diff --git a/Parsedown.php b/Parsedown.php
index 986b86e..3232a1f 100644
--- a/Parsedown.php
+++ b/Parsedown.php
@@ -1955,7 +1955,7 @@ class Parsedown
     # Read-Only
 
     protected $specialCharacters = array(
-        '\\', '`', '*', '_', '{', '}', '[', ']', '(', ')', '>', '#', '+', '-', '.', '!', '|',
+        '\\', '`', '*', '_', '{', '}', '[', ']', '(', ')', '>', '#', '+', '-', '.', '!', '|', '~'
     );
 
     protected $StrongRegex = array(
diff --git a/test/data/strikethrough.html b/test/data/strikethrough.html
index 2a9da98..14bb5a2 100644
--- a/test/data/strikethrough.html
+++ b/test/data/strikethrough.html
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
 <p><del>strikethrough</del></p>
 <p>here's <del>one</del> followed by <del>another one</del></p>
-<p>~~ this ~~ is not one neither is ~this~</p>
\ No newline at end of file
+<p>~~ this ~~ is not one neither is ~this~</p>
+<p>escaped ~~this~~</p>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/test/data/strikethrough.md b/test/data/strikethrough.md
index d169144..83d5b35 100644
--- a/test/data/strikethrough.md
+++ b/test/data/strikethrough.md
@@ -2,4 +2,6 @@
 
 here's ~~one~~ followed by ~~another one~~
 
-~~ this ~~ is not one neither is ~this~
\ No newline at end of file
+~~ this ~~ is not one neither is ~this~
+
+escaped \~\~this\~\~
\ No newline at end of file