diff --git a/lib/csv.rb b/lib/csv.rb
index de056d46f6..25f2bf35e6 100644
--- a/lib/csv.rb
+++ b/lib/csv.rb
@@ -2159,7 +2159,7 @@ class CSV
   # See also CSV.new
   def init_comments(skip_lines)
     @skip_lines = skip_lines
-    @skip_lines = Regexp.new(@skip_lines) if @skip_lines.is_a? String
+    @skip_lines = Regexp.new(Regexp.escape(@skip_lines)) if @skip_lines.is_a? String
     if @skip_lines and not @skip_lines.respond_to?(:match)
       raise ArgumentError, ":skip_lines has to respond to matches"
     end
diff --git a/test/csv/test_features.rb b/test/csv/test_features.rb
index a1f1ddbd15..3f9359faaf 100755
--- a/test/csv/test_features.rb
+++ b/test/csv/test_features.rb
@@ -353,6 +353,15 @@ class TestCSV::Features < TestCSV
     assert_equal [["line", "1", "a"], ["line", "2", "b"]], c.each.to_a
   end
 
+  def test_comment_rows_are_ignored_with_heredoc
+    c = csv = CSV.new(<<~EOL, skip_lines: ".")
+    1,foo
+    .2,bar
+    3,baz
+    EOL
+    assert_equal [["1", "foo"], ["3", "baz"]], c.each.to_a
+  end
+
   def test_quoted_skip_line_markers_are_ignored
     sample_data = "line,1,a\n\"#not\",a,line\nline,2,b"
     c = CSV.new sample_data, :skip_lines => /\A\s*#/