diff --git a/hledger-lib/Hledger/Data/Commodity.hs b/hledger-lib/Hledger/Data/Commodity.hs
index b9e977021..b92e21eee 100644
--- a/hledger-lib/Hledger/Data/Commodity.hs
+++ b/hledger-lib/Hledger/Data/Commodity.hs
@@ -12,6 +12,8 @@ import Hledger.Data.Utils
 import Hledger.Data.Types
 
 
+nonsimplecommoditychars = "0123456789-.@;\n \""
+
 -- convenient amount and commodity constructors, for tests etc.
 
 unknown = Commodity {symbol="",   side=L,spaced=False,comma=False,precision=0}
diff --git a/hledger-lib/Hledger/Data/Parse.hs b/hledger-lib/Hledger/Data/Parse.hs
index 1f741e11f..b982f1968 100644
--- a/hledger-lib/Hledger/Data/Parse.hs
+++ b/hledger-lib/Hledger/Data/Parse.hs
@@ -157,7 +157,7 @@ import Hledger.Data.Amount
 import Hledger.Data.Transaction
 import Hledger.Data.Posting
 import Hledger.Data.Journal
-import Hledger.Data.Commodity (dollars,dollar,unknown)
+import Hledger.Data.Commodity (dollars,dollar,unknown,nonsimplecommoditychars)
 import System.FilePath(takeDirectory,combine)
 import System.Time (getClockTime)
 
@@ -545,17 +545,18 @@ nosymbolamount = do
   <?> "no-symbol amount"
 
 commoditysymbol :: GenParser Char st String
-commoditysymbol = (quotedcommoditysymbol <|>
-                   many1 (noneOf "0123456789-.@;\n \"")
-                  ) <?> "commodity symbol"
+commoditysymbol = (quotedcommoditysymbol <|> simplecommoditysymbol) <?> "commodity symbol"
 
 quotedcommoditysymbol :: GenParser Char st String
 quotedcommoditysymbol = do
   char '"'
-  s <- many1 $ noneOf "-.@;\n\""
+  s <- many1 $ noneOf ";\n\""
   char '"'
   return s
 
+simplecommoditysymbol :: GenParser Char st String
+simplecommoditysymbol = many1 (noneOf nonsimplecommoditychars)
+
 priceamount :: GenParser Char st (Maybe MixedAmount)
 priceamount =
     try (do