diff --git a/client/mysql.cc b/client/mysql.cc
index a4706a1c580..5348941b92f 100644
--- a/client/mysql.cc
+++ b/client/mysql.cc
@@ -2156,7 +2156,14 @@ static bool add_line(String &buffer,char *line,char *in_string,
     }
     else if (!*ml_comment && (!*in_string && (inchar == '#' ||
 			      inchar == '-' && pos[1] == '-' &&
-			      my_isspace(charset_info,pos[2]))))
+                              /*
+                                The third byte is either whitespace or is the
+                                end of the line -- which would occur only
+                                because of the user sending newline -- which is
+                                itself whitespace and should also match.
+                              */
+			      (my_isspace(charset_info,pos[2]) ||
+                               !pos[2]))))
     {
       // Flush previously accepted characters
       if (out != line)
diff --git a/mysql-test/t/mysql_delimiter.sql b/mysql-test/t/mysql_delimiter.sql
index db679c3b06b..533ac2ce093 100644
--- a/mysql-test/t/mysql_delimiter.sql
+++ b/mysql-test/t/mysql_delimiter.sql
@@ -59,3 +59,10 @@ source t/mysql_delimiter_19799.sql
 use test//
 show tables//
 delimiter ; # Reset delimiter
+
+#
+# Bug #36244: MySQL CLI doesn't recognize standalone -- as comment
+#             before DELIMITER statement
+#
+--
+DELIMITER ;