diff --git a/lib/dox.js b/lib/dox.js
index 24cdbe22..ae3b0d7e 100644
--- a/lib/dox.js
+++ b/lib/dox.js
@@ -124,7 +124,10 @@ exports.parseComments = function(js, options){
     } else if (withinSingle && !withinMultiline && '\n' == js[i]) {
       withinSingle = false;
       buf += js[i];
-    } else if (!withinSingle && !withinMultiline && ('\'' == js[i] || '"' == js[i])) {
+    } else if (
+      !withinSingle && !withinMultiline && ('\'' == js[i] || '"' == js[i]) &&
+      !('\\' == js[i] && '\'' == js[i+1]) && !('\\' == js[i-1] && '\'' == js[i])
+    ) {
       withinString = !withinString;
       buf += js[i];
     } else {
diff --git a/test/dox.test.js b/test/dox.test.js
index b47b933a..3f05c14d 100644
--- a/test/dox.test.js
+++ b/test/dox.test.js
@@ -924,5 +924,13 @@ module.exports = {
       comments[1].tags[0].description.should.equal("<p>Invalid argument.</p>");
       done();
     });
+  },
+
+  'can properly handle escaped single quotes': function (done) {
+    fixture('error.js', function (err, str) {
+      var comments = dox.parseComments(str);
+      comments.length.should.equal(2);
+      done();
+    })
   }
 };
diff --git a/test/fixtures/error.js b/test/fixtures/error.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..7947c40b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/fixtures/error.js
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+/**
+ * Thrower - description
+ *
+ * @class Thrower
+ */
+function Thrower () {
+  throw new Error('Something hasn\'t been defined.');
+}
+
+
+/**
+ * anonymous function - description
+ *
+ * @return {type}  description
+ */
+Thrower.prototype.foo = function () {};