diff --git a/Rakefile b/Rakefile
index cae2e3c..efbb7cc 100644
--- a/Rakefile
+++ b/Rakefile
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ end
 
 gemspec = Gem::Specification.new do |s|
   s.name = "treetop"
-  s.version = "1.2.3"
+  s.version = "1.2.4"
   s.author = "Nathan Sobo"
   s.email = "nathansobo@gmail.com"
   s.homepage = "http://functionalform.blogspot.com"
diff --git a/lib/treetop/compiler/metagrammar.rb b/lib/treetop/compiler/metagrammar.rb
index 9b97de6..abb96bd 100644
--- a/lib/treetop/compiler/metagrammar.rb
+++ b/lib/treetop/compiler/metagrammar.rb
@@ -141,7 +141,7 @@ def _nt_module_declaration
           r3 = _nt_space
           s1 << r3
           if r3
-            if input.index(/[A-Z]/, index) == index
+            if input.index(Regexp.new('[A-Z]'), index) == index
               r4 = (SyntaxNode).new(input, index...(index + 1))
               @index += 1
             else
@@ -324,7 +324,7 @@ def _nt_grammar_name
         end
 
         i0, s0 = index, []
-        if input.index(/[A-Z]/, index) == index
+        if input.index(Regexp.new('[A-Z]'), index) == index
           r1 = (SyntaxNode).new(input, index...(index + 1))
           @index += 1
         else
@@ -523,7 +523,7 @@ def _nt_include_declaration
           r2 = _nt_space
           s0 << r2
           if r2
-            if input.index(/[A-Z]/, index) == index
+            if input.index(Regexp.new('[A-Z]'), index) == index
               r3 = (SyntaxNode).new(input, index...(index + 1))
               @index += 1
             else
@@ -2508,7 +2508,7 @@ def _nt_inline_module
             else
               i5, s5 = index, []
               i6 = index
-              if input.index(/[{}]/, index) == index
+              if input.index(Regexp.new('[{}]'), index) == index
                 r7 = (SyntaxNode).new(input, index...(index + 1))
                 @index += 1
               else
@@ -2691,7 +2691,7 @@ def _nt_alpha_char
           return cached
         end
 
-        if input.index(/[A-Za-z_]/, index) == index
+        if input.index(Regexp.new('[A-Za-z_]'), index) == index
           r0 = (SyntaxNode).new(input, index...(index + 1))
           @index += 1
         else
@@ -2716,7 +2716,7 @@ def _nt_alphanumeric_char
         if r1
           r0 = r1
         else
-          if input.index(/[0-9]/, index) == index
+          if input.index(Regexp.new('[0-9]'), index) == index
             r2 = (SyntaxNode).new(input, index...(index + 1))
             @index += 1
           else
@@ -2841,12 +2841,7 @@ def _nt_comment_to_eol
               break
             end
           end
-          if s2.empty?
-            self.index = i2
-            r2 = nil
-          else
-            r2 = SyntaxNode.new(input, i2...index, s2)
-          end
+          r2 = SyntaxNode.new(input, i2...index, s2)
           s0 << r2
         end
         if s0.last
@@ -2870,7 +2865,7 @@ def _nt_white
           return cached
         end
 
-        if input.index(/[ \t\n\r]/, index) == index
+        if input.index(Regexp.new('[ \\t\\n\\r]'), index) == index
           r0 = (SyntaxNode).new(input, index...(index + 1))
           @index += 1
         else
diff --git a/lib/treetop/compiler/metagrammar.treetop b/lib/treetop/compiler/metagrammar.treetop
index 563dd67..0ed44b9 100644
--- a/lib/treetop/compiler/metagrammar.treetop
+++ b/lib/treetop/compiler/metagrammar.treetop
@@ -393,7 +393,7 @@ module Treetop
       end
 
       rule comment_to_eol
-        '#' (!"\n" .)+
+        '#' (!"\n" .)*
       end
 
       rule white
diff --git a/spec/compiler/grammar_spec.rb b/spec/compiler/grammar_spec.rb
index 6fe01f8..47d355e 100644
--- a/spec/compiler/grammar_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/compiler/grammar_spec.rb
@@ -7,7 +7,8 @@ module Bar
   describe "a grammar" do
     testing_grammar %{
       grammar Foo
-	      # This comment should not cause a syntax error.
+              # This comment should not cause a syntax error, nor should the following empty one
+              #
         include GrammarSpec::Bar
 
         rule foo