diff --git a/lib/asciidoctor-bibtex/extensions.rb b/lib/asciidoctor-bibtex/extensions.rb
index 452a53c..e464b16 100644
--- a/lib/asciidoctor-bibtex/extensions.rb
+++ b/lib/asciidoctor-bibtex/extensions.rb
@@ -109,9 +109,13 @@ def process(document)
         # Second pass: replace citations with citation texts.
         prose_blocks.each do |block|
           if block.context == :list_item || block.context == :table_cell
-            line = block.text
-            line = processor.replace_citation_macros(line)
-            block.text = line
+            # NOTE: we access the instance variable @text directly to prevent
+            # asciidoctor from changing the raw texts.
+            line = block.instance_variable_get(:@text)
+            if !line.empty?
+              line = processor.replace_citation_macros(line)
+              block.instance_variable_set(:@text, line)
+            end
           else
             block.lines.each_with_index do |line, index|
               line = processor.replace_citation_macros(line)
diff --git a/samples/all-in-one/sample.adoc b/samples/all-in-one/sample.adoc
index 6da7f34..99a8869 100644
--- a/samples/all-in-one/sample.adoc
+++ b/samples/all-in-one/sample.adoc
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ prevent problems with a2x.
 
 References can be inserted in lists, too:
 
-1. See cite:[Lane12a].
+1. This is a complex *item* with _formats_. See cite:[Lane12a].
 2. See cite:[Anderson98].
 3. See cite:[Anderson04].