diff --git a/source/compiler/sc2.c b/source/compiler/sc2.c
index 7a123f8..fa3fdfe 100644
--- a/source/compiler/sc2.c
+++ b/source/compiler/sc2.c
@@ -396,8 +396,11 @@ static void readline(unsigned char *line)
       *line='\0';     /* delete line */
       cont=FALSE;
     } else {
-      /* check whether to erase leading whitespace after '\\' on next line */
+      /* check whether to erase leading spaces */
       if (cont) {
+        unsigned char *ptr=line;
+        while (*ptr<=' ' && *ptr!='\0')
+          ptr++;
         if (ptr!=line)
           memmove(line,ptr,strlen((char*)ptr)+1);
       } /* if */
@@ -512,6 +515,8 @@ static void stripcomment(unsigned char *line)
         if (icomment==2)
           *line++=' ';
       } else if (*line=='/' && *(line+1)=='/'){  /* comment to end of line */
+        if (strchr((char*)line,'\a')!=NULL)
+          error(49);    /* invalid line continuation */
         #if !defined SC_LIGHT
           if (*(line+2)=='/' && *(line+3)<=' ') {
             /* documentation comment */
@@ -903,6 +908,23 @@ static const unsigned char *getstring(unsigned char *dest,int max,const unsigned
   return line;
 }
 
+/*  strdupwithouta
+ *
+ *  Duplicate a string, stripping out `\a`s.
+ */
+static char* strdupwithouta(const char* sourcestring)
+{
+  char* result=strdup(sourcestring);
+  char* a=result;
+  if (result==NULL) {
+    return NULL;
+  }
+  while ((a=strchr(a,'\a'))!=NULL) {
+    strcpy(a,a+1);
+  }
+  return result;
+}
+
 enum {
   CMD_NONE,
   CMD_TERM,
@@ -1115,7 +1137,7 @@ static int command(void)
           /* remove leading whitespace */
           while (*lptr<=' ' && *lptr!='\0')
             lptr++;
-          pc_deprecate=strdup((const char *)lptr);
+          pc_deprecate=strdupwithouta((const char *)lptr);
           if (pc_deprecate!=NULL) {
             char *ptr=pc_deprecate+strlen(pc_deprecate)-1;
             /* remove trailing whitespace */
@@ -1499,7 +1521,7 @@ static int command(void)
     while (*lptr<=' ' && *lptr!='\0')
       lptr++;
     if (!SKIPPING) {
-      char *usermsg=strdup((const char *)lptr);
+      char *usermsg=strdupwithouta((const char *)lptr);
       if (usermsg!=NULL) {
         char *ptr=usermsg+strlen(usermsg)-1;
         /* remove trailing whitespace and newlines */
@@ -1893,6 +1915,10 @@ static const unsigned char *unpackedstring(const unsigned char *lptr,int *flags)
     while (*lptr==' ' || *lptr=='\t')     /* this is as defines with parameters may add them */
       lptr++;                             /* when you use a space after , in a match pattern */
   while (*lptr!='\0') {
+    if (*lptr=='\a') {
+      lptr++;
+      continue;
+    } /* if */
     if (!instring) {
       if (*lptr=='\"') {
         instring=1;
@@ -1963,6 +1989,10 @@ static const unsigned char *packedstring(const unsigned char *lptr,int *flags)
   i=sizeof(ucell)-(sCHARBITS/8); /* start at most significant byte */
   val=0;
   while (*lptr!='\0') {
+    if (*lptr=='\a') {          /* ignore '\a' (which was inserted at a line concatenation) */
+      lptr++;
+      continue;
+    } /* if */
     if (!instring) {
       if (*lptr=='\"') {
         instring=1;