diff --git a/lib/err.c b/lib/err.c
index 9f9bf3c..34c2500 100644
--- a/lib/err.c
+++ b/lib/err.c
@@ -161,6 +161,7 @@ static char* synerrstr[] =
 	"unbalanced key/value pair",
 	"unbalanced parenthesis/brace/bracket",
 	"unexpected semicolon",
+	"stray backslash",
 	"block expression expected",
 	"block expression disallowed",
 	"invalid lvalue"
diff --git a/lib/hcl-prv.h b/lib/hcl-prv.h
index f8d1c7f..bd94d21 100644
--- a/lib/hcl-prv.h
+++ b/lib/hcl-prv.h
@@ -635,6 +635,7 @@ struct hcl_flx_st_t
 enum hcl_flx_state_t
 {
 	HCL_FLX_START,
+	HCL_FLX_BACKSLASHED,
 	HCL_FLX_COMMENT,
 	HCL_FLX_DELIM_TOKEN,
 	HCL_FLX_HMARKED_TOKEN,  /* hash-marked token */
diff --git a/lib/hcl.h b/lib/hcl.h
index 732e070..61e9d50 100644
--- a/lib/hcl.h
+++ b/lib/hcl.h
@@ -165,6 +165,7 @@ enum hcl_synerrnum_t
 	HCL_SYNERR_UNBALKV,       /* unbalanced key/value pair */
 	HCL_SYNERR_UNBALPBB,      /* unbalanced parenthesis/brace/bracket */
 	HCL_SYNERR_SEMICOLON,     /* unexpected semicolon */
+	HCL_SYNERR_BACKSLASH,     /* stray backslash */
 	HCL_SYNERR_BLOCK,         /* block expression expected */
 	HCL_SYNERR_BLOCKBANNED,   /* block expression disallowed */
 	HCL_SYNERR_LVALUE         /* invalid lvalue */
diff --git a/lib/read.c b/lib/read.c
index cb81e65..fe9c5dc 100644
--- a/lib/read.c
+++ b/lib/read.c
@@ -1833,6 +1833,14 @@ static int flx_start (hcl_t* hcl, hcl_ooci_t c)
 			FEED_WRAP_UP_WITH_CHARS (hcl, vocas[VOCA_EOF].str, vocas[VOCA_EOF].len, HCL_TOK_EOF);
 			goto consumed;
 
+		case '\\':
+			FEED_CONTINUE_WITH_CHAR (hcl, c, HCL_FLX_BACKSLASHED);
+			goto consumed;
+
+		case '\n': /* specify all linebreak chars */
+			FEED_WRAP_UP_WITH_CHAR (hcl, c, HCL_TOK_SEMICOLON);
+			goto consumed;
+
 		/* this part is never hit because the semicolon sign is part of delim_tok_tab{}
 		   TODO: remove this part once the language spec is finalized to not require this
 		case ';':
@@ -1880,6 +1888,18 @@ not_consumed:
 	return 0;
 }
 
+static int flx_backslashed (hcl_t* hcl, hcl_ooci_t c)
+{
+	if (is_linebreak(c))
+	{
+		FEED_CONTINUE (hcl, HCL_FLX_START);
+		return 1; /* consumed */
+	}
+
+	hcl_setsynerrbfmt (hcl, HCL_SYNERR_BACKSLASH, TOKEN_LOC(hcl), TOKEN_NAME(hcl), "stray backslash");
+	return -1;
+}
+
 static int flx_comment (hcl_t* hcl, hcl_ooci_t c)
 {
 	if (is_linebreak(c)) FEED_CONTINUE (hcl, HCL_FLX_START);
@@ -2574,6 +2594,7 @@ static int feed_char (hcl_t* hcl, hcl_ooci_t c)
 	switch (FLX_STATE(hcl))
 	{
 		case HCL_FLX_START:            return flx_start(hcl, c);
+		case HCL_FLX_BACKSLASHED:      return flx_backslashed(hcl, c);
 		case HCL_FLX_COMMENT:          return flx_comment(hcl, c);
 		case HCL_FLX_DELIM_TOKEN:      return flx_delim_token(hcl, c);
 		case HCL_FLX_HMARKED_TOKEN:    return flx_hmarked_token(hcl, c);
diff --git a/t/insta-01.hcl b/t/insta-01.hcl
index 1274916..ee6c55f 100644
--- a/t/insta-01.hcl
+++ b/t/insta-01.hcl
@@ -30,22 +30,22 @@ defclass B ::: A | d e f | {
 };
 
 set a ((B:newInstance 1 2 3):sum);
-if (/= a 18) { printf "ERROR: a must be 18\n"; }
+if (/= a 18) { printf "ERROR: a must be 18\n"; } \
 else { printf "OK %d\n" a; };
 
 set b (B:newInstance 2 3 4);
 set a (b:get-a);
-if (/= a 4) {printf "ERROR: a must be 4\n" }
+if (/= a 4) {printf "ERROR: a must be 4\n" } \
 else { printf "OK %d\n" a };
 
 set a (b:get-b);
-if (/= a 6) { printf "ERROR: a must be 6\n" }
+if (/= a 6) { printf "ERROR: a must be 6\n" } \
 else { printf "OK %d\n" a };
 
 set a (b:get-c);
-if (/= a 8) { printf "ERROR: a must be 8\n" }
+if (/= a 8) { printf "ERROR: a must be 8\n" } \
 else {printf "OK %d\n" a };
 
 set a (b:sum);
-if (/= a 27) { printf "ERROR: a must be 27\n" }
+if (/= a 27) { printf "ERROR: a must be 27\n" } \
 else { printf "OK %d\n" a };
diff --git a/t/insta-02.hcl b/t/insta-02.hcl
index fc90212..3152f1f 100644
--- a/t/insta-02.hcl
+++ b/t/insta-02.hcl
@@ -7,20 +7,20 @@ set t (
 
 set X t;
 
-if (nqv? t X) { printf "ERROR: t must point to X\n" }
+if (nqv? t X) { printf "ERROR: t must point to X\n" } \
 else { printf "OK: t points to X\n" };
 
 set t ((t:make):get-x);
 
-if (nqv? t 1234) { printf "ERROR: t must be 1234\n" }
+if (nqv? t 1234) { printf "ERROR: t must be 1234\n" } \
 else { printf "OK: t is %d\n" t };
 
 
 set j #{ ((X:make):get-x): 9999, 4512: ((X: make): get-x) };
 set v (dic.get j 1234);
-if (nqv? v 9999) { printf "ERROR: v is not 9999\n" }
+if (nqv? v 9999) { printf "ERROR: v is not 9999\n" } \
 else {  printf "OK:  value is %d\n" v };
 
 set v (dic.get j 4512);
-if (nqv? v 1234) { printf "ERROR: v is not 1234\n" }
+if (nqv? v 1234) { printf "ERROR: v is not 1234\n" } \
 else { printf "OK:  value is %d\n" v };
diff --git a/t/ret-01.hcl b/t/ret-01.hcl
index 18eeef1..1a8100f 100644
--- a/t/ret-01.hcl
+++ b/t/ret-01.hcl
@@ -15,11 +15,11 @@ defun test-non-local-ret-1(k) {
 };
 
 set a (test-non-local-ret-1 20);
-if (/= a 28) { printf "ERROR: a must be 28\n" }
+if (/= a 28) { printf "ERROR: a must be 28\n" } \
 else { printf "OK %d\n" a };
 
 set a (test-non-local-ret-1 21);
-if (/= a 41) { printf "ERROR: a must be 41\n" }
+if (/= a 41) { printf "ERROR: a must be 41\n" } \
 else { printf "OK %d\n" a };
 
 
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ defun ff() { return 999 };
 
 ## test a normal block return
 set a (ff);
-if (/= a 999) { printf "ERROR: a must be 999\n" }
+if (/= a 999) { printf "ERROR: a must be 999\n" } \
 else  { printf "OK %d\n" a };
 
 ## return from top-level