diff --git a/spec/pragma/invalid_spec.lua b/spec/pragma/invalid_spec.lua
index 105770481..e6dadeff2 100644
--- a/spec/pragma/invalid_spec.lua
+++ b/spec/pragma/invalid_spec.lua
@@ -1,17 +1,21 @@
 local util = require("spec.util")
 
 describe("invalid pragma", function()
-   it("rejects invalid pragma", util.check_syntax_error([[
-      --#invalid_pragma on
+   it("ignores other --# lines", util.check([[
+      --#invalid on
+   ]]))
+
+   it("rejects invalid pragma", util.check_type_error([[
+      --#pragma invalid_foo on
    ]], {
-      { y = 1, msg = "invalid token '--#invalid_pragma'" }
+      { y = 1, msg = "invalid pragma: invalid_foo" }
    }))
 
    it("pragmas currently do not accept punctuation", util.check_syntax_error([[
       --#pragma something(other)
    ]], {
-      { y = 1, msg = "invalid token '('" },
-      { y = 1, msg = "invalid token ')'" },
+      { y = 1, x = 26, msg = "invalid token '('" },
+      { y = 1, x = 32, msg = "invalid token ')'" },
    }))
 
    it("pragma arguments need to be in a single line", util.check_syntax_error([[
diff --git a/tl.lua b/tl.lua
index 60d0fda18..b9b628483 100644
--- a/tl.lua
+++ b/tl.lua
@@ -879,7 +879,7 @@ do
       ["number hexfloat"] = "number",
       ["number power"] = "number",
       ["number powersign"] = "$ERR invalid_number$",
-      ["pragma"] = "pragma",
+      ["pragma"] = nil,
       ["pragma any"] = nil,
       ["pragma word"] = "pragma_identifier",
    }
@@ -1285,11 +1285,15 @@ do
          elseif state == "pragma" then
             if not lex_word[c] then
                end_token_prev("pragma")
-               if tokens[nt].tk ~= "--#pragma" then
-                  add_syntax_error()
+               if tokens[nt].tk == "--#pragma" then
+                  state = "pragma any"
+               else
+                  state = "comment short"
+                  table.remove(tokens)
+                  nt = nt - 1
+                  drop_token()
                end
                fwd = false
-               state = "pragma any"
             end
          elseif state == "pragma any" then
             if c == "\n" then
diff --git a/tl.tl b/tl.tl
index 5462194a1..7ee6d1f82 100644
--- a/tl.tl
+++ b/tl.tl
@@ -879,7 +879,7 @@ do
       ["number hexfloat"] = "number",
       ["number power"] = "number",
       ["number powersign"] = "$ERR invalid_number$",
-      ["pragma"] = "pragma",
+      ["pragma"] = nil, -- drop comment
       ["pragma any"] = nil, -- never in a token
       ["pragma word"] = "pragma_identifier", -- never in a token
    }
@@ -1285,11 +1285,15 @@ do
          elseif state == "pragma" then
             if not lex_word[c] then
                end_token_prev("pragma")
-               if tokens[nt].tk ~= "--#pragma" then
-                  add_syntax_error()
+               if tokens[nt].tk == "--#pragma" then
+                  state = "pragma any"
+               else
+                  state = "comment short"
+                  table.remove(tokens)
+                  nt = nt - 1
+                  drop_token()
                end
                fwd = false
-               state = "pragma any"
             end
          elseif state == "pragma any" then
             if c == "\n" then