diff --git a/src/Text/Pandoc/Writers/LaTeX/Table.hs b/src/Text/Pandoc/Writers/LaTeX/Table.hs
index abdc26649..27a8a0257 100644
--- a/src/Text/Pandoc/Writers/LaTeX/Table.hs
+++ b/src/Text/Pandoc/Writers/LaTeX/Table.hs
@@ -264,10 +264,11 @@ cellToLaTeX blockListToLaTeX celltype annotatedCell = do
         _       -> False
   let hasLineBreak LineBreak = Any True
       hasLineBreak _ = Any False
+  let hasLineBreaks = getAny $ query hasLineBreak blocks
   result <-
     if not hasWidths || (celltype /= HeaderCell
                            && all isPlainOrPara blocks
-                           && not (getAny (query hasLineBreak blocks)))
+                           && not hasLineBreaks)
        then
          blockListToLaTeX $ walk fixLineBreaks $ walk displayMathToInline blocks
        else do
@@ -280,7 +281,9 @@ cellToLaTeX blockListToLaTeX celltype annotatedCell = do
          let halign = literal $ alignCommand align
          return $ "\\begin{minipage}" <> valign <>
                   braces "\\linewidth" <> halign <> cr <>
-                  cellContents <> cr <>
+                  cellContents <>
+                  (if hasLineBreaks then "\\strut" else mempty)
+                  <> cr <>
                   "\\end{minipage}"
   modify $ \st -> st{ stExternalNotes = externalNotes }
   when (rowspan /= RowSpan 1) $
diff --git a/test/command/7272.md b/test/command/7272.md
index 3b9064c9c..d27b25143 100644
--- a/test/command/7272.md
+++ b/test/command/7272.md
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@
 \endhead
 \begin{minipage}[t]{\linewidth}\raggedright
 { text\\
-text2 }
+text2 }\strut
 \end{minipage} \\
 \bottomrule
 \end{longtable}
diff --git a/test/tables/nordics.latex b/test/tables/nordics.latex
index 1dcac7319..6f17a163e 100644
--- a/test/tables/nordics.latex
+++ b/test/tables/nordics.latex
@@ -11,10 +11,10 @@ Name
 Capital
 \end{minipage} & \begin{minipage}[b]{\linewidth}\centering
 Population\\
-(in 2018)
+(in 2018)\strut
 \end{minipage} & \begin{minipage}[b]{\linewidth}\centering
 Area\\
-(in km\textsuperscript{2})
+(in km\textsuperscript{2})\strut
 \end{minipage} \\
 \midrule
 \endfirsthead
@@ -25,10 +25,10 @@ Name
 Capital
 \end{minipage} & \begin{minipage}[b]{\linewidth}\centering
 Population\\
-(in 2018)
+(in 2018)\strut
 \end{minipage} & \begin{minipage}[b]{\linewidth}\centering
 Area\\
-(in km\textsuperscript{2})
+(in km\textsuperscript{2})\strut
 \end{minipage} \\
 \midrule
 \endhead