diff --git a/bits/22_xmlutils.js b/bits/22_xmlutils.js
index 03c382b..f057c16 100644
--- a/bits/22_xmlutils.js
+++ b/bits/22_xmlutils.js
@@ -164,7 +164,7 @@ var matchtag = (function() {
 })();
 
 function htmldecode(str/*:string*/)/*:string*/ {
-	return str.trim().replace(/\s+/g, " ").replace(/<\s*[bB][rR]\s*\/?/g,"\n").replace(/<[^>]*>/g,"").replace(/&nbsp;/g, " ");
+	return str.trim().replace(/\s+/g, " ").replace(/<\s*[bB][rR]\s*\/?>/g,"\n").replace(/<[^>]*>/g,"").replace(/&nbsp;/g, " ");
 }
 
 var vtregex = (function(){ var vt_cache = {};
diff --git a/test.js b/test.js
index 4f7f64c..79cfde5 100644
--- a/test.js
+++ b/test.js
@@ -1861,6 +1861,11 @@ describe('HTML', function() {
 	(domtest ? describe : describe.skip)('input DOM', function() {
 		it('should interpret values by default', function() { plaintext_test(X.utils.table_to_book(get_dom_element(html_str)), false, true); });
 		it('should generate strings if raw option is passed', function() { plaintext_test(X.utils.table_to_book(get_dom_element(html_str), {raw:true}), true, true); });
+		it('should handle newlines correctly', function() {
+			var table = get_dom_element("<table><tr><td>foo<br/>bar</td><td>baz</td></tr></table>");
+			var wb = X.utils.table_to_book(table)
+			assert.equal(get_cell(wb.Sheets.Sheet1, "A1").v, "foo\nbar");
+		});
 	});
 });
 
diff --git a/tests/core.js b/tests/core.js
index 4f7f64c..2f665f4 100644
--- a/tests/core.js
+++ b/tests/core.js
@@ -1861,6 +1861,12 @@ describe('HTML', function() {
 	(domtest ? describe : describe.skip)('input DOM', function() {
 		it('should interpret values by default', function() { plaintext_test(X.utils.table_to_book(get_dom_element(html_str)), false, true); });
 		it('should generate strings if raw option is passed', function() { plaintext_test(X.utils.table_to_book(get_dom_element(html_str), {raw:true}), true, true); });
+		it('should handle newlines correctly', function() {
+			var table = document.createElement('table');
+			table.innerHTML = "<tr><td>foo<br/>bar</td><td>baz</td></tr>";
+			var wb = X.utils.table_to_book(table)
+			assert.equal(get_cell(wb.Sheets.Sheet1, "A1").v, "foo\nbar");
+		});
 	});
 });
 
diff --git a/xlsx.flow.js b/xlsx.flow.js
index 75d2e22..7a2a44f 100644
--- a/xlsx.flow.js
+++ b/xlsx.flow.js
@@ -2174,7 +2174,7 @@ var matchtag = (function() {
 })();
 
 function htmldecode(str/*:string*/)/*:string*/ {
-	return str.trim().replace(/\s+/g, " ").replace(/<\s*[bB][rR]\s*\/?/g,"\n").replace(/<[^>]*>/g,"").replace(/&nbsp;/g, " ");
+	return str.trim().replace(/\s+/g, " ").replace(/<\s*[bB][rR]\s*\/?>/g,"\n").replace(/<[^>]*>/g,"").replace(/&nbsp;/g, " ");
 }
 
 var vtregex = (function(){ var vt_cache = {};
diff --git a/xlsx.js b/xlsx.js
index 5adc3c7..475215e 100644
--- a/xlsx.js
+++ b/xlsx.js
@@ -2102,7 +2102,7 @@ var matchtag = (function() {
 })();
 
 function htmldecode(str) {
-	return str.trim().replace(/\s+/g, " ").replace(/<\s*[bB][rR]\s*\/?/g,"\n").replace(/<[^>]*>/g,"").replace(/&nbsp;/g, " ");
+	return str.trim().replace(/\s+/g, " ").replace(/<\s*[bB][rR]\s*\/?>/g,"\n").replace(/<[^>]*>/g,"").replace(/&nbsp;/g, " ");
 }
 
 var vtregex = (function(){ var vt_cache = {};