diff --git a/mparser.py b/mparser.py
index 29208bbdd..b7fb5195b 100644
--- a/mparser.py
+++ b/mparser.py
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-# Copyright 2014 The Meson development team
+# Copyright 2014-2015 The Meson development team
 
 # Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
 # you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
@@ -13,7 +13,6 @@
 # limitations under the License.
 
 import re
-import sys
 from coredata import MesonException
 
 class ParseException(MesonException):
@@ -51,7 +50,7 @@ class Lexer:
             ('rparen', re.compile(r'\)')),
             ('lbracket', re.compile(r'\[')),
             ('rbracket', re.compile(r'\]')),
-            ('string', re.compile("'[^']*?'")),
+            ('string', re.compile(r"'([^'\\]|(\\.))*'")),
             ('comma', re.compile(r',')),
             ('dot', re.compile(r'\.')),
             ('plus', re.compile(r'\+')),
@@ -93,7 +92,8 @@ class Lexer:
                     elif tid == 'rbracket':
                         bracket_count -= 1
                     elif tid == 'string':
-                        value = match_text[1:-1]
+                        value = match_text[1:-1].replace(r"\'", "'").replace(r" \\ ".strip(), r" \ ".strip())\
+                        .replace("\\n", "\n")
                     elif tid == 'multiline_string':
                         tid = 'string'
                         value = match_text[3:-3]
diff --git a/test cases/common/32 multiline string/meson.build b/test cases/common/32 multiline string/meson.build
index d4a0278e6..1f952f183 100644
--- a/test cases/common/32 multiline string/meson.build	
+++ b/test cases/common/32 multiline string/meson.build	
@@ -7,3 +7,19 @@ again'''
 if x == y
   error('Things are wrong.')
 endif
+
+multieol = '''
+'''
+singleeol = '\n'
+
+if multieol != singleeol
+  error('Newline quoting is broken.')
+endif
+
+# And one more for good measure.
+quote1 = ''' ' '''.strip()
+quote2 = '\''
+
+if quote1 != quote2
+  error('Single quote quoting is broken.')
+endif