XML preview: bold text appearing as normal (pdf and web)

Our no. 1 feedback from apex:

Basically, if there is no gap between bold and p tags, the bold doesn't show. See EMS83887

e.g. this doesn't work:

<p id="P35"><bold>Conflict of interest</bold></p>

But this would:

<p id="P35"><bold>Conflict of interest</bold> </p>