diff --git a/src/parse_options.c b/src/parse_options.c
index 7e98359..abef55c 100755
--- a/src/parse_options.c
+++ b/src/parse_options.c
@@ -365,6 +365,7 @@ IOR_test_t *ReadConfigScript(char *scriptName)
         int runflag = 0;
         char linebuf[MAX_STR];
         char empty[MAX_STR];
+        char *ptr;
         FILE *file;
         IOR_test_t *head = NULL;
         IOR_test_t *tail = NULL;
@@ -387,15 +388,22 @@ IOR_test_t *ReadConfigScript(char *scriptName)
 
         /* Iterate over a block of IOR commands */
         while (fgets(linebuf, MAX_STR, file) != NULL) {
+                /* skip over leading whitespace */
+                ptr = linebuf;
+                while (isspace(*ptr))
+                    ptr++;
+
                 /* skip empty lines */
-                if (sscanf(linebuf, "%s", empty) == -1)
+                if (sscanf(ptr, "%s", empty) == -1)
                         continue;
+
                 /* skip lines containing only comments */
-                if (sscanf(linebuf, " #%s", empty) == 1)
+                if (sscanf(ptr, " #%s", empty) == 1)
                         continue;
-                if (contains_only(linebuf, "ior stop")) {
+
+                if (contains_only(ptr, "ior stop")) {
                         break;
-                } else if (contains_only(linebuf, "run")) {
+                } else if (contains_only(ptr, "run")) {
                         if (runflag) {
                                 /* previous line was a "run" as well
                                    create duplicate test */
@@ -411,9 +419,9 @@ IOR_test_t *ReadConfigScript(char *scriptName)
                         tail->next = CreateTest(&tail->params, test_num++);
                         AllocResults(tail);
                         tail = tail->next;
-                        ParseLine(linebuf, &tail->params);
+                        ParseLine(ptr, &tail->params);
                 } else {
-                        ParseLine(linebuf, &tail->params);
+                        ParseLine(ptr, &tail->params);
                 }
         }
 
diff --git a/testing/basic-tests.sh b/testing/basic-tests.sh
index 8dd3bef..2e54653 100755
--- a/testing/basic-tests.sh
+++ b/testing/basic-tests.sh
@@ -23,4 +23,7 @@ IOR 2 -a POSIX -r    -z  -Z -Q 2        -F -k -e -i1 -m -t 100k -b 100k
 IOR 2 -a POSIX -r    -z  -Z -Q 3 -X  13 -F -k -e -i1 -m -t 100k -b 100k
 IOR 2 -a POSIX -w    -z  -Z -Q 1 -X -13 -F    -e -i1 -m -t 100k -b 100k
 
+
+IOR 2 -f "$ROOT/test_comments.ior"
+
 END
diff --git a/testing/test_comments.ior b/testing/test_comments.ior
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b48b36f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/testing/test_comments.ior
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+# test to ensure that leading whitespace is ignored
+IOR START
+api=posix
+writeFile =1
+    randomOffset=1
+reorderTasks=1
+  filePerProc=1
+		keepFile=1
+fsync=1
+	repetitions=1
+multiFile=1
+		# tab-prefixed comment
+transferSize=100k
+blockSize=100k
+    # space-prefixed comment
+run
+    ior stop