diff --git a/docling/utils/dots_utils.py b/docling/utils/dots_utils.py
index d944eb9ad7..a165c28d12 100644
--- a/docling/utils/dots_utils.py
+++ b/docling/utils/dots_utils.py
@@ -66,8 +66,11 @@
     re.IGNORECASE,
 )
 # Literal spans and code spans pass through; `\\` keeps `\\*` from unescaping.
+# A code span opens only at a full backtick run, read atomically with `(?=(`+))\1`:
+# a backtracking `(`+)` takes cubic time on a long unclosed run.
 _MARKDOWN_ESCAPE_PATTERN = re.compile(
-    rf"{_LITERAL_INLINE_PATTERN.pattern}|(`+)[\s\S]*?(?<!`)\1(?!`)|\\([*_])|\\\\",
+    rf"{_LITERAL_INLINE_PATTERN.pattern}"
+    r"|(?<!`)(?=(`+))\1[\s\S]*?(?<!`)\1(?!`)|\\([*_])|\\\\",
     re.IGNORECASE,
 )
 
diff --git a/docling/utils/nemotron_parse_v3_5_utils.py b/docling/utils/nemotron_parse_v3_5_utils.py
index 832e5e0e33..9d87142f3c 100644
--- a/docling/utils/nemotron_parse_v3_5_utils.py
+++ b/docling/utils/nemotron_parse_v3_5_utils.py
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@
 
 from __future__ import annotations
 
+import html
 import logging
 import re
 from dataclasses import dataclass
@@ -42,7 +43,7 @@
 )
 from PIL import Image as PILImage
 
-from docling.utils.chandra_utils import _add_html_table
+from docling.utils.chandra_utils import _MAX_TABLE_GRID_CELLS, _add_html_table
 from docling.utils.code_language import detect_code_language
 from docling.utils.dots_utils import (
     _add_inline_text,
@@ -86,6 +87,11 @@
     "mbox": "",
     "&": "&amp;",
 }
+# Inline tags that a table cell keeps as markup, and LaTeX text commands that it maps;
+# all other text is escaped.
+_CELL_MARKUP = re.compile(
+    rf"{_LATEX_TEXT.pattern}|(?i:</?(?:b|br|code|em|i|strong|sub|sup|u)\s*/?>)"
+)
 _CHART_OPEN = re.compile(r'<chart\s+type="([^"]*)"\s*>')
 _CHART_TABLE_KEY = re.compile(r"table\[(\w+)\]")
 
@@ -244,7 +250,30 @@ def _unwrap_command(text: str, command: str, arg_count: int) -> list[str] | None
 
 
 def _span(value: str) -> int:
-    return int(value) if value.strip().isdigit() and int(value) > 0 else 1
+    digits = value.strip().lstrip("0")
+    if not digits.isdecimal():
+        return 1
+    # Above the limit _add_html_table rejects the table; do not build a huge grid first.
+    if len(digits) > len(str(_MAX_TABLE_GRID_CELLS)):
+        return _MAX_TABLE_GRID_CELLS + 1
+    return min(int(digits), _MAX_TABLE_GRID_CELLS + 1)
+
+
+def _escape_cell_markup(text: str) -> str:
+    """Escape cell text so that it cannot change the table; keep inline tags."""
+    parts: list[str] = []
+    pos = 0
+    for match in _CELL_MARKUP.finditer(text):
+        parts.append(html.escape(text[pos : match.start()], quote=False))
+        command = match.group(1) or match.group(2)
+        parts.append(
+            match.group()
+            if command is None
+            else _LATEX_TEXT_REPLACEMENTS.get(command, command)
+        )
+        pos = match.end()
+    parts.append(html.escape(text[pos:], quote=False))
+    return "".join(parts)
 
 
 def _parse_latex_cell(text: str) -> _LatexCell:
@@ -259,12 +288,7 @@ def _parse_latex_cell(text: str) -> _LatexCell:
             header, text = True, args[0]
         else:
             break
-    text = _LATEX_TEXT.sub(
-        lambda match: _LATEX_TEXT_REPLACEMENTS.get(
-            match.group(1) or match.group(2), match.group(2) or ""
-        ),
-        text,
-    )
+    text = _escape_cell_markup(text)
     return _LatexCell(
         text=text.strip(), row_span=row_span, col_span=col_span, header=header
     )
@@ -304,6 +328,8 @@ def latex_tabular_to_html(latex: str) -> str:
                     continue
                 # Text under a multirow: the predicted row span was too long.
                 owner[0].row_span = row_index - owner[1]
+            if col + cell.col_span > _MAX_TABLE_GRID_CELLS:
+                raise ValueError(f"LaTeX table exceeds {_MAX_TABLE_GRID_CELLS} columns")
             for owned_col in range(col, col + cell.col_span):
                 owners[owned_col] = (cell, row_index)
             cells.append(cell)
diff --git a/tests/test_dots_parser.py b/tests/test_dots_parser.py
index 36bd62127c..f33aaed42b 100644
--- a/tests/test_dots_parser.py
+++ b/tests/test_dots_parser.py
@@ -122,6 +122,9 @@ def test_markdown_emphasis_preserves_math_code_and_html(page_size: Size):
         ("$x_1 * y_2 * z_3$", "$x_1 * y_2 * z_3$"),
         ("______", "______"),
         ("a *\n=\nb", "a *\n=\nb"),
+        (r"``a\_b` c`` and d\_e", r"``a\_b` c`` and d_e"),
+        # An unclosed run took cubic time before the code-span match was atomic.
+        ("`" * 5000 + r" a\_b", "`" * 5000 + " a_b"),
     ],
 )
 def test_literal_markers_stay_literal(text: str, expected: str, page_size: Size):
diff --git a/tests/test_nemotron_parse_v3_5.py b/tests/test_nemotron_parse_v3_5.py
index 9eac871506..fbdb3b29ea 100644
--- a/tests/test_nemotron_parse_v3_5.py
+++ b/tests/test_nemotron_parse_v3_5.py
@@ -187,6 +187,41 @@ def test_table_maps_multirow_multicolumn_and_thead() -> None:
     assert [cells[2, col].text for col in range(4)] == ["Kin $", "145", "", "5 % < 6"]
 
 
+def test_table_with_oversized_span_is_rejected_without_building_it() -> None:
+    # Building the span grid used memory linear in the predicted span value.
+    table = r"\begin{tabular}{c}\multicolumn{1000000000}{c}{x}\\\end{tabular}"
+
+    data = _parse(_block("Table", table)).tables[0].data
+
+    assert (data.num_rows, data.num_cols) == (0, 0)
+
+
+def test_table_cell_markup_stays_cell_text() -> None:
+    table = (
+        r"\begin{tabular}{cc}"
+        r'a</td></tr><tr><td colspan="9">b & x<sup>2</sup> \& y\\'
+        r"\end{tabular}"
+    )
+
+    data = _parse(_block("Table", table)).tables[0].data
+
+    assert (data.num_rows, data.num_cols) == (1, 2)
+    assert data.grid[0][0].text == 'a</td></tr><tr><td colspan="9">b'
+    assert data.grid[0][1].text == "x2 & y"
+
+
+def test_table_cell_latex_angle_brackets_stay_cell_text() -> None:
+    table = (
+        r"\begin{tabular}{cc}"
+        r"\textless{}b\textgreater{}x\textless{}/b\textgreater{} & <code>a<b</code>\\"
+        r"\end{tabular}"
+    )
+
+    data = _parse(_block("Table", table)).tables[0].data
+
+    assert [cell.text for cell in data.grid[0]] == ["<b>x</b>", "a<b"]
+
+
 def test_table_cell_under_multirow_with_text_ends_the_span() -> None:
     table = r"\begin{tabular}{cc}\multirow{3}{*}{A} & 1\\ \mbox{} & 2\\ B & 3\\\end{tabular}"