diff --git a/src/generate/__tests__/index.js b/src/generate/__tests__/index.js
index f4ec338..c75a883 100644
--- a/src/generate/__tests__/index.js
+++ b/src/generate/__tests__/index.js
@@ -143,7 +143,9 @@ test('replace all-contributors badge if present', () => {
     'Badges',
     [
       '[![version](https://img.shields.io/npm/v/all-contributors-cli.svg?style=flat-square)](http://npm.im/all-contributors-cli)',
+      '<!-- ALL-CONTRIBUTORS-BADGE:START - Do not remove or modify this section -->',
       '[![All Contributors](https://img.shields.io/badge/all_contributors-0-orange.svg?style=flat-square)](#contributors-)',
+      '<!-- ALL-CONTRIBUTORS-BADGE:END -->',
       '[![version](https://img.shields.io/npm/v/all-contributors-cli.svg?style=flat-square)](http://npm.im/all-contributors-cli)',
     ].join(''),
     '',
@@ -155,7 +157,9 @@ test('replace all-contributors badge if present', () => {
     'Badges',
     [
       '[![version](https://img.shields.io/npm/v/all-contributors-cli.svg?style=flat-square)](http://npm.im/all-contributors-cli)',
+      '<!-- ALL-CONTRIBUTORS-BADGE:START - Do not remove or modify this section -->',
       '[![All Contributors](https://img.shields.io/badge/all_contributors-1-orange.svg?style=flat-square)](#contributors-)',
+      '<!-- ALL-CONTRIBUTORS-BADGE:END -->',
       '[![version](https://img.shields.io/npm/v/all-contributors-cli.svg?style=flat-square)](http://npm.im/all-contributors-cli)',
     ].join(''),
     '',
diff --git a/src/generate/index.js b/src/generate/index.js
index 314e294..3a2c899 100644
--- a/src/generate/index.js
+++ b/src/generate/index.js
@@ -2,11 +2,9 @@ const _ = require('lodash/fp')
 const formatBadge = require('./format-badge')
 const formatContributor = require('./format-contributor')
 
-const badgeRegex = /\[!\[All Contributors\]\([a-zA-Z0-9\-./_:?=]+\)\]\(#[\w-]+\)/
-
 function injectListBetweenTags(newContent) {
   return function(previousContent) {
-    const tagToLookFor = '<!-- ALL-CONTRIBUTORS-LIST:'
+    const tagToLookFor = `<!-- ALL-CONTRIBUTORS-LIST:`
     const closingTag = '-->'
     const startOfOpeningTagIndex = previousContent.indexOf(
       `${tagToLookFor}START`,
@@ -61,15 +59,31 @@ function generateContributorsList(options, contributors) {
 
 function replaceBadge(newContent) {
   return function(previousContent) {
-    const regexResult = badgeRegex.exec(previousContent)
-    if (!regexResult) {
+    const tagToLookFor = `<!-- ALL-CONTRIBUTORS-BADGE:`
+    const closingTag = '-->'
+    const startOfOpeningTagIndex = previousContent.indexOf(
+      `${tagToLookFor}START`,
+    )
+    const endOfOpeningTagIndex = previousContent.indexOf(
+      closingTag,
+      startOfOpeningTagIndex,
+    )
+    const startOfClosingTagIndex = previousContent.indexOf(
+      `${tagToLookFor}END`,
+      endOfOpeningTagIndex,
+    )
+    if (
+      startOfOpeningTagIndex === -1 ||
+      endOfOpeningTagIndex === -1 ||
+      startOfClosingTagIndex === -1
+    ) {
       return previousContent
     }
-    return (
-      previousContent.slice(0, regexResult.index) +
-      newContent +
-      previousContent.slice(regexResult.index + regexResult[0].length)
-    )
+    return [
+      previousContent.slice(0, endOfOpeningTagIndex + closingTag.length),
+      newContent,
+      previousContent.slice(startOfClosingTagIndex),
+    ].join('')
   }
 }
 
diff --git a/src/init/__tests__/add-badge.js b/src/init/__tests__/add-badge.js
index a093210..78b6d0d 100644
--- a/src/init/__tests__/add-badge.js
+++ b/src/init/__tests__/add-badge.js
@@ -4,7 +4,9 @@ test('insert badge under title', () => {
   const content = ['# project', '', 'Description', '', 'Foo bar'].join('\n')
   const expected = [
     '# project',
+    '<!-- ALL-CONTRIBUTORS-BADGE:START - Do not remove or modify this section -->',
     '[![All Contributors](https://img.shields.io/badge/all_contributors-0-orange.svg?style=flat-square)](#contributors-)',
+    '<!-- ALL-CONTRIBUTORS-BADGE:END -->',
     '',
     'Description',
     '',
@@ -20,7 +22,9 @@ test('add badge if content is empty', () => {
   const content = ''
   const expected = [
     '',
+    '<!-- ALL-CONTRIBUTORS-BADGE:START - Do not remove or modify this section -->',
     '[![All Contributors](https://img.shields.io/badge/all_contributors-0-orange.svg?style=flat-square)](#contributors-)',
+    '<!-- ALL-CONTRIBUTORS-BADGE:END -->',
   ].join('\n')
 
   const result = addBadge(content)
diff --git a/src/init/init-content.js b/src/init/init-content.js
index 93b9543..f772eb3 100644
--- a/src/init/init-content.js
+++ b/src/init/init-content.js
@@ -1,8 +1,12 @@
 const _ = require('lodash/fp')
 const injectContentBetween = require('../util').markdown.injectContentBetween
 
-const badgeContent =
-  '[![All Contributors](https://img.shields.io/badge/all_contributors-0-orange.svg?style=flat-square)](#contributors-)'
+const badgeContent = [
+  '<!-- ALL-CONTRIBUTORS-BADGE:START - Do not remove or modify this section -->',
+  '[![All Contributors](https://img.shields.io/badge/all_contributors-0-orange.svg?style=flat-square)](#contributors-)',
+  '<!-- ALL-CONTRIBUTORS-BADGE:END -->',
+].join('\n')
+
 const headerContent =
   'Thanks goes to these wonderful people ([emoji key](https://allcontributors.org/docs/en/emoji-key)):'
 const listContent = [