diff --git a/README.markdown b/README.markdown
index bbe723c..3756d67 100644
--- a/README.markdown
+++ b/README.markdown
@@ -453,9 +453,10 @@ excerpt showing the configuration for the ‘markdown’ file type:
   let g:pencil#autoformat_config = {
         \   'markdown': {
         \     'black': [
-        \       'markdown(Code|H[0-9]|Url|IdDeclaration|Link|Rule|Highlight[A-Za-z0-9]+)',
         \       'htmlH[0-9]',
+        \       'markdown(Code|H[0-9]|Url|IdDeclaration|Link|Rule|Highlight[A-Za-z0-9]+)',
         \       'markdown(FencedCodeBlock|InlineCode)',
+        \       'mkd(Code|Rule|Delimiter|Link|ListItem|IndentCode)',
         \       'mmdTable[A-Za-z0-9]*',
         \     ],
         \     'white': [
@@ -468,12 +469,12 @@ excerpt showing the configuration for the ‘markdown’ file type:
 
 For example, if editing a file of type ‘markdown’ and you enter Insert
 mode from inside a `markdownFencedCodeBlock` highlight group, then Vim’s
-autoformat will _not_ be enabled.
+autoformat will _not_ be activated.
 
-The whitelist can override the blacklist and allow Vim’s autoformat to be
-enabled if text that would normally be blacklisted doesn’t dominate the
-entire line. This allows autoformat to work with `inline` snippets of
-code or links.
+The whitelist will override the blacklist and allow Vim’s autoformat to
+be activated if text that would normally be blacklisted doesn’t dominate
+the entire line. This allows autoformat to work with `inline` code and
+links.
 
 ### Auto-detecting wrap mode
 
diff --git a/autoload/pencil.vim b/autoload/pencil.vim
index b50b3ed..6c20340 100644
--- a/autoload/pencil.vim
+++ b/autoload/pencil.vim
@@ -56,7 +56,8 @@ fun! s:maybe_enable_autoformat() abort
   " don't enable autoformat if in a blacklisted code block or table,
   " allowing for reprieve via whitelist in certain cases
 
-  let l:af_cfg = get(g:pencil#autoformat_config, &ft, {})
+  let l:ft = get(g:pencil#autoformat_aliases, &ft, &ft)
+  let l:af_cfg = get(g:pencil#autoformat_config, l:ft, {})
   let l:black = get(l:af_cfg, 'black', [])
   let l:white = get(l:af_cfg, 'white', [])
   let l:has_black_re = len(l:black) > 0
diff --git a/plugin/pencil.vim b/plugin/pencil.vim
index fa866e0..8f01cf2 100644
--- a/plugin/pencil.vim
+++ b/plugin/pencil.vim
@@ -62,8 +62,8 @@ if !exists('g:pencil#autoformat')
 en
 
 if !exists('g:pencil#autoformat_config')
-  " do not engage autoformat if cursor is inside any of
-  " the following syntax groups
+  " Do not activate autoformat if entering Insert mode when
+  " the cursor is inside any of the following syntax groups.
   "
   " markdown* (tpope/vim-markdown)
   " mkd*, htmlH[0-9] (plasticboy/vim-markdown)
@@ -74,29 +74,16 @@ if !exists('g:pencil#autoformat_config')
   let g:pencil#autoformat_config = {
         \   'markdown': {
         \     'black': [
-        \       'markdown(Code|H[0-9]|Url|IdDeclaration|Link|Rule|Highlight[A-Za-z0-9]+)',
         \       'htmlH[0-9]',
+        \       'markdown(Code|H[0-9]|Url|IdDeclaration|Link|Rule|Highlight[A-Za-z0-9]+)',
         \       'markdown(FencedCodeBlock|InlineCode)',
+        \       'mkd(Code|Rule|Delimiter|Link|ListItem|IndentCode)',
         \       'mmdTable[A-Za-z0-9]*',
         \     ],
         \     'white': [
         \      'markdown(Code|Link)',
         \     ],
         \   },
-        \   'mkd': {
-        \     'black': [
-        \       'mkd(Code|Rule|Delimiter|Link|ListItem|IndentCode)',
-        \       'htmlH[0-9]',
-        \       'mmdTable[A-Za-z0-9]*',
-        \     ],
-        \   },
-        \   'tex': {
-        \     'black': [
-        \       'tex(BeginEndName|Delimiter|DocType|InputFile|Math|RefZone|Title)',
-        \       'texSection$',
-        \     ],
-        \     'enforce-previous-line': 1,
-        \   },
         \   'asciidoc': {
         \     'black': [
         \       'asciidoc(AttributeList|AttributeEntry|ListLabel|Literal|SideBar|Source|Sect[0-9])',
@@ -112,6 +99,13 @@ if !exists('g:pencil#autoformat_config')
         \       'rst(CodeBlock|Directive|LiteralBlock|Sections)',
         \     ],
         \   },
+        \   'tex': {
+        \     'black': [
+        \       'tex(BeginEndName|Delimiter|DocType|InputFile|Math|RefZone|Title)',
+        \       'texSection$',
+        \     ],
+        \     'enforce-previous-line': 1,
+        \   },
         \   'textile': {
         \     'black': [
         \       'txtCode',
@@ -119,6 +113,14 @@ if !exists('g:pencil#autoformat_config')
         \   },
         \ }
 en
+if !exists('g:pencil#autoformat_aliases')
+  " Aliases used exclusively for autoformat config.
+  " Pencil will NOT modify the filetype setting.
+  let g:pencil#autoformat_aliases = {
+        \    'md': 'markdown',
+        \    'mkd': 'markdown',
+        \  }
+en
 
 if !exists('g:pencil#joinspaces')
   " by default, only one space after full stop (.)