diff --git a/lua/markview/parser.lua b/lua/markview/parser.lua
index 1f88b49..ab8a7d8 100644
--- a/lua/markview/parser.lua
+++ b/lua/markview/parser.lua
@@ -386,15 +386,20 @@ parser.md = function (buffer, TStree, from, to)
 					table.insert(table_structure, "unknown");
 				end
 
-				for col in vim.treesitter.get_node_text(row, buffer):gmatch("%s*|([^|\n]*)") do
-					if col ~= "" then
+				local t_col = nil;
+
+				for col in vim.treesitter.get_node_text(row, buffer):gmatch("|([^|\n]*)") do
+					if col:match("\\$") then
+						t_col =  col .. "|";
+					elseif col ~= "" then
 						table.insert(tmp, "|")
-						table.insert(tmp, col)
+						table.insert(tmp, (t_col or "") .. col)
+
+						t_col = nil;
 					end
 				end
 
 				table.insert(tmp, "|")
-
 				table.insert(rows, tmp)
 			end
 
diff --git a/lua/markview/renderer.lua b/lua/markview/renderer.lua
index 95ef7a1..5f51f20 100644
--- a/lua/markview/renderer.lua
+++ b/lua/markview/renderer.lua
@@ -471,7 +471,7 @@ local table_header = function (buffer, content, config_table)
 					vim.api.nvim_buf_set_extmark(buffer, renderer.namespace, row_start, col_start + curr_col + #col, {
 						virt_text_pos = "inline",
 						virt_text = {
-							{ string.rep("X", (actual_width - width)) }
+							{ string.rep(" ", (actual_width - width)) }
 						}
 					});
 				elseif align == "right" then