diff --git a/packages/mdsvex/src/index.ts b/packages/mdsvex/src/index.ts
index 075ded39..e70e30a1 100644
--- a/packages/mdsvex/src/index.ts
+++ b/packages/mdsvex/src/index.ts
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@ import {
 	smartypants_transformer,
 	highlight_blocks,
 	code_highlight,
+	escape_brackets,
 } from './transformers';
 
 function stringify(this: Processor, options = {}) {
@@ -77,6 +78,7 @@ export function transform(
 		.use(markdown)
 		.use(mdsvex_parser)
 		.use(external, { target: false, rel: ['nofollow'] })
+		.use(escape_brackets)
 		.use(escape_code, { blocks: !!highlight })
 		.use(extract_frontmatter, [{ type: fm_opts.type, marker: fm_opts.marker }])
 		.use(parse_frontmatter, { parse: fm_opts.parse, type: fm_opts.type });
diff --git a/packages/mdsvex/src/transformers/index.ts b/packages/mdsvex/src/transformers/index.ts
index afa51bb2..417a1736 100644
--- a/packages/mdsvex/src/transformers/index.ts
+++ b/packages/mdsvex/src/transformers/index.ts
@@ -65,17 +65,17 @@ export function parse_frontmatter({
 	return transformer;
 }
 
-// in code nodes replace the character witrh the html entities
-// maybe I'll need more of these
-
-const entites: Array<[RegExp, string]> = [
-	[/</g, '&lt;'],
-	[/>/g, '&gt;'],
-	[/{/g, '&#123;'],
-	[/}/g, '&#125;'],
-];
-
 export function escape_code({ blocks }: { blocks: boolean }): Transformer {
+	// in code nodes replace the character witrh the html entities
+	// maybe I'll need more of these
+
+	const entites: Array<[RegExp, string]> = [
+		[/</g, '&lt;'],
+		[/>/g, '&gt;'],
+		[/{/g, '&#123;'],
+		[/}/g, '&#125;'],
+	];
+
 	return function (tree) {
 		if (!blocks) {
 			visit(tree, 'code', escape);
@@ -91,6 +91,34 @@ export function escape_code({ blocks }: { blocks: boolean }): Transformer {
 	};
 }
 
+// remark-parse already partially escapes <>'s, but then re-emits them raw in the AST,
+// which we stringify raw (Should we be?)
+export function escape_brackets(): Transformer {
+	const entites: Array<[RegExp, string]> = [
+		// remark-parse does not transform \<
+		[/\\</g, '&lt;'],
+		// remark-parse transforms \> to '>', and &gt; to '>'
+		[/^>$/g, '&gt;'],
+		// remark-parse transforms &lt; to '<'
+		[/^<$/g, '&lt;'],
+
+		// svelte templating {}'s -- similar story.
+		[/^{$/g, '&#123;'],
+		[/^}$/g, '&#125;']
+	];
+
+	return function (tree) {
+		visit(tree, 'text', escape);
+
+		function escape(node) {
+			for (let i = 0; i < entites.length; i += 1) {
+				node.value = node.value.replace(entites[i][0], entites[i][1]);
+			}
+		}
+	};
+}
+
+
 // special case - process nodes with retext and smartypants
 // retext plugins can't work generally due to the difficulties in converting between the two trees
 
diff --git a/packages/mdsvex/test/_fixtures/markdown/input/escaped-html-taglikes.md b/packages/mdsvex/test/_fixtures/markdown/input/escaped-html-taglikes.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..0922b605
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/mdsvex/test/_fixtures/markdown/input/escaped-html-taglikes.md
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+awa \<hi\>
+
+awoo \<heyoo
+
+And what happens when I escape like &lt;this&gt;?
+
+This one shouldn't be \\<escaped>
diff --git a/packages/mdsvex/test/_fixtures/markdown/output/escaped-html-taglikes.html b/packages/mdsvex/test/_fixtures/markdown/output/escaped-html-taglikes.html
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..a870a492
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/mdsvex/test/_fixtures/markdown/output/escaped-html-taglikes.html
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+<p>awa &lt;hi&gt;</p>
+<p>awoo &lt;heyoo</p>
+<p>And what happens when I escape like &lt;this&gt;?</p>
+<p>This one shouldn't be \<escaped></p>