diff --git a/src/pdf_form_doc.py b/src/pdf_form_doc.py
index 5158459..47183b3 100644
--- a/src/pdf_form_doc.py
+++ b/src/pdf_form_doc.py
@@ -126,8 +126,13 @@ def _decode_name(enc: str) -> str:
     """Inverse of _encode_name."""
     import urllib.parse
     return urllib.parse.unquote(enc or "")
-_TEXT_VALUE_RE = re.compile(r'\*\*[^*]+:\*\*\s*(?P<value>.*)$')
-_CHOICE_VALUE_RE = re.compile(r'\*\*[^*]+\*\*\s*\[[^\]]*\]\s*:\s*(?P<value>.*)$')
+# Label segment is non-greedy (.+?) so labels containing '*' — the near-universal
+# required-field marker, e.g. "Email *" — are tolerated, while still splitting at
+# the FIRST ':**' / '**[' so a value that itself contains ':**' is preserved.
+# (The old [^*]+ refused to match any label with an asterisk and silently
+# dropped that field's value on export.)
+_TEXT_VALUE_RE = re.compile(r'\*\*.+?:\*\*\s*(?P<value>.*)$')
+_CHOICE_VALUE_RE = re.compile(r'\*\*.+?\*\*\s*\[[^\]]*\]\s*:\s*(?P<value>.*)$')
 _CHECKBOX_VALUE_RE = re.compile(r'^\s*\[(?P<state>[xX ])\]')
 
 _PLACEHOLDERS = {"_(empty)_", "_(not selected)_", "_(empty)_.", "_(unsigned)_"}
diff --git a/tests/test_form_markdown_roundtrip.py b/tests/test_form_markdown_roundtrip.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..94d4ae5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_form_markdown_roundtrip.py
@@ -0,0 +1,40 @@
+"""Regression: PDF-form markdown export must not drop values whose label
+contains an asterisk.
+
+`parse_markdown_to_values` is the read-back path for GET .../export-pdf, the
+export preview, and prepare-signed-reply. Its bullet regexes matched the bold
+label with `[^*]+`, so they could not match a label like "Email *" / "State *"
+/ "Signature *" — the near-universal required-field marker. The value then
+stayed empty and the exported PDF (and signed-reply attachment) came out blank
+for that field, with no error.
+"""
+from src.pdf_form_doc import render_form_as_markdown, parse_markdown_to_values
+
+
+def test_asterisk_label_value_survives_export_roundtrip():
+    fields = [
+        {"name": "email", "label": "Email Address *", "type": "text",
+         "value": "me@x.com", "page": 1},
+        {"name": "state", "label": "State *", "type": "choice",
+         "options": ["CA", "NY"], "value": "NY", "page": 1},
+        {"name": "sign", "label": "Signature *", "type": "signature",
+         "value": "signature:s1", "page": 1},
+    ]
+    md = render_form_as_markdown(fields, "u", "F")
+    vals = parse_markdown_to_values(md)
+    assert vals["email"] == "me@x.com"
+    assert vals["state"] == "NY"
+    assert vals["sign"] == "signature:s1"
+
+
+def test_plain_labels_and_colon_values_unaffected():
+    fields = [
+        {"name": "name", "label": "Full Name", "type": "text",
+         "value": "Alice", "page": 1},
+        {"name": "time", "label": "Start Time", "type": "text",
+         "value": "9:00 sharp", "page": 1},
+    ]
+    md = render_form_as_markdown(fields, "u", "F")
+    vals = parse_markdown_to_values(md)
+    assert vals["name"] == "Alice"
+    assert vals["time"] == "9:00 sharp"