diff --git a/hledger-lib/Ledger/Parse.hs b/hledger-lib/Ledger/Parse.hs
index 53afdad7c..fe1240aa7 100644
--- a/hledger-lib/Ledger/Parse.hs
+++ b/hledger-lib/Ledger/Parse.hs
@@ -464,7 +464,16 @@ nosymbolamount = do
   <?> "no-symbol amount"
 
 commoditysymbol :: GenParser Char st String
-commoditysymbol = many1 (noneOf "@-.0123456789;\n ") <?> "commodity symbol"
+commoditysymbol = (quotedcommoditysymbol <|>
+                   many1 (noneOf "0123456789-.@;\n \"")
+                  ) <?> "commodity symbol"
+
+quotedcommoditysymbol :: GenParser Char st String
+quotedcommoditysymbol = do
+  char '"'
+  s <- many1 $ noneOf "-.@;\n \""
+  char '"'
+  return s
 
 priceamount :: GenParser Char st (Maybe MixedAmount)
 priceamount =
@@ -608,9 +617,11 @@ tests_Parse = TestList [
     assertBool "ledgeraccountname rejects an empty leading component" (isLeft $ parsewith ledgeraccountname ":b:c")
     assertBool "ledgeraccountname rejects an empty trailing component" (isLeft $ parsewith ledgeraccountname "a:b:")
 
- ,"ledgerposting" ~:
+ ,"ledgerposting" ~: do
     assertParseEqual (parseWithCtx emptyCtx ledgerposting "  expenses:food:dining  $10.00\n") 
                      (Posting False "expenses:food:dining" (Mixed [dollars 10]) "" RegularPosting Nothing)
+    assertBool "ledgerposting parses a quoted commodity with numbers"
+                   (isRight $ parseWithCtx emptyCtx ledgerposting "  a  1 \"DE123\"\n")
 
   ,"someamount" ~: do
      let -- | compare a parse result with a MixedAmount, showing the debug representation for clarity
diff --git a/tests/commodities.test b/tests/commodities.test
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..89eb4fbd6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/commodities.test
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+# a commodity may contain/end with numbers, if double quoted
+# 1. without quotes, fail. XXX parse error should be clearer here
+-f- print
+<<<
+2010-04-05 x
+   a   10 DE0002635307
+   b
+>>>2 /parse error.*
+unexpected "0"
+expecting comment or new-line/
+>>>= 1
+# 2. with quotes
+-f- print
+<<<
+2010-04-05 x
+   a   10 "DE0002635307"
+   b
+>>>
+2010/04/05 x
+    a  10 DE0002635307
+    b  -10 DE0002635307
+