diff --git a/lib/redmine/wiki_formatting/markdown/formatter.rb b/lib/redmine/wiki_formatting/markdown/formatter.rb
index 82e3b6c..c959c3a 100644
--- a/lib/redmine/wiki_formatting/markdown/formatter.rb
+++ b/lib/redmine/wiki_formatting/markdown/formatter.rb
@@ -142,7 +142,8 @@ module Redmine
             :strikethrough => true,
             :superscript => true,
             :no_intra_emphasis => true,
-            :footnotes => true
+            :footnotes => true,
+            :lax_spacing => true
           )
         end
       end
diff --git a/test/unit/lib/redmine/wiki_formatting/markdown_formatter_test.rb b/test/unit/lib/redmine/wiki_formatting/markdown_formatter_test.rb
index 938ee31..3acf29d 100644
--- a/test/unit/lib/redmine/wiki_formatting/markdown_formatter_test.rb
+++ b/test/unit/lib/redmine/wiki_formatting/markdown_formatter_test.rb
@@ -89,5 +89,14 @@ STR
     assert_equal '<p>This is a <a href="/issues">link</a></p>', @formatter.new(text).to_html.strip
   end
 
+  def test_markdown_should_not_require_surrounded_empty_line
+    text = <<-STR
+This is a list:
+* One
+* Two
+STR
+    assert_equal "<p>This is a list:</p>\n\n<ul>\n<li>One</li>\n<li>Two</li>\n</ul>", @formatter.new(text).to_html.strip
+  end
+
   end
 end