diff --git a/lib/srfi/38.scm b/lib/srfi/38.scm
index 63afc91c..dfa795dd 100644
--- a/lib/srfi/38.scm
+++ b/lib/srfi/38.scm
@@ -130,14 +130,26 @@
     (if (not (or (eof-object? c) (eqv? c #\newline)))
         (skip-line in))))
 
+(define (skip-horizontal-whitespace in)
+  (case (peek-char in)
+    ((#\space #\tab)
+     (read-char in)
+     (skip-horizontal-whitespace in))))
+
 (define (skip-whitespace in)
   (case (peek-char in)
     ((#\space #\tab #\newline #\return)
      (read-char in)
-     (skip-whitespace in))
+     (skip-whitespace in))))
+
+(define (skip-whitespace-and-line-comments in)
+  (case (peek-char in)
+    ((#\space #\tab #\newline #\return)
+     (read-char in)
+     (skip-whitespace-and-line-comments in))
     ((#\;)
      (skip-line in)
-     (skip-whitespace in))))
+     (skip-whitespace-and-line-comments in))))
 
 (define (skip-comment in depth)
   (case (read-char in)
@@ -151,7 +163,7 @@
 
 ;; returns #f if a trailing # was consumed
 (define (skip-whitespace-and-sexp-comments in read)
-  (skip-whitespace in)
+  (skip-whitespace-and-line-comments in)
   (cond
    ((eqv? #\# (peek-char in))
     (read-char in)
@@ -239,13 +251,44 @@
               (read in))
              (else
               (read-error "invalid type identifier syntax" ch)))))
+        (define (read-escape-sequence)
+          (let ((ch (read-char in)))
+            (cond
+             ((eof-object? ch) (read-incomplete-error "incomplete escape"))
+             (else
+              (case ch
+                ((#\a) #\alarm) ((#\b) #\backspace)
+                ((#\n) #\newline) ((#\r) #\return)
+                ((#\t) #\tab)
+                ((#\newline) (skip-horizontal-whitespace in) #f)
+                ((#\space #\tab)
+                 (skip-line in) (skip-horizontal-whitespace in) #f)
+                ((#\x)
+                 (let* ((n (read-number 16))
+                        (ch2 (read-char in)))
+                   (if (not (and n (eqv? ch2 #\;)))
+                       (read-error "invalid string escape" n ch2)
+                       (integer->char n))))
+                (else ch))))))
+        (define (read-delimited terminal)
+          (let ((out (open-output-string)))
+            (let lp ()
+              (let ((ch (read-char in)))
+                (cond
+                 ((eof-object? ch) (read-incomplete-error "incomplete string"))
+                 ((eqv? ch terminal) (get-output-string out))
+                 ((eqv? ch #\\)
+                  (let ((ch2 (read-escape-sequence)))
+                    (if ch2 (write-char ch2 out))
+                    (lp)))
+                 (else (write-char ch out) (lp)))))))
         (define (read-object)
           (let ((name (read-name #f in)))
-            (skip-whitespace in)
+            (skip-whitespace-and-line-comments in)
             (let* ((id (read-type-id in))
                    (type (lookup-type name id)))
               (let lp ((ls '()))
-                (skip-whitespace in)
+                (skip-whitespace-and-line-comments in)
                 (cond
                  ((eof-object? (peek-char in))
                   (read-error "missing closing }"))
@@ -401,6 +444,12 @@
               ((#\{)
                (read-char in)
                (read-object))
+              ((#\")
+               (read-char in)
+               (read-delimited #\"))
+              ((#\|)
+               (read-char in)
+               (string->symbol (read-delimited #\|)))
               ((#\') (read-char in) (list 'quote (read-one in)))
               ((#\`) (read-char in) (list 'quasiquote (read-one in)))
               ((#\,)