diff --git a/decode.rkt b/decode.rkt
index 32d1720..e8b2be9 100644
--- a/decode.rkt
+++ b/decode.rkt
@@ -121,9 +121,9 @@
   
   (define quotes
     '((#px"(?<=\\w)'(?=\\w)" "’") ; apostrophe
-      (#px"(?<!\\w)'(?=\\w)" "‘") ; single_at_beginning
+      (#px"(?<!\\w)'(?=\\S)" "‘") ; single_at_beginning
       (#px"(?<=\\S)'(?!\\w)" "’") ; single_at_end
-      (#px"(?<!\\w)\"(?=\\w)" "“") ; double_at_beginning
+      (#px"(?<!\\w)\"(?=\\S)" "“") ; double_at_beginning
       (#px"(?<=\\S)\"(?!\\w)" "”"))) ; double_at_end
   
   ((make-replacer quotes) str))
@@ -176,8 +176,8 @@
 ; todo: improve this
 ; does not handle <p>“<em>thing</em> properly
 (define+provide/contract (wrap-hanging-quotes nx 
-                                              #:single-prepend [single-pp 'squo]
-                                              #:double-prepend  [double-pp 'dquo])
+                                              #:single-prepend [single-pp '(squo)]
+                                              #:double-prepend  [double-pp '(dquo)])
   ((txexpr?) (#:single-prepend list? #:double-prepend list?) . ->* . txexpr?)
   
   (define two-or-more-char-string? (λ(i) (and (string? i) (>= (len i) 2))))
@@ -192,9 +192,9 @@
                                                  [(str-first . in? . '("\"" "“"))
                                                   ;; can wrap with any inline tag
                                                   ;; so that linebreak detection etc still works
-                                                  `(,double-pp ,(->string #\“) ,str-rest)]
+                                                  `(,@double-pp ,(->string #\“) ,str-rest)]
                                                  [(str-first . in? . '("\'" "‘")) 
-                                                  `(,single-pp ,(->string #\‘) ,str-rest)]
+                                                  `(,@single-pp ,(->string #\‘) ,str-rest)]
                                                  [else tcs])]
                                               [(? txexpr? nx) (wrap-hanging-quotes nx)]
                                               [else (car elements)])])
diff --git a/tests/tests-decode.rkt b/tests/tests-decode.rkt
index 81b4ce0..4f1db5f 100644
--- a/tests/tests-decode.rkt
+++ b/tests/tests-decode.rkt
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
 (check-equal? (smart-dashes "I had --- maybe 13 -- 20 --- hob-nobs.") "I had—maybe 13–20—hob-nobs.")
 (check-equal? (smart-quotes "\"Why,\" she could've asked, \"are we in O‘ahu watching 'Mame'?\"") 
               "“Why,” she could’ve asked, “are we in O‘ahu watching ‘Mame’?”")
-
+(check-equal? (smart-quotes "\"\'Impossible.\' Yes.\"") "“‘Impossible.’ Yes.”")
 
 
 ;; todo: make some tougher tests, it gets flaky with edge cases
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@
 (check-equal? (wrap-hanging-quotes '(p "'Hi' there")) '(p (squo "‘" "Hi' there")))
 (check-equal? (wrap-hanging-quotes '(p "'Hi' there") #:single-prepend '(foo ((bar "ino")))) 
               '(p (foo ((bar "ino")) "‘" "Hi' there")))
+
 ;; make sure txexpr without elements passes through unscathed
 (check-equal? (wrap-hanging-quotes '(div ((style "height:2em")))) '(div ((style "height:2em"))))