3 files changed, 21 insertions, 5 deletions

diff --git a/usr.sbin/newsyslog/Makefile b/usr.sbin/newsyslog/Makefile
index ab06f3a5041f..7312f101ff04 100644
--- a/usr.sbin/newsyslog/Makefile
+++ b/usr.sbin/newsyslog/Makefile
@@ -3,6 +3,6 @@
 PROG=	newsyslog
 MAN=	newsyslog.8
 
-WARNS?=	2
+WARNS?=	4
 
 .include <bsd.prog.mk>
diff --git a/usr.sbin/newsyslog/newsyslog.8 b/usr.sbin/newsyslog/newsyslog.8
index f55986b20895..03f540b43e1e 100644
--- a/usr.sbin/newsyslog/newsyslog.8
+++ b/usr.sbin/newsyslog/newsyslog.8
@@ -79,7 +79,11 @@ that should be handled by
 .Nm .
 Each line has five mandatory fields and four optional fields, with
 whitespace separating each field.  Blank lines or lines beginning with
-``#'' are ignored.  The fields of the configuration file are as
+``#'' are ignored.  If ``#'' is placed in the middle of the line,
+``#'' character and the rest of the line after it is ignored.
+To prevent special meaning, the ``#'' may be escaped with ``\\'',
+in this case preceding ``\\'' is removed and ``#'' treated as ordinary
+character.  The fields of the configuration file are as
 follows:
 .Pp
 .Bl -tag -width indent
@@ -297,7 +301,7 @@ to archive all filenames matching this pattern using the same
 options.
 See
 .Xr glob 3
-for details on matching rules.
+for details on syntax and matching rules.
 .It Ar path_to_pid_file
 This optional field specifies
 the file name to read to find the daemon process id.  If this
diff --git a/usr.sbin/newsyslog/newsyslog.c b/usr.sbin/newsyslog/newsyslog.c
index e6e89b030551..cfc983b6ac20 100644
--- a/usr.sbin/newsyslog/newsyslog.c
+++ b/usr.sbin/newsyslog/newsyslog.c
@@ -290,7 +290,7 @@ parse_file(char **files)
 {
 	FILE *f;
 	char line[BUFSIZ], *parse, *q;
-	char *errline, *group;
+	char *cp, *errline, *group;
 	char **p;
 	struct conf_entry *first, *working;
 	struct passwd *pass;
@@ -306,9 +306,21 @@ parse_file(char **files)
 	if (!f)
 		err(1, "%s", conf);
 	while (fgets(line, BUFSIZ, f)) {
-		if ((line[0] == '\n') || (line[0] == '#'))
+		if ((line[0] == '\n') || (line[0] == '#') ||
+		    (strlen(line) == 0))
 			continue;
 		errline = strdup(line);
+		for (cp = line + 1; *cp != '\0'; cp++) {
+			if (*cp != '#')
+				continue;
+			if (*(cp - 1) == '\\') {
+				strcpy(cp - 1, cp);
+				cp--;
+				continue;
+			}
+			*cp = '\0';
+			break;
+		}
 
 		q = parse = missing_field(sob(line), errline);
 		parse = son(line);