diff --git a/lib/hcl-prv.h b/lib/hcl-prv.h
index 77b7f8d..775df1c 100644
--- a/lib/hcl-prv.h
+++ b/lib/hcl-prv.h
@@ -182,6 +182,7 @@ enum hcl_tok_type_t
 	HCL_TOK_DBLCOLONS, /* :: */
 	HCL_TOK_TRPCOLONS, /* ::: */
 	HCL_TOK_DCSTAR,    /* ::* */
+	HCL_TOK_SEMICOLON, /* ; */
 	HCL_TOK_COMMA,     /* , */
 	HCL_TOK_LPAREN,    /* ( */
 	HCL_TOK_RPAREN,    /* ) */
diff --git a/lib/hcl.h b/lib/hcl.h
index 2be9a20..e9b7a3c 100644
--- a/lib/hcl.h
+++ b/lib/hcl.h
@@ -1917,9 +1917,10 @@ enum hcl_concode_t
 	/* these can be set in the SYNCODE flags for a cons cell */
 	HCL_CONCODE_XLIST = 0,  /* ( ) - executable list */
 	HCL_CONCODE_MLIST,      /* (: ) - message send list */
+	HCL_CONCODE_BLOCK,      /* { } */
 	HCL_CONCODE_ARRAY,      /* [ ] */
 	HCL_CONCODE_BYTEARRAY,  /* #[ ] */
-	HCL_CONCODE_DIC,        /* { } */
+	HCL_CONCODE_DIC,        /* #{ } */
 	HCL_CONCODE_QLIST,      /* #( ) - data list */
 	HCL_CONCODE_VLIST       /* | | - symbol list */
 };
diff --git a/lib/print.c b/lib/print.c
index aafe666..b86026c 100644
--- a/lib/print.c
+++ b/lib/print.c
@@ -219,6 +219,7 @@ int hcl_fmt_object_ (hcl_fmtout_t* fmtout, hcl_oop_t obj)
 		/* navtive   json */
 		{ "(",       "(" },  /*HCL_CONCODE_XLIST */
 		{ "(:",      "(" },  /*HCL_CONCODE_MLIST */
+		{ "{",       "{" },  /*HCL_CONCODE_BLOCK */
 		{ "[",       "[" },  /*HCL_CONCODE_ARRAY */
 		{ "#[",      "[" },  /*HCL_CONCODE_BYTEARRAY */ 
 		{ "#{",      "{" },  /*HCL_CONCODE_DIC */
@@ -229,6 +230,7 @@ int hcl_fmt_object_ (hcl_fmtout_t* fmtout, hcl_oop_t obj)
 	{
 		{ ")",       ")" },   /*HCL_CONCODE_XLIST */
 		{ ")",       ")" },   /*HCL_CONCODE_MLIST */
+		{ "}",       "}" },   /*HCL_CONCODE_BLOCK */
 		{ "]",       "]" },   /*HCL_CONCODE_ARRAY */
 		{ "]",       "]" },   /*HCL_CONCODE_BYTEARRAY */
 		{ "}",       "}" },   /*HCL_CONCODE_DIC */
diff --git a/lib/read.c b/lib/read.c
index 273d6c0..7bf43f5 100644
--- a/lib/read.c
+++ b/lib/read.c
@@ -324,7 +324,7 @@ static HCL_INLINE int is_alnumchar (hcl_ooci_t c)
 static HCL_INLINE int is_delimchar (hcl_ooci_t c)
 {
 	return c == '(' || c == ')' || c == '[' || c == ']' || c == '{' || c == '}' ||
-	       c == ';' || c == '|' || c == ',' || c == '.' || c == ':' ||
+	       c == ';' || c == '|' || c == ',' || c == '.' || c == ':' || c == ';' ||
 	       /* the first characters of tokens in delim_token_tab up to this point */
 	       c == '#'  || c == '\"' || c == '\'' || is_spacechar(c) || c == HCL_UCI_EOF;
 }
@@ -1082,6 +1082,11 @@ static int feed_process_token (hcl_t* hcl)
 			LIST_FLAG_SET_CONCODE (frd->flagv, HCL_CONCODE_BYTEARRAY);
 			goto start_list;
 
+		case HCL_TOK_LBRACE: /* { */
+			frd->flagv = DATA_LIST;
+			LIST_FLAG_SET_CONCODE (frd->flagv, HCL_CONCODE_BLOCK);
+			goto start_list;
+
 		case HCL_TOK_DLPAREN: /* #{ */
 			frd->flagv = DATA_LIST;
 			LIST_FLAG_SET_CONCODE (frd->flagv, HCL_CONCODE_DIC);
@@ -1412,7 +1417,7 @@ static delim_token_t delim_token_tab[] =
 	 *    The length must not differ by greater than 1 between 2 items in the same group.
 	 *
 	 * [NOTE 3]
-	 *  don't list #( and #[ here because of overlapping use of # for various purposes.
+	 *  don't list #(, #[, #{ here because of overlapping use of # for various purposes.
 	 *  however, # is included in is_delimchar().
 	 */
 
@@ -1436,7 +1441,9 @@ static delim_token_t delim_token_tab[] =
 	{ ":",        1, HCL_TOK_COLON },
 	{ "::",       2, HCL_TOK_DBLCOLONS },
 	{ "::*",      3, HCL_TOK_DCSTAR },
-	{ ":::",      3, HCL_TOK_TRPCOLONS  }
+	{ ":::",      3, HCL_TOK_TRPCOLONS  },
+
+	{ ";",        1, HCL_TOK_SEMICOLON }
 };
 
 static int find_delim_token_char (hcl_t* hcl, const hcl_ooci_t c, int row_start, int row_end, int col, hcl_flx_dt_t* dt)