diff --git a/MIGRATION.md b/MIGRATION.md
index d4c40d7..48f24ca 100644
--- a/MIGRATION.md
+++ b/MIGRATION.md
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ it named converts.
 | Input | `0.1.0` | `0.2.0` |
 | --- | --- | --- |
 | a link whose `href` or `title` no CommonMark escape spells, on emit | `unspellable-link` | spells `!adf:link[text]{attrs}` |
-| a link whose text already holds one (`[<https://example.com/>](/v)`) | drops the outer link | leaves the outer brackets literal text |
+| a link whose text already holds one (`[a<https://example.com/>b](/v)`) | marks every node the inner link does not, splitting the outer link around it | leaves the outer brackets literal text |
 | a leaf node given a body (`media`, `listBreak`) | `unsupported-node-shape` | `malformed-directive` |
 | a node with a block body written as a leaf (`panel`) | `unsupported-node-shape` | `malformed-directive` |
 | an empty node the `::taskItem` spelling row names, written as a leaf | parses | `malformed-directive` |
diff --git a/src/markdown/parse/inline-content.ts b/src/markdown/parse/inline-content.ts
index 0804e5b..1cf736e 100644
--- a/src/markdown/parse/inline-content.ts
+++ b/src/markdown/parse/inline-content.ts
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ type Run = { canClose: boolean; canOpen: boolean; character: string; index: numb
 // `container` is `undefined` inside a directive's content slot, the emitter's `bracketed`.
 type Scan = {
   container: LineContainer | undefined
-  // Pieces below this have been walked for openers to deactivate, so a nest of doomed brackets stays linear.
+  // Pieces below this have been walked for openers to deactivate: one left active reaches closeLink, whose image and carry guards refuse what literal brackets hold fine.
   deactivatedBefore: number
   definitions: LinkDefinitions
   openingSpellableLink: boolean
diff --git a/src/markdown/parse/markdown-to-adf.test.ts b/src/markdown/parse/markdown-to-adf.test.ts
index 18a2f9e..b2f32bd 100644
--- a/src/markdown/parse/markdown-to-adf.test.ts
+++ b/src/markdown/parse/markdown-to-adf.test.ts
@@ -841,6 +841,14 @@ test('leaves the brackets of a link whose text already holds one the text they a
   ])
 })
 
+// Literal brackets hold what no mark may, so the openers they doom give way before closeLink refuses a carry or an image inside them.
+test('keeps the carry and the image the brackets a nested link leaves literal hold', () => {
+  assert.deepEqual(content(markdownToAdf('[[<http://x/>](/c)!adf:carry{json="{\\"type\\":\\"blockCard\\"}"}](/w)\n')), [
+    { content: [text('[['), marked('http://x/', link('http://x/')), text('](/c)'), { type: 'blockCard' }, text('](/w)')], type: 'paragraph' },
+  ])
+  assert.deepEqual(content(markdownToAdf('![![a [b](/c) ](/i)[![x](/y)[<http://x/>](/c)](/w)](/v)\n')), [image('/v', 'a b [x[http://x/](/c)](/w)')])
+})
+
 test('reads the reference links a definition resolves, and leaves the rest literal', () => {
   assert.deepEqual(content(markdownToAdf('[a][r]\n\n[r]: /url\n')), [{ content: [marked('a', link('/url'))], type: 'paragraph' }])
   assert.deepEqual(content(markdownToAdf('[a][]\n\n[a]: /url\n')), [{ content: [marked('a', link('/url'))], type: 'paragraph' }])