoc::Markup::Formatter
       row.zip(aligns) do |text, align|
         @res << '<td'
         @res << ' align="' << align << '"' if align
-        @res << '>' << CGI.escapeHTML(text) << "</td>\n"
+        @res << '>' << to_html(text) << "</td>\n"
       end
       @res << "</tr>\n"
     end
diff --git a/test/rdoc/test_rdoc_markup_to_html.rb b/test/rdoc/test_rdoc_markup_to_html.rb
index 8a053575d2..02baf13512 100644
--- a/test/rdoc/test_rdoc_markup_to_html.rb
+++ b/test/rdoc/test_rdoc_markup_to_html.rb
@@ -882,6 +882,7 @@ EXPECTED
       %w[cell1_1 cell1_2 cell1_3],
       %w[cell2_1 cell2_2 cell2_3],
       ['<script>alert("foo");</script>',],
+      %w[+code+ _em_ **strong**],
     ]
     aligns = [:left, :right, nil]
     @to.start_accepting
@@ -898,6 +899,9 @@ EXPECTED
     assert_not_include(res[%r<<td[^<>]*>cell2_3</td>>], 'align=')
     assert_not_include(res, '<script>')
     assert_include(res[%r<<td[^<>]*>.*script.*</td>>], '&lt;script&gt;')
+    assert_include(res[%r<<td[^<>]*>.*code.*</td>>], '<code>code</code>')
+    assert_include(res[%r<<td[^<>]*>.*em.*</td>>], '<em>em</em>')
+    assert_include(res[%r<<td[^<>]*>.*strong.*</td>>], '<strong>strong</strong>')
   end
 end