diff --git a/basis/alien/syntax/syntax.factor b/basis/alien/syntax/syntax.factor
index cbf93f735a..6676906941 100755
--- a/basis/alien/syntax/syntax.factor
+++ b/basis/alien/syntax/syntax.factor
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ strings.parser vocabs words ;
 << "alien.arrays" require >> ! needed for bootstrap
 IN: alien.syntax
 
-SYNTAX: DLL" lexer get skip-blank parse-string dlopen suffix! ;
+SYNTAX: DLL" lexer get skip-blank parse-short-string dlopen suffix! ;
 
 SYNTAX: ALIEN: 16 scan-base <alien> suffix! ;
 
diff --git a/basis/urls/urls.factor b/basis/urls/urls.factor
index f149f499d9..45d87fc9c1 100644
--- a/basis/urls/urls.factor
+++ b/basis/urls/urls.factor
@@ -196,7 +196,7 @@ PRIVATE>
     clone dup protocol>> '[ _ protocol-port or ] change-port ;
 
 ! Literal syntax
-SYNTAX: URL" lexer get skip-blank parse-string >url suffix! ;
+SYNTAX: URL" lexer get skip-blank parse-short-string >url suffix! ;
 
 { "urls" "prettyprint" } "urls.prettyprint" require-when
 { "urls" "io.sockets.secure" } "urls.secure" require-when
diff --git a/core/strings/parser/parser-docs.factor b/core/strings/parser/parser-docs.factor
index e1c53cd87a..8f912a0287 100644
--- a/core/strings/parser/parser-docs.factor
+++ b/core/strings/parser/parser-docs.factor
@@ -9,8 +9,14 @@ HELP: escape
 { $description "Converts from a single-character escape code and the corresponding character." }
 { $examples { $example "USING: kernel prettyprint strings.parser ;" "CHAR: n escape CHAR: \\n = ." "t" } } ;
 
-HELP: parse-string
+HELP: parse-short-string
 { $values { "str" "a new " { $link string } } }
 { $description "Parses the line until a quote (\"), interpreting escape codes along the way." }
 { $errors "Throws an error if the string contains an invalid escape sequence." }
 $parsing-note ;
+
+HELP: parse-full-string
+{ $values { "str" "a new " { $link string } } }
+{ $description "Parses one or more lines until a quote (\"), interpreting escape codes along the way." }
+{ $errors "Throws an error if the string contains an invalid escape sequence." }
+$parsing-note ;
diff --git a/core/strings/parser/parser-tests.factor b/core/strings/parser/parser-tests.factor
index 237f91fcbb..dfc5c0efca 100644
--- a/core/strings/parser/parser-tests.factor
+++ b/core/strings/parser/parser-tests.factor
@@ -13,18 +13,9 @@ IN: strings.parser.tests
 " "hi" ] unit-test
 { "Hello\n\rworld\"" "hi" } [ "Hello\n\rworld\"" "hi" ] unit-test
 
-[
-    "\"\"\"Hello\n\rworld\\\n\"\"\"" eval( -- obj )
-] [
-    error>> escaped-char-expected?
-] must-fail-with
-
-{
-    "\"abc\""
-} [
-    "\"\\\"abc\\\"\"" eval( -- string )
-] unit-test
+{ "foobarbaz" } [ "\"foo\\\nbar\\\r\nbaz\"" eval( -- obj ) ] unit-test
 
+{ "\"abc\"" } [ "\"\\\"abc\\\"\"" eval( -- string ) ] unit-test
 
 { "\"\\" } [ "\"\\" ] unit-test
 
diff --git a/core/strings/parser/parser.factor b/core/strings/parser/parser.factor
index 97ee6836f0..6f7e0f1bec 100644
--- a/core/strings/parser/parser.factor
+++ b/core/strings/parser/parser.factor
@@ -70,14 +70,14 @@ PRIVATE>
 
 <PRIVATE
 
-: (parse-string) ( accum str -- accum m )
+: (parse-short-string) ( accum str -- accum m )
     { sbuf slice } declare
     dup [ "\"\\" member? ] find [
         [ cut-slice [ append! ] dip rest-slice ] dip
         CHAR: " = [
             from>>
         ] [
-            next-escape [ suffix! ] dip (parse-string)
+            next-escape [ suffix! ] dip (parse-short-string)
         ] if
     ] [
         "Unterminated string" throw
@@ -85,9 +85,9 @@ PRIVATE>
 
 PRIVATE>
 
-: parse-string ( -- str )
+: parse-short-string ( -- str )
     SBUF" " clone lexer get [
-        swap tail-slice (parse-string) [ "" like ] dip
+        swap tail-slice (parse-short-string) [ "" like ] dip
     ] change-lexer-column ;
 
 <PRIVATE
@@ -109,80 +109,46 @@ PRIVATE>
     { lexer } declare
     [ 1 + ] change-column drop ;
 
-ERROR: escaped-char-expected ;
-
-: next-char ( lexer -- ch )
+: next-char ( lexer -- ch/f )
     { lexer } declare
     dup still-parsing-line? [
         [ current-char ] [ advance-char ] bi
     ] [
-        escaped-char-expected
+        drop f
     ] if ;
 
-: lexer-head? ( lexer string -- ? )
-    { lexer string } declare
-    [ rest-of-line ] dip head? ;
-
-: advance-lexer ( lexer n -- )
-    { lexer fixnum } declare
-    [ + ] curry change-column drop ;
-
-: find-next-token ( lexer ch -- i elt )
-    { lexer fixnum } declare
-    [ [ column>> ] [ line-text>> ] bi ] dip
-    CHAR: \ 2array [ member? ] curry find-from ;
-
 : next-line% ( accum lexer -- )
     { sbuf lexer } declare
-    [ rest-of-line swap push-all ]
-    [ next-line CHAR: \n swap push ] 2bi ;
+    [ rest-of-line swap push-all ] [ next-line ] bi ;
 
-: take-double-quotes ( lexer -- string )
+: find-next-token ( lexer -- i elt )
     { lexer } declare
-    dup current-char CHAR: " = [
-        dup [ column>> ] [ line-text>> ] bi
-        [ CHAR: " = not ] find-from drop [
-            over column>> - CHAR: " <repetition>
-        ] [
-            dup rest-of-line
-        ] if*
-        [ length advance-lexer ] keep
-    ] [ drop f ] if ;
+    [ column>> ] [ line-text>> ] bi
+    [ "\"\\" member? ] find-from ;
 
-: end-string-parse ( accum lexer delimiter -- )
-    { sbuf lexer string } declare
-    length 3 = [
-        take-double-quotes 3 tail-slice swap push-all
+DEFER: (parse-full-string)
+
+: parse-found-token ( accum lexer i elt -- )
+    { sbuf lexer fixnum fixnum } declare
+    [ over lexer-subseq pick push-all ] dip
+    CHAR: \ = [
+        dup dup [ next-char ] bi@
+        [ [ pick push ] bi@ ]
+        [ drop 2dup next-line% ] if*
+        (parse-full-string)
     ] [
         advance-char drop
     ] if ;
 
-DEFER: (parse-multiline-string-until)
-
-: parse-found-token ( accum lexer string i token -- )
-    { sbuf lexer string fixnum fixnum } declare
-    [ [ 2over ] dip swap lexer-subseq swap push-all ] dip
-    CHAR: \ = [
-        2over next-char swap push
-        2over next-char swap push
-        (parse-multiline-string-until)
-    ] [
-        2dup lexer-head? [
-            end-string-parse
-        ] [
-            2over next-char swap push
-            (parse-multiline-string-until)
-        ] if
-    ] if ;
-
-: (parse-multiline-string-until) ( accum lexer string -- )
-    { sbuf lexer fixnum } declare
-    over still-parsing? [
-        2dup first find-next-token [
+: (parse-full-string) ( accum lexer -- )
+    { sbuf lexer } declare
+    dup still-parsing? [
+        dup find-next-token [
             parse-found-token
         ] [
-            drop 2over next-line%
-            (parse-multiline-string-until)
+            drop 2dup next-line%
+            CHAR: \n pick push
+            (parse-full-string)
         ] if*
     ] [
         throw-unexpected-eof
@@ -190,7 +156,7 @@ DEFER: (parse-multiline-string-until)
 
 PRIVATE>
 
-: parse-multiline-string-until ( arg -- string )
-    [ SBUF" " clone ] dip [
-        [ lexer get ] dip (parse-multiline-string-until)
-    ] curry keep unescape-string ;
+: parse-full-string ( -- str )
+    SBUF" " clone [
+        lexer get (parse-full-string)
+    ] keep unescape-string ;
diff --git a/core/syntax/syntax.factor b/core/syntax/syntax.factor
index 55f8561a47..306cf7c758 100644
--- a/core/syntax/syntax.factor
+++ b/core/syntax/syntax.factor
@@ -92,14 +92,14 @@ IN: bootstrap.syntax
         } cond suffix!
     ] define-core-syntax
 
-    "\"" [ "\"" parse-multiline-string-until suffix! ] define-core-syntax
+    "\"" [ parse-full-string suffix! ] define-core-syntax
 
     "SBUF\"" [
-        lexer get skip-blank parse-string >sbuf suffix!
+        lexer get skip-blank parse-full-string >sbuf suffix!
     ] define-core-syntax
 
     "P\"" [
-        lexer get skip-blank parse-string <pathname> suffix!
+        lexer get skip-blank parse-short-string <pathname> suffix!
     ] define-core-syntax
 
     "[" [ parse-quotation suffix! ] define-core-syntax