diff --git a/html.go b/html.go
index abf8366..6cdab1c 100644
--- a/html.go
+++ b/html.go
@@ -387,32 +387,12 @@ func htmlListItem(out *bytes.Buffer, text []byte, flags int, opaque interface{})
 }
 
 func htmlParagraph(out *bytes.Buffer, text []byte, opaque interface{}) {
-	options := opaque.(*htmlOptions)
-
 	if out.Len() > 0 {
 		out.WriteByte('\n')
 	}
 
 	out.WriteString("<p>")
-	if options.flags&HTML_HARD_WRAP != 0 {
-		org := 0
-		for i := 0; i < len(text); i++ {
-			if text[i] != '\n' {
-				continue
-			}
-
-			if i > org {
-				out.Write(text[org:i])
-			}
-			org = i
-
-			out.WriteString("<br")
-			out.WriteString(options.closeTag)
-		}
-		out.Write(text[org:])
-	} else {
-		out.Write(text)
-	}
+	out.Write(text)
 	out.WriteString("</p>\n")
 }
 
diff --git a/inline.go b/inline.go
index 8fdf606..ae3fed1 100644
--- a/inline.go
+++ b/inline.go
@@ -157,9 +157,11 @@ func inlineCodeSpan(out *bytes.Buffer, rndr *render, data []byte, offset int) in
 
 }
 
-// '\n' preceded by two spaces
+// newline preceded by two spaces becomes <br>
+// newline without two spaces works when EXTENSION_HARD_LINE_BREAK is enabled
 func inlineLineBreak(out *bytes.Buffer, rndr *render, data []byte, offset int) int {
-	if offset < 2 || data[offset-1] != ' ' || data[offset-2] != ' ' {
+	if rndr.flags&EXTENSION_HARD_LINE_BREAK == 0 &&
+		(offset < 2 || data[offset-1] != ' ' || data[offset-2] != ' ') {
 		return 0
 	}
 
diff --git a/markdown.go b/markdown.go
index eb7a07f..3c3f16c 100644
--- a/markdown.go
+++ b/markdown.go
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ const (
 	EXTENSION_STRIKETHROUGH
 	EXTENSION_LAX_HTML_BLOCKS
 	EXTENSION_SPACE_HEADERS
+	EXTENSION_HARD_LINE_BREAK
 )
 
 // These are the possible flag values for the link renderer.