diff --git a/rendercv/renderer/templater.py b/rendercv/renderer/templater.py
index 07118a47..a6ecd982 100644
--- a/rendercv/renderer/templater.py
+++ b/rendercv/renderer/templater.py
@@ -317,7 +317,7 @@ def revert_nested_latex_style_commands(latex_string: str) -> str:
     return latex_string
 
 
-def escape_latex_characters(latex_string: str, strict: bool = True) -> str:
+def escape_latex_characters(latex_string: str) -> str:
     """Escape $\\LaTeX$ characters in a string by adding a backslash before them.
 
     Example:
@@ -329,8 +329,6 @@ def escape_latex_characters(latex_string: str, strict: bool = True) -> str:
 
     Args:
         latex_string: The string to escape.
-        strict: Whether to escape all the special $\\LaTeX$ characters or not. If you
-            want to allow math input, set it to False.
 
     Returns:
         The escaped string.
@@ -342,24 +340,13 @@ def escape_latex_characters(latex_string: str, strict: bool = True) -> str:
         "%": "\\%",
         "&": "\\&",
         "~": "\\textasciitilde{}",
-    }
-
-    strict_escape_characters = {
         "$": "\\$",
         "_": "\\_",
         "^": "\\textasciicircum{}",
     }
-
-    if strict:
-        # To allow math input, users can use this function with strict = False
-        escape_characters.update(strict_escape_characters)
-
     translation_map = str.maketrans(escape_characters)
-    strict_translation_map = str.maketrans(strict_escape_characters)
 
     # Don't escape urls as hyperref package will do it automatically:
-    # Also always escape link placeholders strictly (as we don't expect any math in
-    # them):
     # Find all the links in the sentence:
     links = re.findall(r"\[(.*?)\]\((.*?)\)", latex_string)
 
@@ -367,8 +354,7 @@ def escape_latex_characters(latex_string: str, strict: bool = True) -> str:
     new_links = []
     for i, link in enumerate(links):
         placeholder = link[0]
-        escaped_placeholder = placeholder.translate(strict_translation_map)
-        escaped_placeholder = escaped_placeholder.translate(translation_map)
+        escaped_placeholder = placeholder.translate(translation_map)
         url = link[1]
 
         original_link = f"[{placeholder}]({url})"
@@ -377,6 +363,12 @@ def escape_latex_characters(latex_string: str, strict: bool = True) -> str:
         new_link = f"[{escaped_placeholder}]({url})"
         new_links.append(new_link)
 
+    # If there are equations in the sentence, don't escape the special characters:
+    # Find all the equations in the sentence:
+    equations = re.findall(r"(\$\$.*?\$\$)", latex_string)
+    for i, equation in enumerate(equations):
+        latex_string = latex_string.replace(equation, f"!!-equation{i}-!!")
+
     # Loop through the letters of the sentence and if you find an escape character,
     # replace it with its LaTeX equivalent:
     latex_string = latex_string.translate(translation_map)
@@ -385,6 +377,10 @@ def escape_latex_characters(latex_string: str, strict: bool = True) -> str:
     for i, new_link in enumerate(new_links):
         latex_string = latex_string.replace(f"!!-link{i}-!!", new_link)
 
+    # Replace !!-equation{i}-!!" with the original equations:
+    for i, equation in enumerate(equations):
+        latex_string = latex_string.replace(f"!!-equation{i}-!!", equation)
+
     return latex_string
 
 
@@ -475,7 +471,7 @@ def transform_markdown_sections_to_latex_sections(
         for entry in value:
             if isinstance(entry, str):
                 # Then it means it's a TextEntry.
-                result = markdown_to_latex(escape_latex_characters(entry, strict=False))
+                result = markdown_to_latex(escape_latex_characters(entry))
                 transformed_list.append(result)
             else:
                 # Then it means it's one of the other entries.
@@ -483,14 +479,14 @@ def transform_markdown_sections_to_latex_sections(
                 for entry_key, value in entry_as_dict.items():
                     if isinstance(value, str):
                         result = markdown_to_latex(
-                            escape_latex_characters(value, strict=False)
+                            escape_latex_characters(value)
                         )
                         setattr(entry, entry_key, result)
                     elif isinstance(value, list):
                         for j, item in enumerate(value):
                             if isinstance(item, str):
                                 value[j] = markdown_to_latex(
-                                    escape_latex_characters(item, strict=False)
+                                    escape_latex_characters(item)
                                 )
                         setattr(entry, entry_key, value)
                 transformed_list.append(entry)
diff --git a/tests/conftest.py b/tests/conftest.py
index 88b52fe0..29da8b46 100644
--- a/tests/conftest.py
+++ b/tests/conftest.py
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ from rendercv.renderer import templater
 # the output. Setting update_testdata to True will update the reference files with
 # the latest RenderCV. This should be done with caution, as it will overwrite the
 # reference files with the latest output.
-update_testdata = True
+update_testdata = False
 
 # copy sample entries from docs/update_rendercv_files.py:
 education_entry_dictionary = {
diff --git a/tests/test_renderer.py b/tests/test_renderer.py
index 1f48d354..d9ea2028 100644
--- a/tests/test_renderer.py
+++ b/tests/test_renderer.py
@@ -120,17 +120,14 @@ def test_markdown_file_class(tmp_path, rendercv_data_model, jinja2_environment):
                 " [second link](https://myurl.com)"
             ),
         ),
-        ("$a=5_4^3$", "$a=5_4^3$"),
+        (
+            "$$a=5_4^3 % & #$$ # $$aaaa ___ &&$$",
+            "$$a=5_4^3 % & #$$ \\# $$aaaa ___ &&$$",
+        ),
     ],
 )
-def test_escape_latex_characters_not_strict(string, expected_string):
-    assert templater.escape_latex_characters(string, strict=False) == expected_string
-
-
-def test_escape_latex_characters_strict():
-    string = "$a=5_4^3$"
-    expected_string = "\\$a=5\\_4\\textasciicircum{}3\\$"
-    assert templater.escape_latex_characters(string, strict=True) == expected_string
+def test_escape_latex_characters(string, expected_string):
+    assert templater.escape_latex_characters(string) == expected_string
 
 
 @pytest.mark.parametrize(