diff --git a/lib/rdoc/markup/to_html.rb b/lib/rdoc/markup/to_html.rb
index 3dcb762603..2b1216ef2a 100644
--- a/lib/rdoc/markup/to_html.rb
+++ b/lib/rdoc/markup/to_html.rb
@@ -379,11 +379,12 @@ def list_end_for(list_type)
   end
 
   ##
-  # Returns true if Ripper is available it can create a sexp from +text+
+  # Returns true if text is valid ruby syntax
 
   def parseable? text
-    text =~ /\b(def|class|module|require) |=>|\{\s?\||do \|/ and
-      text !~ /<%|%>/
+    eval("BEGIN {return true}\n#{text}")
+  rescue SyntaxError
+    false
   end
 
   ##
diff --git a/test/test_rdoc_markup_to_html.rb b/test/test_rdoc_markup_to_html.rb
index 3f5070dbd5..1e4b84fe9e 100644
--- a/test/test_rdoc_markup_to_html.rb
+++ b/test/test_rdoc_markup_to_html.rb
@@ -292,7 +292,7 @@ def accept_rule
   end
 
   def accept_verbatim
-    assert_equal "\n<pre>hi\n  world</pre>\n", @to.res.join
+    assert_equal "\n<pre class=\"ruby\"><span class=\"ruby-identifier\">hi</span>\n  <span class=\"ruby-identifier\">world</span>\n</pre>\n", @to.res.join
   end
 
   def end_accepting
@@ -444,8 +444,7 @@ def test_accept_verbatim_parseable_error
 
     expected = <<-EXPECTED
 
-<pre>#{inner}
-</pre>
+<pre>#{inner}</pre>
     EXPECTED
 
     assert_equal expected, @to.res.join
@@ -604,8 +603,9 @@ def test_list_verbatim_2
 <ul><li>
 <p>one</p>
 
-<pre>verb1
-verb2</pre>
+<pre class=\"ruby\"><span class=\"ruby-identifier\">verb1</span>
+<span class=\"ruby-identifier\">verb2</span>
+</pre>
 </li><li>
 <p>two</p>
 </li></ul>
@@ -615,16 +615,36 @@ def test_list_verbatim_2
   end
 
   def test_parseable_eh
-    assert @to.parseable?('def x() end'),      'def'
-    assert @to.parseable?('class C end'),      'class'
-    assert @to.parseable?('module M end'),     'module'
-    assert @to.parseable?('a # => blah'),      '=>'
-    assert @to.parseable?('x { |y| ... }'),    '{ |x|'
-    assert @to.parseable?('x do |y| ... end'), 'do |x|'
-    refute @to.parseable?('* 1'),              '* 1'
-    refute @to.parseable?('# only a comment'), '# only a comment'
-    refute @to.parseable?('<% require "foo" %>'),    'ERB'
-    refute @to.parseable?('class="foo"'),      'HTML class'
+    valid_syntax = [
+      'def x() end',
+      'def x; end',
+      'class C; end',
+      "module M end",
+      'a # => blah',
+      'x { |y| nil }',
+      'x do |y| nil end',
+      '# only a comment',
+      'require "foo"',
+      'cls="foo"'
+    ]
+    invalid_syntax = [
+      'def x end',
+      'class C end',
+      'class C < end',
+      'module M < C end',
+      'a=># blah',
+      'x { |y| ... }',
+      'x do |y| ... end',
+      '// only a comment',
+      '<% require "foo" %>',
+      'class="foo"'
+    ]
+    valid_syntax.each do |t|
+      assert @to.parseable?(t), "valid syntax considered invalid: #{t}"
+    end
+    invalid_syntax.each do |t|
+      refute @to.parseable?(t), "invalid syntax considered valid: #{t}"
+    end
   end
 
   def test_to_html
diff --git a/test/test_rdoc_markup_to_html_snippet.rb b/test/test_rdoc_markup_to_html_snippet.rb
index 4bb8ed1b47..f861db1849 100644
--- a/test/test_rdoc_markup_to_html_snippet.rb
+++ b/test/test_rdoc_markup_to_html_snippet.rb
@@ -309,7 +309,7 @@ def accept_rule
   end
 
   def accept_verbatim
-    assert_equal "\n<pre>hi\n  world</pre>\n", @to.res.join
+    assert_equal "\n<pre class=\"ruby\"><span class=\"ruby-identifier\">hi</span>\n  <span class=\"ruby-identifier\">world</span>\n</pre>\n", @to.res.join
     assert_equal 10, @to.characters
   end
 
@@ -427,8 +427,7 @@ def test_accept_verbatim_ruby_error
 
     expected = <<-EXPECTED
 
-<pre>#{inner}
-</pre>
+<pre>#{inner}</pre>
     EXPECTED
 
     assert_equal expected, @to.res.join
@@ -588,8 +587,9 @@ def test_convert_limit_verbatim_multiline
     expected = <<-EXPECTED
 <p>Look for directives in a normal comment block:
 
-<pre># :stopdoc:
-#{inner}</pre>
+<pre class=\"ruby\"><span class=\"ruby-comment\"># :stopdoc:</span>
+<span class=\"ruby-comment\">#{inner}</span>
+</pre>
     EXPECTED
 
     actual = @to.convert rdoc
@@ -665,8 +665,9 @@ def test_list_verbatim_2
     expected = <<-EXPECTED
 <p>one
 
-<pre>verb1
-verb2</pre>
+<pre class=\"ruby\"><span class=\"ruby-identifier\">verb1</span>
+<span class=\"ruby-identifier\">verb2</span>
+</pre>
 <p>two
 
     EXPECTED