diff --git a/docxtpl/__init__.py b/docxtpl/__init__.py
index 0515507..5836b8d 100644
--- a/docxtpl/__init__.py
+++ b/docxtpl/__init__.py
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ Created : 2015-03-12
 
 @author: Eric Lapouyade
 """
-__version__ = '0.16.1'
+__version__ = '0.16.2'
 
 # flake8: noqa
 from .inline_image import InlineImage
diff --git a/docxtpl/template.py b/docxtpl/template.py
index b23a454..0fe8bc8 100644
--- a/docxtpl/template.py
+++ b/docxtpl/template.py
@@ -126,7 +126,7 @@ class DocxTemplate(object):
         # {%- will merge with previous paragraph text
         src_xml = re.sub(r'</w:t>(?:(?!</w:t>).)*?{%-', '{%', src_xml, flags=re.DOTALL)
         # -%} will merge with next paragraph text
-        src_xml = re.sub(r'-%}(?:(?!<w:t[ >]).)*?<w:t[^>]*?>', '%}', src_xml, flags=re.DOTALL)
+        src_xml = re.sub(r'-%}(?:(?!<w:t[ >]|{%|{{).)*?<w:t[^>]*?>', '%}', src_xml, flags=re.DOTALL)
 
         for y in ['tr', 'tc', 'p', 'r']:
             # replace into xml code the row/paragraph/run containing
diff --git a/tests/templates/merge_paragraph_tpl.docx b/tests/templates/merge_paragraph_tpl.docx
index 9d5e388..3cd0def 100644
Binary files a/tests/templates/merge_paragraph_tpl.docx and b/tests/templates/merge_paragraph_tpl.docx differ