diff --git a/backref.go b/backref.go
index ce8b06a..0c5ae0f 100644
--- a/backref.go
+++ b/backref.go
@@ -88,7 +88,11 @@ func loadBackrefs(fp *FilePages, p string) (map[string][]Backref, error) {
 			result[ref.Name] = nil
 		}
 
-		links := renderLinks(strings.TrimLeft(ref.Link.Line, " *"))
+		line := strings.TrimLeft(ref.Link.Line, " ")
+		if line[0] == '*' && line[1] == ' ' {
+			line = line[2:]
+		}
+		links := renderLinks(line)
 		pageText := renderMarkdown2(links)
 
 		removeBrackets := func(r rune) rune {
@@ -102,7 +106,7 @@ func loadBackrefs(fp *FilePages, p string) (map[string][]Backref, error) {
 			Name:     ref.Name,
 			Title:    title,
 			LineHTML: template.HTML(pageText),
-			Line: strings.Map(removeBrackets, ref.Link.Line),
+			Line:     strings.Map(removeBrackets, ref.Link.Line),
 		})
 	}