diff --git a/README.rst b/README.rst
index 51888ea..a0cd678 100644
--- a/README.rst
+++ b/README.rst
@@ -123,6 +123,11 @@ escape_underscores
   If set to ``False``, do not escape ``_`` to ``\_`` in text.
   Defaults to ``True``.
 
+escape_misc
+  If set to ``False``, do not escape miscellaneous punctuation characters
+  that sometimes have Markdown significance in text.
+  Defaults to ``True``.
+
 keep_inline_images_in
   Images are converted to their alt-text when the images are located inside
   headlines or table cells. If some inline images should be converted to
diff --git a/markdownify/__init__.py b/markdownify/__init__.py
index 86226d2..1ae09a6 100644
--- a/markdownify/__init__.py
+++ b/markdownify/__init__.py
@@ -69,6 +69,7 @@ class DefaultOptions:
         default_title = False
         escape_asterisks = True
         escape_underscores = True
+        escape_misc = True
         heading_style = UNDERLINED
         keep_inline_images_in = []
         newline_style = SPACES
@@ -199,6 +200,9 @@ def should_convert_tag(self, tag):
     def escape(self, text):
         if not text:
             return ''
+        if self.options['escape_misc']:
+            text = re.sub(r'([\\&<`[>~#=+|-])', r'\\\1', text)
+            text = re.sub(r'([0-9])([.)])', r'\1\\\2', text)
         if self.options['escape_asterisks']:
             text = text.replace('*', r'\*')
         if self.options['escape_underscores']:
diff --git a/tests/test_escaping.py b/tests/test_escaping.py
index 2f3a83e..eaef77d 100644
--- a/tests/test_escaping.py
+++ b/tests/test_escaping.py
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ def test_underscore():
 
 
 def test_xml_entities():
-    assert md('&amp;') == '&'
+    assert md('&amp;') == r'\&'
 
 
 def test_named_entities():
@@ -25,4 +25,23 @@ def test_hexadecimal_entities():
 
 
 def test_single_escaping_entities():
-    assert md('&amp;amp;') == '&amp;'
+    assert md('&amp;amp;') == r'\&amp;'
+
+
+def text_misc():
+    assert md('\\*') == r'\\\*'
+    assert md('<foo>') == r'\<foo\>'
+    assert md('# foo') == r'\# foo'
+    assert md('> foo') == r'\> foo'
+    assert md('~~foo~~') == r'\~\~foo\~\~'
+    assert md('foo\n===\n') == 'foo\n\\=\\=\\=\n'
+    assert md('---\n') == '\\-\\-\\-\n'
+    assert md('+ x\n+ y\n') == '\\+ x\n\\+ y\n'
+    assert md('`x`') == r'\`x\`'
+    assert md('[text](link)') == r'\[text](link)'
+    assert md('1. x') == r'1\. x'
+    assert md('not a number. x') == r'not a number. x'
+    assert md('1) x') == r'1\) x'
+    assert md('not a number) x') == r'not a number) x'
+    assert md('|not table|') == r'\|not table\|'
+    assert md(r'\ <foo> &amp;amp; | ` `', escape_misc=False) == r'\ <foo> &amp; | ` `'