diff --git a/src/NQP/Grammar.pm b/src/NQP/Grammar.pm
index 92def32..aa394f7 100644
--- a/src/NQP/Grammar.pm
+++ b/src/NQP/Grammar.pm
@@ -63,10 +63,14 @@ token pod_comment {
         || .*? \n \h* '=' 'end' » \N*
         || <.panic: '=begin without matching =end'>
         ]
+    | <identifier>
+        .*? ^^ <?before \h* [ 
+            '='
+            [ 'cut' »
+              <.panic: 'Obsolete pod format, please use =begin/=end instead'> ]?
+          | \n ]>
     |
-        [ <?before .*? ^^ '=cut' » >
-          <.panic: 'Obsolete pod format, please use =begin/=end instead'> ]?
-        [ <alpha> || \s || <.panic: 'Illegal pod directive'> ]
+        [ \s || <.panic: 'Illegal pod directive'> ]
         \N*
     ]
 }
diff --git a/t/nqp/05-comments.t b/t/nqp/05-comments.t
index 1b9fdc1..a26b29b 100644
--- a/t/nqp/05-comments.t
+++ b/t/nqp/05-comments.t
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 
 # check comments
 
-say('1..4');
+say('1..7');
 
 #Comment preceding
 say("ok 1");
@@ -14,3 +14,35 @@ say("ok 2"); #Comment following
 
 { say('ok 3'); } # comment
 { say('ok 4'); }
+
+=for comment
+say("not ok 5");
+
+=for comment say("not ok 6");
+
+=begin comment
+say("not ok 7");
+
+say("not ok 8");
+=end comment
+
+=comment say("not ok 9");
+say("not ok 10");
+
+=for comment blah
+
+say("ok 5");
+
+=begin comment
+=end comment
+say("ok 6");
+
+# This doesn't quite work right... but it doesn't work in STD either
+#=for comment
+#=begin comment
+#=end comment
+#=say("ok 7");
+
+=comment
+
+say("ok 7");