diff --git a/lib/haml/engine.rb b/lib/haml/engine.rb
index 2862775c..2d6916da 100644
--- a/lib/haml/engine.rb
+++ b/lib/haml/engine.rb
@@ -7,8 +7,10 @@ module Haml #:nodoc:
     # Set the maximum length for a line to be considered a one-liner
     # Lines <= the maximum will be rendered on one line,
     # i.e. <tt><p>Hello world</p></tt>
-    ONE_LINER_LENGTH = 50
+    ONE_LINER_LENGTH     = 50
+    SPECIAL_CHARACTERS   = %w(# . = ~ % /).collect { |c| c[0] }
     MULTILINE_CHAR_VALUE = '|'[0]
+    MULTILINE_STARTERS   = SPECIAL_CHARACTERS - ["/"[0]]
 
     def initialize(template, action_view=nil)
       @view = action_view
@@ -42,8 +44,8 @@ module Haml #:nodoc:
         if count <= @to_close_queue.size && @to_close_queue.size > 0
           (@to_close_queue.size - count).times { close_tag }
         end
-      
-        case line.first
+
+        case line[0..0]
         when '.', '#'
           render_div(line)
         when '%'
@@ -63,21 +65,16 @@ module Haml #:nodoc:
 
     def handle_multiline(count, line)
       # Multilines are denoting by ending with a `|` (124)
-      if @multiline_buffer && line[-1] == MULTILINE_CHAR_VALUE 
-
+      if (line[-1] == MULTILINE_CHAR_VALUE) && @multiline_buffer
         # A multiline string is active, and is being continued 
         @multiline_buffer += line[0...-1]
         supress_render = true
-
-      elsif line[-1] == MULTILINE_CHAR_VALUE 
-
+      elsif (line[-1] == MULTILINE_CHAR_VALUE) && (MULTILINE_STARTERS.include? line[0])
         # A multiline string has just been activated, start adding the lines
         @multiline_buffer = line[0...-1]
         @multiline_count = count
         supress_render = true
-
       elsif @multiline_buffer
-
         # A multiline string has just ended, make line into the result
         process_line(@multiline_count, @multiline_buffer)
         @multiline_buffer = nil
diff --git a/test/results/standard.xhtml b/test/results/standard.xhtml
index 3181692a..be70cf25 100644
--- a/test/results/standard.xhtml
+++ b/test/results/standard.xhtml
@@ -13,9 +13,10 @@
       20
     </div>
     <div id='body'> Quotes should be loved! Just like people!</div>
+    Wow.|
     <p>
       Holy cow        multiline       tags!           A pipe (|) even!
-      Wow.
+      PipesIgnored|PipesIgnored|PipesIgnored|
       1|2|3
     </p>
     <div class='of_divs_with_underscore' id='combo'>with this text</div>
diff --git a/test/templates/standard.haml b/test/templates/standard.haml
index 621ca6ea..355f72e8 100644
--- a/test/templates/standard.haml
+++ b/test/templates/standard.haml
@@ -11,12 +11,13 @@
       The question is if this would translate! Ahah!
       = 1 + 9 + 8 + 2 #numbers should work and this should be ignored
     #body= " Quotes should be loved! Just like people!"
+    Wow.|
     %p 
       = "Holy cow        " + |
         "multiline       " + |      
         "tags!           " + |
         "A pipe (|) even!"   |
-      Wow.
+      = [1, 2, 3].collect { |n| "PipesIgnored|" }
       = [1, 2, 3].collect { |n|     |
           n.to_s                    |
         }.join("|")                 |