diff --git a/uml.py b/uml.py
index 4a52235..7d238c5 100644
--- a/uml.py
+++ b/uml.py
@@ -140,8 +140,12 @@ def main():
     for i in finput():
         i = i.rstrip()
 
-        # ignore blank lines
-        if len(i) == 0: continue
+        # ignore blank lines (but not seperating paragraphs)
+        if len(i) == 0 and not flags["IN_PREFORMATTED"]:
+            if flags["PARA_PREV"]:
+                print("hi")
+                flags["PARA_PREV"] = False
+            continue
 
         # lines with text
         if i[0].isalpha() and not flags["IN_PREFORMATTED"]:
@@ -185,7 +189,11 @@ def main():
             elif command == "*": chain.append(Element("l", params))
             elif command == "-": chain.append(Element("l", params))
             elif command == ">": chain.append(Element("q", params))
-            elif command == "=": chain.append(Element("r", params))
+            elif command == "=":
+                splitted = params.split(' ')
+                url = splitted[0]
+                desc = ' '.join(splitted[1:])
+                chain.append(Element("r", url, desc))
             elif command == "|":
                 if flags["TABLE_PREV"]:
                     chain[-1].data.addrow(params)