diff --git a/.eslintrc.js b/.eslintrc.js
index e8618b8c7..bc8b5c8cd 100644
--- a/.eslintrc.js
+++ b/.eslintrc.js
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ module.exports = {
 			skipBlankLines : true,
 		}],
 		'max-depth'            : ['warn', { max: 4 }],
-		'max-params'           : ['warn', { max: 4 }],
+		'max-params'           : ['warn', { max: 5 }],
 		'no-restricted-syntax' : ['warn', 'ClassDeclaration', 'SwitchStatement'],
 		'no-unused-vars'       : ['warn', {
 			vars              : 'all',
diff --git a/shared/naturalcrit/markdown.js b/shared/naturalcrit/markdown.js
index 72783b41a..8bdda100e 100644
--- a/shared/naturalcrit/markdown.js
+++ b/shared/naturalcrit/markdown.js
@@ -371,30 +371,36 @@ const getTableCell = (text, cell, type, align)=>{
 const splitCells = (tableRow, count, prevRow = [])=>{
 	// trim any excessive pipes at start of row
 	tableRow = tableRow.replace(/^\|+(?=\|)/, '')
-	.replace(/(\|+)/g, (match, p1, offset, str)=>{
+	.replace(/(\|)(\|*)/g, (match, p1, p2, offset, str)=>{
 		let escaped = false,
 			curr = offset;
 		while (--curr >= 0 && str[curr] === '\\') escaped = !escaped;
 		if(escaped) {
 			// odd number of slashes means | is escaped
-			// so we leave it and the slashes alone
-			return p1;
+			// so apply a space after to separate from unescaped pipes
+			return `${p1} ${p2}`;
 		} else {
 			// add space before unescaped | to distinguish it from an escaped pipe
-			return ` ${p1}`;
+			return ` ${p1}${p2}`;
 		}
 	});
 	tableRow = ` ${tableRow}`;
 
-	// Split into cells. Contents are:  no pipes unless escaped. Add any ending pipes; if not don't include ending space
-	const cells = [...tableRow.matchAll(/(?:[^\|]+(?:\\\|)*)+(?:\|+(?=\|)|(?= \|))/g)].map((x)=>x[0]);
-	let i = 0;
+	// Split into cells by matching anything that ends with space followed by pipes
+	const cells = [...tableRow.matchAll(/[^\|].*?(?: \|+|$)/g)].map((x)=>{
+		if(x[0].slice(-2) == ' |') //Cut off the added space too if only one pipe
+			return x[0].slice(0, -2);
+		else {
+			return x[0].slice(0, -1);
+		}
+	});
 
 	// First/last cell in a row cannot be empty if it has no leading/trailing pipe
 	if(!cells[0].trim()) { cells.shift(); }
 	if(!cells[cells.length - 1].trim()) { cells.pop(); }
 
 	let numCols = 0;
+	let i = 0;
 
 	for (; i < cells.length; i++) {
 		const trimmedCell = cells[i].split(/ \|+$/)[0];