diff --git a/index.compiler.spec.js b/index.compiler.spec.js
index a7077c3c..bbb43de4 100644
--- a/index.compiler.spec.js
+++ b/index.compiler.spec.js
@@ -2972,6 +2972,67 @@ describe('footnotes', () => {
   </footer>
 </div>
 
+`);
+  });
+
+  it('should handle complex references', () => {
+    render(compiler(['foo[^referencé heré 123] bar', '', '[^referencé heré 123]: Baz baz'].join('\n')));
+
+    expect(root.innerHTML).toMatchInlineSnapshot(`
+
+<div data-reactroot>
+  <p>
+    foo
+    <a href="#reference-here-123">
+      <sup>
+        referencé heré 123
+      </sup>
+    </a>
+    bar
+  </p>
+  <footer>
+    <div id="reference-here-123">
+      referencé heré 123
+      : Baz baz
+    </div>
+  </footer>
+</div>
+
+`);
+  });
+
+  it('should handle conversion of multiple references into links', () => {
+    render(compiler(['foo[^abc] bar. baz[^def]', '', '[^abc]: Baz baz', '[^def]: Def'].join('\n')));
+
+    expect(root.innerHTML).toMatchInlineSnapshot(`
+
+<div data-reactroot>
+  <p>
+    foo
+    <a href="#abc">
+      <sup>
+        abc
+      </sup>
+    </a>
+    bar. baz
+    <a href="#def">
+      <sup>
+        def
+      </sup>
+    </a>
+  </p>
+  <footer>
+    <div id="abc">
+      abc
+      : Baz baz
+    </div>
+    <div id="def">
+      def
+      : Def
+    </div>
+  </footer>
+</div>
+
 `);
   });
 
diff --git a/index.js b/index.js
index 60ae8b66..788ea79a 100644
--- a/index.js
+++ b/index.js
@@ -111,8 +111,8 @@ const CODE_BLOCK_R = /^(?: {4}[^\n]+\n*)+(?:\n *)+\n?/;
 const CODE_INLINE_R = /^(`+)\s*([\s\S]*?[^`])\s*\1(?!`)/;
 const CONSECUTIVE_NEWLINE_R = /^(?:\n *)*\n/;
 const CR_NEWLINE_R = /\r\n?/g;
-const FOOTNOTE_R = /^\[\^(.*)\](:.*)\n/;
-const FOOTNOTE_REFERENCE_R = /^\[\^(.*)\]/;
+const FOOTNOTE_R = /^\[\^([^\]]+)](:.*)\n/;
+const FOOTNOTE_REFERENCE_R = /^\[\^([^\]]+)]/;
 const FORMFEED_R = /\f/g;
 const GFM_TASK_R = /^\s*?\[(x|\s)\]/;
 const HEADING_R = /^ *(#{1,6}) *([^\n]+)\n{0,2}/;
@@ -966,7 +966,7 @@ export function compiler(markdown, options) {
       parse(capture /*, parse*/) {
         return {
           content: capture[1],
-          target: `#${capture[1]}`,
+          target: `#${options.slugify(capture[1])}`,
         };
       },
       react(node, output, state) {
@@ -1565,7 +1565,7 @@ export function compiler(markdown, options) {
       <footer key="footer">
         {footnotes.map(function createFootnote(def) {
           return (
-            <div id={def.identifier} key={def.identifier}>
+            <div id={options.slugify(def.identifier)} key={def.identifier}>
               {def.identifier}
               {emitter(parser(def.footnote, { inline: true }))}
             </div>