diff --git a/lib/email_spec/helpers.rb b/lib/email_spec/helpers.rb
index 62334a49..1ac933ab 100644
--- a/lib/email_spec/helpers.rb
+++ b/lib/email_spec/helpers.rb
@@ -140,9 +140,11 @@ def parse_email_for_explicit_link(email, regex)
       request_uri(url)
     end
 
+    HrefRegex = %r{href=['"]?([^'"]*)['"]?}
+    NotClosingARegex = %r{(?:(?!</a>).)*?}
     # e.g. Click here in  <a href="http://confirm">Click here</a>
     def parse_email_for_anchor_text_link(email, link_text)
-      if textify_images(email.default_part_body) =~ %r{<a[^>]*href=['"]?([^'"]*)['"]?[^>]*?>[^<]*?(.*?)#{link_text}(.*?)[^<]*?</a>}
+      if textify_images(email.default_part_body) =~ %r{<a[^>]*#{HrefRegex}[^>]*>#{NotClosingARegex}#{link_text}#{NotClosingARegex}</a>}
         URI.split($1)[5..-1].compact!.join("?").gsub("&amp;", "&")
         # sub correct ampersand after rails switches it (http://dev.rubyonrails.org/ticket/4002)
       else
diff --git a/spec/email_spec/helpers_spec.rb b/spec/email_spec/helpers_spec.rb
index 324170e3..3b17ab90 100644
--- a/spec/email_spec/helpers_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/email_spec/helpers_spec.rb
@@ -31,7 +31,9 @@
     end
 
     it "properly finds links with text surrounded by tags" do
-      email = Mail.new(:body =>  %(<a href="/path/to/page"><strong>Click Here</strong></a>))
+      email = Mail.new(:body =>  %(
+        <a href="/path/to/app">Welcome</a><a href="/path/to/page"><strong>Click Here</strong></a>))
+
       expect(parse_email_for_link(email, "Click Here")).to eq("/path/to/page")
     end