diff --git a/internal/lint/ast.go b/internal/lint/ast.go
index ae0ddd33..6f368ce4 100644
--- a/internal/lint/ast.go
+++ b/internal/lint/ast.go
@@ -205,6 +205,13 @@ func (l *Linter) lintHTMLTokens(f *core.File, raw []byte, offset int) error { //
 				open = append(open, inlineCapture{tag: txt, scope: scope, masked: skip, begin: buf.Len()})
 			}
 			walker.addTag(txt, class, getAttribute(tok, markAttr))
+			// A void element has no end tag, so it leaves the history at once.
+			// Left there, a hard line break, `<br>`, reads as an open inline
+			// element. A nested list after it then joins the list item above,
+			// and an enclosing `</em>` cannot pop its own tag (#1225).
+			if core.StringInSlice(txt, voidTags) {
+				walker.popTag(txt)
+			}
 		} else if tokt == html.EndTagToken && isInline {
 			walker.popTag(txt)
 			walker.activeTag = ""
diff --git a/testdata/e2e/scopes.yaml b/testdata/e2e/scopes.yaml
index b33b6a98..dd3d46a1 100644
--- a/testdata/e2e/scopes.yaml
+++ b/testdata/e2e/scopes.yaml
@@ -400,6 +400,48 @@ cases:
       test.md:1:22:T.Text:text: after
       test.md:3:27:T.Text:text: after
 
+  - name: list-item-with-hard-break
+    about: "#1225 -- a hard line break, `<br>`, has no end tag. It stayed in the
+      tag history and joined the nested list to the item above, also inside
+      emphasis"
+    files:
+      .vale.ini: |
+        StylesPath = styles
+        MinAlertLevel = suggestion
+
+        [*.md]
+        BasedOnStyles = T
+      styles/T/Item.yml: |
+        extends: metric
+        message: "item: %s words"
+        level: error
+        scope: list
+        formula: words
+        condition: "> 3"
+      break.md: |
+        - Lead line.\
+          Second line.
+          - One two three four five six seven.
+          - One two three four five six seven.
+          - One two three four five six seven.
+      emphasis.md: |
+        - *Lead line.\
+          second* line.
+          - One two three four five six seven.
+          - One two three four five six seven.
+          - One two three four five six seven.
+    args: break.md emphasis.md
+    exit: 1
+    want: |
+      break.md:2:1:T.Item:item: 4.00 words
+      break.md:3:1:T.Item:item: 7.00 words
+      break.md:4:1:T.Item:item: 7.00 words
+      break.md:5:1:T.Item:item: 7.00 words
+      emphasis.md:2:1:T.Item:item: 4.00 words
+      emphasis.md:3:1:T.Item:item: 7.00 words
+      emphasis.md:4:1:T.Item:item: 7.00 words
+      emphasis.md:5:1:T.Item:item: 7.00 words
+
   - name: table
     args: .
     requires: asciidoctor, rst2html