diff --git a/go.mod b/go.mod
index 849557af5..55c70b408 100644
--- a/go.mod
+++ b/go.mod
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ require (
 	google.golang.org/api v0.7.0
 	google.golang.org/grpc v1.27.0
 	google.golang.org/protobuf v1.25.0
-	gopkg.in/ini.v1 v1.44.0
+	gopkg.in/ini.v1 v1.61.0
 	gopkg.in/urfave/cli.v1 v1.20.0
 	gotest.tools v2.2.0+incompatible // indirect
 )
diff --git a/go.sum b/go.sum
index e017155d8..0a469aa08 100644
--- a/go.sum
+++ b/go.sum
@@ -413,8 +413,8 @@ gopkg.in/check.v1 v1.0.0-20180628173108-788fd7840127/go.mod h1:Co6ibVJAznAaIkqp8
 gopkg.in/check.v1 v1.0.0-20190902080502-41f04d3bba15 h1:YR8cESwS4TdDjEe65xsg0ogRM/Nc3DYOhEAlW+xobZo=
 gopkg.in/check.v1 v1.0.0-20190902080502-41f04d3bba15/go.mod h1:Co6ibVJAznAaIkqp8huTwlJQCZ016jof/cbN4VW5Yz0=
 gopkg.in/fsnotify.v1 v1.4.7/go.mod h1:Tz8NjZHkW78fSQdbUxIjBTcgA1z1m8ZHf0WmKUhAMys=
-gopkg.in/ini.v1 v1.44.0 h1:YRJzTUp0kSYWUVFF5XAbDFfyiqwsl0Vb9R8TVP5eRi0=
-gopkg.in/ini.v1 v1.44.0/go.mod h1:pNLf8WUiyNEtQjuu5G5vTm06TEv9tsIgeAvK8hOrP4k=
+gopkg.in/ini.v1 v1.61.0 h1:LBCdW4FmFYL4s/vDZD1RQYX7oAR6IjujCYgMdbHBR10=
+gopkg.in/ini.v1 v1.61.0/go.mod h1:pNLf8WUiyNEtQjuu5G5vTm06TEv9tsIgeAvK8hOrP4k=
 gopkg.in/resty.v1 v1.12.0/go.mod h1:mDo4pnntr5jdWRML875a/NmxYqAlA73dVijT2AXvQQo=
 gopkg.in/square/go-jose.v2 v2.3.1 h1:SK5KegNXmKmqE342YYN2qPHEnUYeoMiXXl1poUlI+o4=
 gopkg.in/square/go-jose.v2 v2.3.1/go.mod h1:M9dMgbHiYLoDGQrXy7OpJDJWiKiU//h+vD76mk0e1AI=
diff --git a/stores/ini/store.go b/stores/ini/store.go
index df5405294..c54ed1b6d 100644
--- a/stores/ini/store.go
+++ b/stores/ini/store.go
@@ -89,7 +89,10 @@ func (store Store) iniFromTreeBranches(branches sops.TreeBranches) ([]byte, erro
 }
 
 func (store Store) treeBranchesFromIni(in []byte) (sops.TreeBranches, error) {
-	iniFile, err := ini.Load(in)
+	iniFile, err := ini.LoadSources(ini.LoadOptions{
+		IgnoreInlineComment: true,
+		AllowPythonMultilineValues: true,
+	}, in)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
@@ -137,7 +140,10 @@ func (store Store) treeItemFromSection(section *ini.Section) (sops.TreeItem, err
 
 // LoadEncryptedFile loads encrypted INI file's bytes onto a sops.Tree runtime object
 func (store *Store) LoadEncryptedFile(in []byte) (sops.Tree, error) {
-	iniFileOuter, err := ini.Load(in)
+	iniFileOuter, err := ini.LoadSources(ini.LoadOptions{
+		IgnoreInlineComment: true,
+		AllowPythonMultilineValues: true,
+	}, in)
 	if err != nil {
 		return sops.Tree{}, err
 	}
diff --git a/stores/ini/store_test.go b/stores/ini/store_test.go
index 9be162957..bbc728984 100644
--- a/stores/ini/store_test.go
+++ b/stores/ini/store_test.go
@@ -19,6 +19,12 @@ organization=Acme Widgets Inc.
 server=192.0.2.62     
 port=143
 file="payroll.dat"
+
+[format]
+test = value with#hash
+pythonic = some
+           additional
+           value
 `
 	expected := sops.TreeBranches{
 		sops.TreeBranch{
@@ -64,6 +70,19 @@ file="payroll.dat"
 					},
 				},
 			},
+			sops.TreeItem{
+				Key: "format",
+				Value: sops.TreeBranch{
+					sops.TreeItem{
+						Key:   "test",
+						Value: "value with#hash",
+					},
+					sops.TreeItem{
+						Key:   "pythonic",
+						Value: "some\nadditional\nvalue",
+					},
+				},
+			},
 		},
 	}
 	branch, err := Store{}.treeBranchesFromIni([]byte(in))
@@ -127,6 +146,30 @@ func TestEncodeIniWithEscaping(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.Equal(t, expected, branches)
 }
 
+func TestEncodeIniWithPreserving(t *testing.T) {
+	branches := sops.TreeBranches{
+		sops.TreeBranch{
+			sops.TreeItem{
+				Key: "DEFAULT",
+				Value: sops.TreeBranch{
+					sops.TreeItem{
+						Key:   "hash",
+						Value: "foo#bar",
+					},
+					sops.TreeItem{
+						Key:   "semicolon",
+						Value: "foo;bar",
+					},
+				},
+			},
+		},
+	}
+	out, err := Store{}.iniFromTreeBranches(branches)
+	assert.Nil(t, err)
+	expected, _ := Store{}.treeBranchesFromIni(out)
+	assert.Equal(t, expected, branches)
+}
+
 func TestUnmarshalMetadataFromNonSOPSFile(t *testing.T) {
 	data := []byte(`hello=2`)
 	store := Store{}