diff --git a/src/Text/Pandoc/Writers/Docx/OpenXML.hs b/src/Text/Pandoc/Writers/Docx/OpenXML.hs
index 5fa61e9b3e3a..bb2ad7afe3ac 100644
--- a/src/Text/Pandoc/Writers/Docx/OpenXML.hs
+++ b/src/Text/Pandoc/Writers/Docx/OpenXML.hs
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ import Control.Applicative ((<|>))
 import Control.Monad.Except (catchError)
 import qualified Data.ByteString.Lazy as BL
 import Data.Char (isLetter)
+import Data.Bifunctor (first)
 import Text.Pandoc.Char (isCJK)
 import Data.Ord (comparing)
 import Data.String (fromString)
@@ -390,20 +391,9 @@ blockToOpenXML' opts (Table attr caption colspecs thead tbodies tfoot) = do
   wrapBookmark tableId content
 blockToOpenXML' opts el
   | BulletList lst <- el
-  = if isTaskList lst
-        then addOpenXMLList $
-             map (\bs ->
-              case bs of
-                (Plain (Str "\9744":Space:ils):xs)
-                 -> (Just (CheckboxMarker False),Plain ils : xs)
-                (Para (Str "\9744":Space:ils):xs)
-                 -> (Just (CheckboxMarker False),Plain ils : xs)
-                (Plain (Str "\9746":Space:ils):xs)
-                 -> (Just (CheckboxMarker True),Para ils : xs)
-                (Para (Str "\9746":Space:ils):xs)
-                 -> (Just (CheckboxMarker True),Para ils : xs)
-                _ -> (Just BulletMarker,bs)) lst
-        else addOpenXMLList $ zip (Just BulletMarker : repeat Nothing) lst
+  = case mapM toTaskListItem lst of
+      Just items -> addOpenXMLList (map (first (Just . CheckboxMarker)) items)
+      Nothing -> addOpenXMLList $ zip (Just BulletMarker : repeat Nothing) lst
   | OrderedList (start, numstyle, numdelim) lst <- el
   = addOpenXMLList $
     zip (Just (NumberMarker numstyle numdelim start) : repeat Nothing) lst
diff --git a/src/Text/Pandoc/Writers/HTML.hs b/src/Text/Pandoc/Writers/HTML.hs
index c7577ca385d5..3b14b0700a6c 100644
--- a/src/Text/Pandoc/Writers/HTML.hs
+++ b/src/Text/Pandoc/Writers/HTML.hs
@@ -484,12 +484,11 @@ defList opts items = toList H.dl opts (items ++ [nl])
 
 listItemToHtml :: PandocMonad m
                => WriterOptions -> [Block] -> StateT WriterState m Html
-listItemToHtml opts bls
-  | Plain (Str "☐":Space:is) : bs <- bls = taskListItem False id  is bs
-  | Plain (Str "☒":Space:is) : bs <- bls = taskListItem True  id  is bs
-  | Para  (Str "☐":Space:is) : bs <- bls = taskListItem False H.p is bs
-  | Para  (Str "☒":Space:is) : bs <- bls = taskListItem True  H.p is bs
-  | otherwise = blockListToHtml opts bls
+listItemToHtml opts bls =
+  case toTaskListItem bls of
+    Just (checked, (Para is:bs)) -> taskListItem checked H.p is bs
+    Just (checked, (Plain is:bs)) -> taskListItem checked id is bs
+    _ -> blockListToHtml opts bls
   where
     taskListItem checked constr is bs = do
       let checkbox  = if checked
@@ -1012,7 +1011,7 @@ blockToHtmlInner opts (Header level (ident,classes,kvs) lst) = do
               _ -> H.p  contents'
 blockToHtmlInner opts (BulletList lst) = do
   contents <- mapM (listItemToHtml opts) lst
-  (if isTaskList lst then (! A.class_ "task-list") else id) <$>
+  (if isJust (mapM toTaskListItem lst) then (! A.class_ "task-list") else id) <$>
     unordList opts contents
 blockToHtmlInner opts (OrderedList (startnum, numstyle, _) lst) = do
   contents <- mapM (listItemToHtml opts) lst
diff --git a/src/Text/Pandoc/Writers/Shared.hs b/src/Text/Pandoc/Writers/Shared.hs
index f0d5af6cad12..0455d450ae02 100644
--- a/src/Text/Pandoc/Writers/Shared.hs
+++ b/src/Text/Pandoc/Writers/Shared.hs
@@ -45,12 +45,12 @@ module Text.Pandoc.Writers.Shared (
                      , ensureValidXmlIdentifiers
                      , setupTranslations
                      , isOrderedListMarker
-                     , isTaskList
+                     , toTaskListItem
                      )
 where
 import Safe (lastMay)
 import qualified Data.ByteString.Lazy as BL
-import Control.Monad (zipWithM)
+import Control.Monad (zipWithM, MonadPlus, mzero)
 import Data.Either (isRight)
 import Data.Aeson (ToJSON (..), encode)
 import Data.Char (chr, ord, isSpace, isLetter, isUpper)
@@ -638,13 +638,9 @@ isOrderedListMarker xs = not (T.null xs) && (T.last xs `elem` ['.',')']) &&
               isRight (runParser (anyOrderedListMarker >> eof)
                        defaultParserState "" xs)
 
-isTaskListItem :: [Block] -> Bool
-isTaskListItem (Plain (Str "☐":Space:_):_) = True
-isTaskListItem (Plain (Str "☒":Space:_):_) = True
-isTaskListItem (Para  (Str "☐":Space:_):_) = True
-isTaskListItem (Para  (Str "☒":Space:_):_) = True
-isTaskListItem _                           = False
-
-isTaskList :: [[Block]] -> Bool
-isTaskList [] = False
-isTaskList items = all isTaskListItem items
+toTaskListItem :: MonadPlus m => [Block] -> m (Bool, [Block])
+toTaskListItem (Plain (Str "☐":Space:ils):xs) = pure (False, Plain ils:xs)
+toTaskListItem (Plain (Str "☒":Space:ils):xs) = pure (True, Plain ils:xs)
+toTaskListItem (Para  (Str "☐":Space:ils):xs) = pure (False, Para ils:xs)
+toTaskListItem (Para  (Str "☒":Space:ils):xs) = pure (True, Para ils:xs)
+toTaskListItem _                              = mzero
diff --git a/test/docx/golden/task_list.docx b/test/docx/golden/task_list.docx
index f31f9c502cbd..af86040bb1fc 100644
Binary files a/test/docx/golden/task_list.docx and b/test/docx/golden/task_list.docx differ