diff --git a/doc/overview.xml b/doc/overview.xml
index 52fe9b9865..4ed1e01584 100644
--- a/doc/overview.xml
+++ b/doc/overview.xml
@@ -500,6 +500,9 @@ notify(vm);
         <listitem><para>The <literal>#</literal> character introduces a
         comment that spans until the end of the line.</para>
         </listitem>
+        <listitem><para>The <literal>;</literal> character at the beginning of
+        a line makes the entire line a comment.</para>
+        </listitem>
       </itemizedlist>
 
       <para>The option names are relative to the section names, so
diff --git a/src/config_file.cpp b/src/config_file.cpp
index f2a57b4b82..1373462fbe 100644
--- a/src/config_file.cpp
+++ b/src/config_file.cpp
@@ -90,7 +90,13 @@ namespace boost { namespace program_options { namespace detail {
             // strip '#' comments and whitespace
             if ((n = s.find('#')) != string::npos)
                 s = s.substr(0, n);
-            s = trim_ws(s);
+            // if the first character is a ';' line is a comment
+            if (!s.empty() && ';' == *s.begin()) {
+                s = "";
+            }
+            else {
+                s = trim_ws(s);
+            }
 
             if (!s.empty()) {
                 // Handle section name
diff --git a/test/config_test.cfg b/test/config_test.cfg
index 1530f7c8ab..a84e860c22 100644
--- a/test/config_test.cfg
+++ b/test/config_test.cfg
@@ -1,4 +1,6 @@
 gv1 = 0#asd
+; semi test
+; semi_value = 9
 empty_value = 
 plug3 = 7
 b = true
diff --git a/test/parsers_test.cpp b/test/parsers_test.cpp
index 8f01731dcd..6b883cca46 100644
--- a/test/parsers_test.cpp
+++ b/test/parsers_test.cpp
@@ -257,6 +257,7 @@ void test_config_file(const char* config_file)
     desc.add_options()
         ("gv1", new untyped_value)
         ("gv2", new untyped_value)
+        ("semi_value", new untyped_value)
         ("empty_value", new untyped_value)
         ("plug*", new untyped_value)
         ("m1.v1", new untyped_value)
@@ -267,6 +268,8 @@ void test_config_file(const char* config_file)
 
     const char content1[] =
     " gv1 = 0#asd\n"
+    "; semi comment\n"
+    "; semi_value = 9\n"
     "empty_value = \n"
     "plug3 = 7\n"
     "b = true\n"
@@ -383,6 +386,4 @@ int main(int, char* av[])
     test_config_file(av[1]);
     test_environment();
     test_unregistered();
-    return 0;
 }
-