diff --git a/syntax/markdown.vim b/syntax/markdown.vim
index a069746..d9a0532 100644
--- a/syntax/markdown.vim
+++ b/syntax/markdown.vim
@@ -101,15 +101,19 @@ syn region markdownUrlTitle matchgroup=markdownUrlTitleDelimiter start=+"+ end=+
 syn region markdownUrlTitle matchgroup=markdownUrlTitleDelimiter start=+'+ end=+'+ keepend contained
 syn region markdownUrlTitle matchgroup=markdownUrlTitleDelimiter start=+(+ end=+)+ keepend contained
 
-syn region markdownLinkText matchgroup=markdownLinkTextDelimiter start="!\=\[\%(\_[^][]*\%(\[\_[^][]*\]\_[^][]*\)*]\%([[(]\)\)\@=" end="\]\%([[(]\)\@=" nextgroup=markdownLink,markdownId skipwhite contains=@markdownInline,markdownLineStart
-syn region markdownLink matchgroup=markdownLinkDelimiter start="(" end=")" contains=markdownUrl keepend contained
+
 syn region markdownId matchgroup=markdownIdDelimiter start="\[" end="\]" keepend contained
 syn region markdownAutomaticLink matchgroup=markdownUrlDelimiter start="<\%(\w\+:\|[[:alnum:]_+-]\+@\)\@=" end=">" keepend oneline
 
 let s:concealends = ''
+let s:conceal = ''
 if has('conceal') && get(g:, 'markdown_syntax_conceal', 1) == 1
   let s:concealends = ' concealends'
+  let s:conceal = ' conceal'
 endif
+exe 'syn region markdownLinkText matchgroup=markdownLinkTextDelimiter start="!\=\[\%(\_[^][]*\%(\[\_[^][]*\]\_[^][]*\)*]\%([[(]\)\)\@=" end="\]\%([[(]\)\@=" nextgroup=markdownLink,markdownId skipwhite contains=@markdownInline,markdownLineStart' . s:concealends
+" the destination of a link should be fully concealed
+exe 'syn region markdownLink matchgroup=markdownLinkDelimiter start="(" end=")" contains=markdownUrl keepend contained' . s:conceal
 exe 'syn region markdownItalic matchgroup=markdownItalicDelimiter start="\*\S\@=" end="\S\@<=\*\|^$" skip="\\\*" contains=markdownLineStart,@Spell' . s:concealends
 exe 'syn region markdownItalic matchgroup=markdownItalicDelimiter start="\w\@<!_\S\@=" end="\S\@<=_\w\@!\|^$" skip="\\_" contains=markdownLineStart,@Spell' . s:concealends
 exe 'syn region markdownBold matchgroup=markdownBoldDelimiter start="\*\*\S\@=" end="\S\@<=\*\*\|^$" skip="\\\*" contains=markdownLineStart,markdownItalic,@Spell' . s:concealends