diff --git a/changelog b/changelog
--- a/changelog
+++ b/changelog
@@ -1,3 +1,11 @@
+pandoc (1.9.0.5)
+
+  * Changed cabal file so that build-depends for the test program
+    are not required unless the tests flag is used.
+
+  * LaTeX writer:  insert `{}` between adjacent hyphens so they don't
+    form ligatures (dashes) in code spans.
+
 pandoc (1.9.0.4)
 
   * Raised version bound on test-framework to avoid problems
diff --git a/pandoc.cabal b/pandoc.cabal
--- a/pandoc.cabal
+++ b/pandoc.cabal
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 Name:            pandoc
-Version:         1.9.0.4
+Version:         1.9.0.5
 Cabal-Version:   >= 1.10
 Build-Type:      Custom
 License:         GPL
@@ -391,30 +391,30 @@
                       FlexibleInstances
   Hs-Source-Dirs:  src
   -- END DUPLICATED SECTION
-  if impl(ghc >= 7)
-    cpp-options:      -D_LIT=lit
+  if !flag(tests)
+    Buildable:        False
   else
-    cpp-options:      -D_LIT=$lit
-  if flag(tests)
     Buildable:        True
-  else
-    Buildable:        False
-  Other-Extensions: TemplateHaskell, QuasiQuotes
-  Build-Depends:    Diff, test-framework >= 0.3 && < 0.6,
-                    test-framework-hunit >= 0.2 && < 0.3,
-                    test-framework-quickcheck2 >= 0.2.9 && < 0.3,
-                    QuickCheck >= 2.4 && < 2.6,
-                    HUnit >= 1.2 && < 1.3,
-                    template-haskell >= 2.4 && < 2.8,
-                    ansi-terminal == 0.5.*
-  Other-Modules:    Tests.Old
-                    Tests.Helpers
-                    Tests.Arbitrary
-                    Tests.Shared
-                    Tests.Readers.LaTeX
-                    Tests.Readers.Markdown
-                    Tests.Readers.RST
-                    Tests.Writers.Native
-                    Tests.Writers.ConTeXt
-                    Tests.Writers.HTML
-                    Tests.Writers.Markdown
+    if impl(ghc >= 7)
+      cpp-options:    -D_LIT=lit
+    else
+      cpp-options:    -D_LIT=$lit
+    Other-Extensions: TemplateHaskell, QuasiQuotes
+    Build-Depends:    Diff, test-framework >= 0.3 && < 0.6,
+                      test-framework-hunit >= 0.2 && < 0.3,
+                      test-framework-quickcheck2 >= 0.2.9 && < 0.3,
+                      QuickCheck >= 2.4 && < 2.6,
+                      HUnit >= 1.2 && < 1.3,
+                      template-haskell >= 2.4 && < 2.8,
+                      ansi-terminal == 0.5.*
+    Other-Modules:    Tests.Old
+                      Tests.Helpers
+                      Tests.Arbitrary
+                      Tests.Shared
+                      Tests.Readers.LaTeX
+                      Tests.Readers.Markdown
+                      Tests.Readers.RST
+                      Tests.Writers.Native
+                      Tests.Writers.ConTeXt
+                      Tests.Writers.HTML
+                      Tests.Writers.Markdown
diff --git a/src/Text/Pandoc/Writers/LaTeX.hs b/src/Text/Pandoc/Writers/LaTeX.hs
--- a/src/Text/Pandoc/Writers/LaTeX.hs
+++ b/src/Text/Pandoc/Writers/LaTeX.hs
@@ -170,26 +170,38 @@
 
 -- escape things as needed for LaTeX
 stringToLaTeX :: Bool -> String -> String
-stringToLaTeX isUrl = escapeStringUsing latexEscapes
-  where latexEscapes = backslashEscapes "{}$%&_#" ++
-                       [ ('~', "\\ensuremath{\\sim}") | not isUrl ] ++
-                       [ ('^', "\\^{}")
-                       , ('\\', "\\textbackslash{}")
-                       , ('€', "\\euro{}")
-                       , ('|', "\\textbar{}")
-                       , ('<', "\\textless{}")
-                       , ('>', "\\textgreater{}")
-                       , ('[', "{[}")  -- to avoid interpretation as
-                       , (']', "{]}")  -- optional arguments
-                       , ('\160', "~")
-                       , ('\x2018', "`")
-                       , ('\x2019', "'")
-                       , ('\x201C', "``")
-                       , ('\x201D', "''")
-                       , ('\x2026', "\\ldots{}")
-                       , ('\x2014', "---")
-                       , ('\x2013', "--")
-                       ]
+stringToLaTeX _     []     = ""
+stringToLaTeX isUrl (x:xs) =
+  case x of
+       '{' -> "\\{" ++ rest
+       '}' -> "\\}" ++ rest
+       '$' -> "\\$" ++ rest
+       '%' -> "\\%" ++ rest
+       '&' -> "\\&" ++ rest
+       '_' -> "\\_" ++ rest
+       '#' -> "\\#" ++ rest
+       '-' -> case xs of   -- prevent adjacent hyphens from forming ligatures
+                   ('-':_) -> "-{}" ++ rest
+                   _       -> '-' : rest
+       '~' | not isUrl -> "\\ensuremath{\\sim}"
+       '^' -> "\\^{}" ++ rest
+       '\\' -> "\\textbackslash{}" ++ rest
+       '€' -> "\\euro{}" ++ rest
+       '|' -> "\\textbar{}" ++ rest
+       '<' -> "\\textless{}" ++ rest
+       '>' -> "\\textgreater{}" ++ rest
+       '[' -> "{[}" ++ rest  -- to avoid interpretation as
+       ']' -> "{]}" ++ rest  -- optional arguments
+       '\160' -> "~" ++ rest
+       '\x2018' -> "`" ++ rest
+       '\x2019' -> "'" ++ rest
+       '\x201C' -> "``" ++ rest
+       '\x201D' -> "''" ++ rest
+       '\x2026' -> "\\ldots{}" ++ rest
+       '\x2014' -> "---" ++ rest
+       '\x2013' -> "--" ++ rest
+       _        -> x : rest
+    where rest = stringToLaTeX isUrl xs
 
 -- | Puts contents into LaTeX command.
 inCmd :: String -> Doc -> Doc