diff --git a/doc/overview.xml b/doc/overview.xml
index 52fe9b9865..e67ad8eb02 100644
--- a/doc/overview.xml
+++ b/doc/overview.xml
@@ -498,7 +498,9 @@ notify(vm);
         <para>introduces a new section in the configuration file.</para>
         </listitem>
         <listitem><para>The <literal>#</literal> character introduces a
-        comment that spans until the end of the line.</para>
+        comment that spans until the end of the line.  A flag may be
+        passed to limit comments to only <literal>#</literal> characters
+        which start the line.</para>
         </listitem>
       </itemizedlist>
 
diff --git a/include/boost/program_options/detail/config_file.hpp b/include/boost/program_options/detail/config_file.hpp
index be6bba1447..5285d914b9 100644
--- a/include/boost/program_options/detail/config_file.hpp
+++ b/include/boost/program_options/detail/config_file.hpp
@@ -74,7 +74,8 @@ namespace boost { namespace program_options { namespace detail {
         common_config_file_iterator() { found_eof(); }
         common_config_file_iterator(
             const std::set<std::string>& allowed_options,
-            bool allow_unregistered = false);
+            bool allow_unregistered = false,
+            bool limited_comments = false);
 
         virtual ~common_config_file_iterator() {}
 
@@ -113,6 +114,7 @@ namespace boost { namespace program_options { namespace detail {
         std::set<std::string> allowed_prefixes;
         std::string m_prefix;
         bool m_allow_unregistered;
+        bool m_limited_comments;
     };
 
     template<class charT>
@@ -127,7 +129,8 @@ namespace boost { namespace program_options { namespace detail {
         */
         basic_config_file_iterator(std::basic_istream<charT>& is, 
                                    const std::set<std::string>& allowed_options,
-                                   bool allow_unregistered = false); 
+                                   bool allow_unregistered = false,
+                                   bool limited_comments = false); 
 
     private: // base overrides
 
@@ -151,8 +154,11 @@ namespace boost { namespace program_options { namespace detail {
     basic_config_file_iterator<charT>::
     basic_config_file_iterator(std::basic_istream<charT>& is, 
                                const std::set<std::string>& allowed_options,
-                               bool allow_unregistered)
-    : common_config_file_iterator(allowed_options, allow_unregistered)
+                               bool allow_unregistered,
+                               bool limited_comments)
+    : common_config_file_iterator(allowed_options,
+                                  allow_unregistered,
+                                  limited_comments)
     {
         this->is.reset(&is, null_deleter());                 
         get();
diff --git a/include/boost/program_options/parsers.hpp b/include/boost/program_options/parsers.hpp
index 0576469278..a60d7d87ad 100644
--- a/include/boost/program_options/parsers.hpp
+++ b/include/boost/program_options/parsers.hpp
@@ -182,8 +182,10 @@ namespace boost { namespace program_options {
     BOOST_PROGRAM_OPTIONS_DECL
 #endif
     basic_parsed_options<charT>
-    parse_config_file(std::basic_istream<charT>&, const options_description&,
-                      bool allow_unregistered = false);
+    parse_config_file(std::basic_istream<charT>&,
+                      const options_description&,
+                      bool allow_unregistered = false,
+                      bool limited_comments = false);
 
     /** Parse a config file.
 
@@ -199,8 +201,10 @@ namespace boost { namespace program_options {
     BOOST_PROGRAM_OPTIONS_DECL
 #endif
     basic_parsed_options<charT>
-    parse_config_file(const char* filename, const options_description&,
-                      bool allow_unregistered = false);
+    parse_config_file(const char* filename,
+                      const options_description&,
+                      bool allow_unregistered = false,
+                      bool limited_comments = false);
 
     /** Controls if the 'collect_unregistered' function should
         include positional options, or not. */
diff --git a/src/config_file.cpp b/src/config_file.cpp
index f2a57b4b82..86e6d11cd1 100644
--- a/src/config_file.cpp
+++ b/src/config_file.cpp
@@ -22,9 +22,11 @@ namespace boost { namespace program_options { namespace detail {
 
     common_config_file_iterator::common_config_file_iterator(
         const std::set<std::string>& allowed_options,
-        bool allow_unregistered)
+        bool allow_unregistered,
+        bool limited_comments)
     : allowed_options(allowed_options),
-      m_allow_unregistered(allow_unregistered)
+      m_allow_unregistered(allow_unregistered),
+      m_limited_comments(limited_comments)
     {
         for(std::set<std::string>::const_iterator i = allowed_options.begin();
             i != allowed_options.end(); 
@@ -88,9 +90,13 @@ namespace boost { namespace program_options { namespace detail {
         while(this->getline(s)) {
 
             // strip '#' comments and whitespace
-            if ((n = s.find('#')) != string::npos)
-                s = s.substr(0, n);
             s = trim_ws(s);
+            if ((n = s.find('#')) != string::npos) {
+                if (!m_limited_comments || n == 0) {
+                    s = s.substr(0, n);
+                    s = trim_ws(s);
+                }
+            }
 
             if (!s.empty()) {
                 // Handle section name
diff --git a/src/parsers.cpp b/src/parsers.cpp
index 364fc81a4c..3ae600c24b 100644
--- a/src/parsers.cpp
+++ b/src/parsers.cpp
@@ -101,7 +101,8 @@ namespace boost { namespace program_options {
     basic_parsed_options<charT>
     parse_config_file(std::basic_istream<charT>& is, 
                       const options_description& desc,
-                      bool allow_unregistered)
+                      bool allow_unregistered,
+                      bool limited_comments)
     {    
         set<string> allowed_options;
 
@@ -120,7 +121,7 @@ namespace boost { namespace program_options {
         // Parser return char strings
         parsed_options result(&desc);        
         copy(detail::basic_config_file_iterator<charT>(
-                 is, allowed_options, allow_unregistered), 
+                 is, allowed_options, allow_unregistered, limited_comments), 
              detail::basic_config_file_iterator<charT>(), 
              back_inserter(result.options));
         // Convert char strings into desired type.
@@ -131,21 +132,24 @@ namespace boost { namespace program_options {
     BOOST_PROGRAM_OPTIONS_DECL basic_parsed_options<char>
     parse_config_file(std::basic_istream<char>& is, 
                       const options_description& desc,
-                      bool allow_unregistered);
+                      bool allow_unregistered,
+                      bool limited_comments);
 
 #ifndef BOOST_NO_STD_WSTRING
     template
     BOOST_PROGRAM_OPTIONS_DECL basic_parsed_options<wchar_t>
     parse_config_file(std::basic_istream<wchar_t>& is, 
                       const options_description& desc,
-                      bool allow_unregistered);
+                      bool allow_unregistered,
+                      bool limited_comments);
 #endif
 
     template<class charT>
     basic_parsed_options<charT>
     parse_config_file(const char* filename, 
                       const options_description& desc,
-                      bool allow_unregistered)
+                      bool allow_unregistered,
+                      bool limited_comments)
     { 
         // Parser return char strings
         std::basic_ifstream< charT > strm(filename);
@@ -153,21 +157,26 @@ namespace boost { namespace program_options {
         {
             boost::throw_exception(reading_file(filename));
         }
-        return parse_config_file(strm, desc, allow_unregistered);
+        return parse_config_file(strm,
+                                 desc,
+                                 allow_unregistered,
+                                 limited_comments);
     }
 
     template
     BOOST_PROGRAM_OPTIONS_DECL basic_parsed_options<char>
     parse_config_file(const char* filename, 
                       const options_description& desc,
-                      bool allow_unregistered);
+                      bool allow_unregistered,
+                      bool limited_comments);
 
 #ifndef BOOST_NO_STD_WSTRING
     template
     BOOST_PROGRAM_OPTIONS_DECL basic_parsed_options<wchar_t>
     parse_config_file(const char* filename, 
                       const options_description& desc,
-                      bool allow_unregistered);
+                      bool allow_unregistered,
+                      bool limited_comments);
 #endif
 
     
diff --git a/test/config_test.cfg b/test/config_test.cfg
index 1530f7c8ab..9a4cdd540e 100644
--- a/test/config_test.cfg
+++ b/test/config_test.cfg
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
-gv1 = 0#asd
+gv1 = 0 #asd
 empty_value = 
 plug3 = 7
+ # line comment
 b = true
 
 [m1]
diff --git a/test/parsers_test.cpp b/test/parsers_test.cpp
index 8f01731dcd..70502594e5 100644
--- a/test/parsers_test.cpp
+++ b/test/parsers_test.cpp
@@ -266,9 +266,10 @@ void test_config_file(const char* config_file)
     ;
 
     const char content1[] =
-    " gv1 = 0#asd\n"
+    " gv1 = 0 #asd\n"
     "empty_value = \n"
     "plug3 = 7\n"
+    " # line comment\n"
     "b = true\n"
     "[m1]\n"
     "v1 = 1\n"
@@ -298,6 +299,19 @@ void test_config_file(const char* config_file)
     check_value(a2[4], "m1.v1", "1");
     check_value(a2[5], "m1.v2", "2");
     check_value(a2[6], "m1.v3", "3");
+    
+    // same test, with # signs in values
+    ss.clear();
+    ss.seekg(0, ios::beg);
+    vector<option> a3 = parse_config_file(ss, desc, false, true).options;
+    BOOST_REQUIRE(a3.size() == 7);
+    check_value(a3[0], "gv1", "0 #asd");
+    check_value(a3[1], "empty_value", "");
+    check_value(a3[2], "plug3", "7");
+    check_value(a3[3], "b", "true");
+    check_value(a3[4], "m1.v1", "1");
+    check_value(a3[5], "m1.v2", "2");
+    check_value(a2[6], "m1.v3", "3");
 }
 
 void test_environment()