diff --git a/pkg/parser/table_of_contents_test.go b/pkg/parser/table_of_contents_test.go
index 6b01c688..ea23f08e 100644
--- a/pkg/parser/table_of_contents_test.go
+++ b/pkg/parser/table_of_contents_test.go
@@ -383,7 +383,15 @@ var _ = Describe("tables of contents", func() {
 		// same titles for all tests in this context
 		section1Title := []interface{}{
 			&types.StringElement{
-				Content: "Section 1",
+				Content: "Section ",
+			},
+			&types.QuotedText{
+				Kind: types.SingleQuoteBold,
+				Elements: []interface{}{
+					&types.StringElement{
+						Content: "1",
+					},
+				},
 			},
 		}
 		section2Title := []interface{}{
@@ -398,7 +406,7 @@ var _ = Describe("tables of contents", func() {
 
 a preamble 
 
-== Section 1
+== Section *1*
 
 == Section 2`
 			expected := &types.Document{
@@ -472,7 +480,7 @@ a preamble
 
 a preamble 
 
-== Section 1
+== Section *1*
 
 == Section 2`
 			expected := &types.Document{
@@ -555,7 +563,7 @@ block
 
 a preamble 
 
-== Section 1
+== Section *1*
 
 == Section 2`
 			expected := &types.Document{
@@ -627,7 +635,7 @@ a preamble
 :toc:
 :toc-title: <h3>Table of Contents</h3>
 
-== Section 1
+== Section *1*
 
 == Section 2
 `
@@ -712,7 +720,7 @@ a preamble
 :toc:
 :toc-title: pass:[<h3>Table of Contents</h3>]
 
-== Section 1
+== Section *1*
 
 == Section 2
 `
diff --git a/pkg/renderer/sgml/html5/footnote_reference_test.go b/pkg/renderer/sgml/html5/footnote_reference_test.go
index ffad677b..7bab5554 100644
--- a/pkg/renderer/sgml/html5/footnote_reference_test.go
+++ b/pkg/renderer/sgml/html5/footnote_reference_test.go
@@ -128,10 +128,11 @@ a preamble with a footnote:[foo]
 a paragraph with another footnote:[baz]`
 
 		// NOTE: differs from asciidoc in the section and footnote numbering (which also impacts the 'footnotes' portion at the end of the doc)
+		// also, differs in the rendering of the footnote reference in the table of contents
 		expected := `<div id="toc" class="toc">
 <div id="toctitle">Table of Contents</div>
 <ul class="sectlevel1">
-<li><a href="#_section_1">section 1 <sup class="footnote">[2]</sup></a></li>
+<li><a href="#_section_1">section 1 <sup class="footnote">[<a id="_footnoteref_2" class="footnote" href="#_footnotedef_2" title="View footnote.">2</a>]</sup></a></li>
 </ul>
 </div>
 <div id="preamble">
diff --git a/pkg/renderer/sgml/html5/table_of_contents_test.go b/pkg/renderer/sgml/html5/table_of_contents_test.go
index c929c177..22f3604e 100644
--- a/pkg/renderer/sgml/html5/table_of_contents_test.go
+++ b/pkg/renderer/sgml/html5/table_of_contents_test.go
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ import (
 	. "github.com/onsi/gomega"
 )
 
-var _ = Describe("table of contents", func() {
+var _ = Describe("tables of contents", func() {
 
 	Context("in document with header", func() {
 
@@ -21,9 +21,9 @@ A preamble...
 
 == Section A
 
-=== Section A.a
+=== Section *A.a*
 
-=== Section A.b
+=== Section _A.b_
 
 ==== Section that shall not be in ToC
 
@@ -38,8 +38,8 @@ A preamble...
 <ul class="sectlevel1">
 <li><a href="#_section_a">Section A</a>
 <ul class="sectlevel2">
-<li><a href="#_section_a_a">Section A.a</a></li>
-<li><a href="#_section_a_b">Section A.b</a></li>
+<li><a href="#_section_a_a">Section <strong>A.a</strong></a></li>
+<li><a href="#_section_a_b">Section <em>A.b</em></a></li>
 </ul>
 </li>
 <li><a href="#_section_b">Section B</a>
@@ -61,10 +61,10 @@ A preamble...
 <h2 id="_section_a">Section A</h2>
 <div class="sectionbody">
 <div class="sect2">
-<h3 id="_section_a_a">Section A.a</h3>
+<h3 id="_section_a_a">Section <strong>A.a</strong></h3>
 </div>
 <div class="sect2">
-<h3 id="_section_a_b">Section A.b</h3>
+<h3 id="_section_a_b">Section <em>A.b</em></h3>
 <div class="sect3">
 <h4 id="_section_that_shall_not_be_in_toc">Section that shall not be in ToC</h4>
 </div>
diff --git a/pkg/renderer/sgml/table_of_contents.go b/pkg/renderer/sgml/table_of_contents.go
index 5e7e2e54..ba14ddf0 100644
--- a/pkg/renderer/sgml/table_of_contents.go
+++ b/pkg/renderer/sgml/table_of_contents.go
@@ -47,11 +47,20 @@ func (r *sgmlRenderer) prerenderTableOfContentsEntry(ctx *context, entry *types.
 	if !found {
 		return errors.New("unable to render table of contents entry title (missing element reference")
 	}
-	title, err := RenderPlainText(s)
-	if err != nil {
-		return errors.Wrap(err, "unable to render table of contents entry title (missing element reference")
+	switch s := s.(type) {
+	case []interface{}:
+		title, err := r.renderElements(ctx, s)
+		if err != nil {
+			return errors.Wrap(err, "unable to render table of contents entry title (missing element reference")
+		}
+		entry.Title = title
+	default:
+		title, err := r.renderElement(ctx, s)
+		if err != nil {
+			return errors.Wrap(err, "unable to render table of contents entry title (missing element reference")
+		}
+		entry.Title = title
 	}
-	entry.Title = title
 	return nil
 }