diff --git a/Text/TeXMath/Macros.hs b/Text/TeXMath/Macros.hs
--- a/Text/TeXMath/Macros.hs
+++ b/Text/TeXMath/Macros.hs
@@ -90,22 +90,23 @@
        Left _  -> s  -- just return original on error
     where tok = try $ do
                   skipComment
-                  choice [ escaped "\\"
-                         , choice (map macroParser ms)
+                  choice [ choice (map macroParser ms)
                          , ctrlseq
                          , count 1 anyChar ]
-          ctrlseq = do
-                    char '\\'
-                    res <- many1 letter <|> count 1 anyChar
-                    return $ '\\' : res
 
+ctrlseq :: GenParser Char st String
+ctrlseq = do
+          char '\\'
+          res <- many1 letter <|> count 1 anyChar
+          return $ '\\' : res
+
 newcommand :: GenParser Char st Macro
 newcommand = try $ do
   char '\\'
   optional $ try $ string "re"
   string "newcommand"
   pSkipSpaceComments
-  name <- inbraces
+  name <- inbraces <|> ctrlseq
   guard (take 1 name == "\\")
   let name' = drop 1 name
   pSkipSpaceComments
@@ -118,7 +119,7 @@
                    Just _  -> numargs - 1
                    Nothing -> numargs
   pSkipSpaceComments
-  body <- inbraces
+  body <- inbraces <|> ctrlseq
   let defn = "\\newcommand{" ++ name ++ "}" ++
              (if numargs > 0 then ("[" ++ show numargs ++ "]") else "") ++
              case optarg of { Nothing -> ""; Just x -> "[" ++ x ++ "]"} ++
@@ -128,10 +129,12 @@
     string name'
     when (all isLetter name') $
       notFollowedBy letter
+    pSkipSpaceComments
     opt <- case optarg of
                 Nothing  -> return Nothing
                 Just _   -> liftM (`mplus` optarg) optArg
-    args <- count numargs' inbraces
+    args <- count numargs' (pSkipSpaceComments >>
+                  (inbraces <|> ctrlseq <|> count 1 anyChar))
     let args' = case opt of
                      Just x  -> x : args
                      Nothing -> args
diff --git a/Text/TeXMath/Parser.hs b/Text/TeXMath/Parser.hs
--- a/Text/TeXMath/Parser.hs
+++ b/Text/TeXMath/Parser.hs
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@
 where
 
 import Control.Monad
-import Data.Char (isAlphaNum, isDigit, isAscii)
+import Data.Char (isDigit, isAscii)
 import qualified Data.Map as M
 import Text.ParserCombinators.Parsec
 import qualified Text.ParserCombinators.Parsec.Token as P
@@ -82,6 +82,7 @@
 
 expr :: TP Exp
 expr = do
+  optional (try $ symbol "\\displaystyle")
   a <- expr1
   limits <- limitsIndicator
   subSup limits a <|> superOrSubscripted limits a <|> return a
@@ -161,7 +162,7 @@
   return '\n'
 
 arrayLine :: TP ArrayLine
-arrayLine = notFollowedBy (try $ char '\\' >> symbol "end" >> return '\n') >>
+arrayLine = notFollowedBy (try $ symbol "\\end" >> return '\n') >>
   sepBy1 (many (notFollowedBy endLine >> expr)) (symbol "&")
 
 arrayAlignments :: TP [Alignment]
@@ -175,13 +176,12 @@
 
 environment :: TP Exp
 environment = try $ do
-  char '\\'
-  symbol "begin"
+  symbol "\\begin"
   name <- char '{' *> manyTill anyChar (char '}')
   spaces
   let name' = filter (/='*') name
   case M.lookup name' environments of
-        Just env -> env <* spaces <* char '\\' <* symbol "end"
+        Just env -> env <* spaces <* symbol "\\end"
                         <* braces (string name) <* spaces
         Nothing  -> mzero
 
@@ -288,7 +288,17 @@
 escaped :: TP Exp
 escaped = lexeme $ try $
           char '\\' >>
-          liftM (ESymbol Ord . (:[])) (satisfy $ not . isAlphaNum)
+          liftM (ESymbol Ord . (:[])) (satisfy isEscapable)
+   where isEscapable '{' = True
+         isEscapable '}' = True
+         isEscapable '$' = True
+         isEscapable '%' = True
+         isEscapable '&' = True
+         isEscapable '_' = True
+         isEscapable '#' = True
+         isEscapable '^' = True  -- actually only if followed by {}
+         isEscapable ' ' = True
+         isEscapable _   = False
 
 unicode :: TP Exp
 unicode = lexeme $ liftM (ESymbol Ord . (:[])) $ satisfy (not . isAscii)
diff --git a/tests/macros.omml b/tests/macros.omml
--- a/tests/macros.omml
+++ b/tests/macros.omml
@@ -6,18 +6,26 @@
   <m:oMath>
     <m:r>
       <m:rPr />
-      <m:t>2</m:t>
+      <m:t>25</m:t>
     </m:r>
     <m:r>
       <m:rPr />
-      <m:t>5</m:t>
+      <m:t>y</m:t>
     </m:r>
     <m:r>
       <m:rPr />
-      <m:t>y</m:t>
+      <m:t>+</m:t>
     </m:r>
     <m:r>
       <m:rPr />
+      <m:t>3</m:t>
+    </m:r>
+    <m:r>
+      <m:rPr />
+      <m:t>x</m:t>
+    </m:r>
+    <m:r>
+      <m:rPr />
       <m:t>+</m:t>
     </m:r>
     <m:r>
@@ -34,7 +42,7 @@
     </m:r>
     <m:r>
       <m:rPr />
-      <m:t>3</m:t>
+      <m:t>α</m:t>
     </m:r>
   </m:oMath>
 </m:oMathPara>
diff --git a/tests/macros.tex b/tests/macros.tex
--- a/tests/macros.tex
+++ b/tests/macros.tex
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 \newcommand{\abc}{5}
-\newcommand{\def}[2][x]{%
+\newcommand{\xyz}[2][x]{%
 #1 + #2%
 }
 \renewcommand{%
@@ -8,11 +8,12 @@
 \theta%
 }
 % comment
-\newcommand{\a}{\b{2}}
-\renewcommand{\phi}{\a}
+\newcommand{\aaa}{\b{2}}
+\renewcommand{\phi}{\aaa}
 \newcommand{\b}[1]{#1}
 
 \phi
 \abc
-\def[y]{3}
-\def{3}
+\xyz[y] {3}
+\xyz 3
+\xyz \alpha
diff --git a/tests/macros.xhtml b/tests/macros.xhtml
--- a/tests/macros.xhtml
+++ b/tests/macros.xhtml
@@ -6,14 +6,16 @@
   <body>
     <math display="block" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML">
       <mrow>
-        <mn>2</mn>
-        <mn>5</mn>
+        <mn>25</mn>
         <mi>y</mi>
         <mo>+</mo>
         <mn>3</mn>
         <mi>x</mi>
         <mo>+</mo>
         <mn>3</mn>
+        <mi>x</mi>
+        <mo>+</mo>
+        <mi>α</mi>
       </mrow>
     </math>
   </body>
diff --git a/texmath.cabal b/texmath.cabal
--- a/texmath.cabal
+++ b/texmath.cabal
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 Name:                texmath
-Version:             0.6.0.3
+Version:             0.6.0.4
 Cabal-Version:       >= 1.6
 Build-type:          Custom
 Synopsis:            Conversion of LaTeX math formulas to MathML or OMML.
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@
   default:           False
 
 Library
-    Build-depends:       xml, parsec >= 2, containers
+    Build-depends:       xml, parsec >= 3, containers
     if impl(ghc >= 6.10)
       Build-depends: base >= 4 && < 5, syb
     else