diff --git a/src/Text/Pandoc/Parsing/Smart.hs b/src/Text/Pandoc/Parsing/Smart.hs
index 879251905..29c19bb77 100644
--- a/src/Text/Pandoc/Parsing/Smart.hs
+++ b/src/Text/Pandoc/Parsing/Smart.hs
@@ -43,7 +43,6 @@ import Text.Parsec
   , notFollowedBy
   , try
   )
-import qualified Data.Text as T
 import qualified Text.Pandoc.Builder as B
 
 -- | Parses various ASCII punctuation, quotes, and apostrophe in a smart
@@ -93,13 +92,6 @@ doubleQuoted inlineParser = do
      (withQuoteContext InDoubleQuote (manyTill inlineParser doubleQuoteEnd)))
    <|> pure (B.str "\8220")
 
-charOrRef :: (Stream s m Char, UpdateSourcePos s Char) => [Char] -> ParsecT s st m Char
-charOrRef cs =
-  oneOf cs <|> try (do t <- characterReference
-                       case T.unpack t of
-                         [c] | c `elem` cs -> return c
-                         _ -> fail "unexpected character reference")
-
 -- | Succeeds if the parser is
 --
 -- * not within single quoted text;
@@ -116,13 +108,13 @@ singleQuoteStart = do
   -- single quote start can't be right after str
   guard =<< notAfterString
   try $ do
-    charOrRef "'\8216\145"
+    char '\''
     void $ lookAhead (satisfy (not . isSpaceChar))
 
 singleQuoteEnd :: (Stream s m Char, UpdateSourcePos s Char)
                => ParsecT s st m ()
 singleQuoteEnd = try $ do
-  charOrRef "'\8217\146"
+  char '\''
   notFollowedBy alphaNum
 
 -- | Succeeds if the parser is
@@ -142,13 +134,13 @@ doubleQuoteStart :: (HasLastStrPosition st,
 doubleQuoteStart = do
   failIfInQuoteContext InDoubleQuote
   guard =<< notAfterString
-  try $ do charOrRef "\"\8220\147"
+  try $ do char '"'
            void $ lookAhead (satisfy (not . isSpaceChar))
 
 -- | Parses a closing quote character.
 doubleQuoteEnd :: (Stream s m Char, UpdateSourcePos s Char)
                => ParsecT s st m ()
-doubleQuoteEnd = void (charOrRef "\"\8221\148")
+doubleQuoteEnd = void (char '"')
 
 -- | Parses an ASCII apostrophe (@'@) or right single quotation mark and
 -- returns a RIGHT SINGLE QUOtatiON MARK character.
diff --git a/src/Text/Pandoc/Writers/LaTeX/Util.hs b/src/Text/Pandoc/Writers/LaTeX/Util.hs
index 5cccb82f2..da5fb9cd3 100644
--- a/src/Text/Pandoc/Writers/LaTeX/Util.hs
+++ b/src/Text/Pandoc/Writers/LaTeX/Util.hs
@@ -108,11 +108,11 @@ stringToLaTeX context zs = do
          '}' -> emits "\\}"
          '?' | ligatures ->  -- avoid ?` ligature
            case xs of
-             '`':_ -> emits "?{}"
+             '`':_ -> emits "?{\\kern0pt}" -- se #10610
              _     -> emitc x
          '!' | ligatures ->  -- avoid !` ligature
            case xs of
-             '`':_ -> emits "!{}"
+             '`':_ -> emits "!{\\kern0pt}"
              _     -> emitc x
          '`' | ctx == CodeString -> emitcseq "\\textasciigrave"
          '$' -> emits "\\$"
diff --git a/test/command/5407.md b/test/command/5407.md
index ac9bed29d..b8a37a804 100644
--- a/test/command/5407.md
+++ b/test/command/5407.md
@@ -6,9 +6,9 @@ hi there?‘
 hi there!‘
 hi there!
 ^D
-hi there?{}``
-hi there!{}``
-hi there?{}`
-hi there!{}`
+hi there?{\kern0pt}``
+hi there!{\kern0pt}``
+hi there?{\kern0pt}`
+hi there!{\kern0pt}`
 hi there!
 ```
diff --git a/test/command/pandoc-citeproc-320a.md b/test/command/pandoc-citeproc-320a.md
index 081dbfe3f..0afc769a5 100644
--- a/test/command/pandoc-citeproc-320a.md
+++ b/test/command/pandoc-citeproc-320a.md
@@ -49,13 +49,17 @@ references:
 Foo [@item1; @item2; @item3; @item4; @item5; @item6; @item7; @item8].
 ^D
 Foo (al-ʾUdhrī, n.d.; al-ʿUdhrī, n.d.; al-\'Udhrī, n.d.; al-'Udhrī,
-n.d.a, n.d.b; Uch, n.d.; Uebel, n.d.; Zzz, n.d.).
+n.d.; al-'Udhrī, n.d.; Uch, n.d.; Uebel, n.d.; Zzz, n.d.).
 
 ::::::::::: {#refs .references .csl-bib-body .hanging-indent entry-spacing="0"}
 ::: {#ref-item6 .csl-entry}
 Uch, Ann. n.d.
 :::
 
+::: {#ref-item4 .csl-entry}
+'Udhrī, Jamīl al-. n.d.
+:::
+
 ::: {#ref-item1 .csl-entry}
 ʾUdhrī, Jamīl al-. n.d.
 :::
@@ -68,12 +72,8 @@ Uch, Ann. n.d.
 \'Udhrī, Jamīl al-. n.d.
 :::
 
-::: {#ref-item4 .csl-entry}
-'Udhrī, Jamīl al-. n.d.a.
-:::
-
 ::: {#ref-item5 .csl-entry}
----------. n.d.b.
+'Udhrī, Jamīl al-. n.d.
 :::
 
 ::: {#ref-item7 .csl-entry}
diff --git a/test/markdown-reader-more.native b/test/markdown-reader-more.native
index 41a2e3345..148cba944 100644
--- a/test/markdown-reader-more.native
+++ b/test/markdown-reader-more.native
@@ -316,8 +316,8 @@ Pandoc
       2
       ( "curly-smart-quotes" , [] , [] )
       [ Str "Curly" , Space , Str "smart" , Space , Str "quotes" ]
-  , Para [ Quoted DoubleQuote [ Str "Hi" ] ]
-  , Para [ Quoted SingleQuote [ Str "Hi" ] ]
+  , Para [ Str "\8220Hi\8221" ]
+  , Para [ Str "\8216Hi\8217" ]
   , Header
       2
       ( "consecutive-lists" , [] , [] )