diff --git a/extra/modern/modern-tests.factor b/extra/modern/modern-tests.factor
index b373988418..2218816bee 100644
--- a/extra/modern/modern-tests.factor
+++ b/extra/modern/modern-tests.factor
@@ -259,4 +259,7 @@ IN: modern.tests
 
 
 { } [ "[1,b)" string>literals drop ] unit-test
-{ } [ "[1,b]" string>literals drop ] unit-test
\ No newline at end of file
+{ } [ "[1,b]" string>literals drop ] unit-test
+{ } [ "REAL[5" string>literals drop ] unit-test
+{ } [ "REAL[5]" string>literals drop ] unit-test
+{ } [ "REAL[5][5]" string>literals drop ] unit-test
diff --git a/extra/modern/modern.factor b/extra/modern/modern.factor
index a33f9b366e..5495177181 100644
--- a/extra/modern/modern.factor
+++ b/extra/modern/modern.factor
@@ -126,9 +126,10 @@ MACRO:: read-matched ( $ch -- quot: ( string n tag -- string n' slice' ) )
                     [ $openstr-chars member? ]
                     [
                         ! check that opening is good form
+                        ! stop at (, ), or blank
                         drop
                         $string $n [
-                            { [ $ch = ] [ blank? ] } 1||
+                            { [ $ch = ] [ $ch matching-delimiter = ] [ blank? ] } 1||
                         ] t slice-until 3nip $ch =
                     ]
                 } 1&&