diff --git a/AUTHORS.md b/AUTHORS.md
index b97642aba..60e969cdc 100644
--- a/AUTHORS.md
+++ b/AUTHORS.md
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ Programmers
     Alexander Nadeau (wareya)
     Alexander Olofsson (Ace)
     Allofich
+    AnyOldName3
     Austin Salgat (Salgat)
     Artem Kotsynyak (greye)
     artemutin
diff --git a/apps/openmw/main.cpp b/apps/openmw/main.cpp
index a4bf1fe5b..f54905a2c 100644
--- a/apps/openmw/main.cpp
+++ b/apps/openmw/main.cpp
@@ -79,19 +79,19 @@ bool parseOptions (int argc, char** argv, OMW::Engine& engine, Files::Configurat
         ("data", bpo::value<Files::PathContainer>()->default_value(Files::PathContainer(), "data")
             ->multitoken()->composing(), "set data directories (later directories have higher priority)")
 
-        ("data-local", bpo::value<std::string>()->default_value(""),
+            ("data-local", bpo::value<Files::EscapeHashString>()->default_value(""),
             "set local data directory (highest priority)")
 
-        ("fallback-archive", bpo::value<StringsVector>()->default_value(StringsVector(), "fallback-archive")
+        ("fallback-archive", bpo::value<Files::EscapeStringVector>()->default_value(Files::EscapeStringVector(), "fallback-archive")
             ->multitoken(), "set fallback BSA archives (later archives have higher priority)")
 
-        ("resources", bpo::value<std::string>()->default_value("resources"),
+            ("resources", bpo::value<Files::EscapeHashString>()->default_value("resources"),
             "set resources directory")
 
-        ("start", bpo::value<std::string>()->default_value(""),
+            ("start", bpo::value<Files::EscapeHashString>()->default_value(""),
             "set initial cell")
 
-        ("content", bpo::value<StringsVector>()->default_value(StringsVector(), "")
+        ("content", bpo::value<Files::EscapeStringVector>()->default_value(Files::EscapeStringVector(), "")
             ->multitoken(), "content file(s): esm/esp, or omwgame/omwaddon")
 
         ("no-sound", bpo::value<bool>()->implicit_value(true)
@@ -109,7 +109,7 @@ bool parseOptions (int argc, char** argv, OMW::Engine& engine, Files::Configurat
         ("script-console", bpo::value<bool>()->implicit_value(true)
             ->default_value(false), "enable console-only script functionality")
 
-        ("script-run", bpo::value<std::string>()->default_value(""),
+            ("script-run", bpo::value<Files::EscapeHashString>()->default_value(""),
             "select a file containing a list of console commands that is executed on startup")
 
         ("script-warn", bpo::value<int>()->implicit_value (1)
@@ -119,13 +119,13 @@ bool parseOptions (int argc, char** argv, OMW::Engine& engine, Files::Configurat
             "\t1 - show warning but consider script as correctly compiled anyway\n"
             "\t2 - treat warnings as errors")
 
-        ("script-blacklist", bpo::value<StringsVector>()->default_value(StringsVector(), "")
+        ("script-blacklist", bpo::value<Files::EscapeStringVector>()->default_value(Files::EscapeStringVector(), "")
             ->multitoken(), "ignore the specified script (if the use of the blacklist is enabled)")
 
         ("script-blacklist-use", bpo::value<bool>()->implicit_value(true)
             ->default_value(true), "enable script blacklisting")
 
-        ("load-savegame", bpo::value<std::string>()->default_value(""),
+            ("load-savegame", bpo::value<Files::EscapeHashString>()->default_value(""),
             "load a save game file on game startup (specify an absolute filename or a filename relative to the current working directory)")
 
         ("skip-menu", bpo::value<bool>()->implicit_value(true)
@@ -137,14 +137,14 @@ bool parseOptions (int argc, char** argv, OMW::Engine& engine, Files::Configurat
         ("fs-strict", bpo::value<bool>()->implicit_value(true)
             ->default_value(false), "strict file system handling (no case folding)")
 
-        ( "encoding", bpo::value<std::string>()->
+            ("encoding", bpo::value<Files::EscapeHashString>()->
             default_value("win1252"),
             "Character encoding used in OpenMW game messages:\n"
             "\n\twin1250 - Central and Eastern European such as Polish, Czech, Slovak, Hungarian, Slovene, Bosnian, Croatian, Serbian (Latin script), Romanian and Albanian languages\n"
             "\n\twin1251 - Cyrillic alphabet such as Russian, Bulgarian, Serbian Cyrillic and other languages\n"
             "\n\twin1252 - Western European (Latin) alphabet, used by default")
 
-        ("fallback", bpo::value<FallbackMap>()->default_value(FallbackMap(), "")
+            ("fallback", bpo::value<FallbackMap>()->default_value(FallbackMap(), "")
             ->multitoken()->composing(), "fallback values")
 
         ("no-grab", "Don't grab mouse cursor")
@@ -173,20 +173,20 @@ bool parseOptions (int argc, char** argv, OMW::Engine& engine, Files::Configurat
     {
         cfgMgr.readConfiguration(variables, desc, true);
 
-        Version::Version v = Version::getOpenmwVersion(variables["resources"].as<std::string>());
+        Version::Version v = Version::getOpenmwVersion(variables["resources"].as<Files::EscapeHashString>().toStdString());
         std::cout << v.describe() << std::endl;
         return false;
     }
 
     cfgMgr.readConfiguration(variables, desc);
 
-    Version::Version v = Version::getOpenmwVersion(variables["resources"].as<std::string>());
+    Version::Version v = Version::getOpenmwVersion(variables["resources"].as<Files::EscapeHashString>().toStdString());
     std::cout << v.describe() << std::endl;
 
     engine.setGrabMouse(!variables.count("no-grab"));
 
     // Font encoding settings
-    std::string encoding(variables["encoding"].as<std::string>());
+    std::string encoding(variables["encoding"].as<Files::EscapeHashString>().toStdString());
     std::cout << ToUTF8::encodingUsingMessage(encoding) << std::endl;
     engine.setEncoding(ToUTF8::calculateEncoding(encoding));
 
@@ -195,7 +195,7 @@ bool parseOptions (int argc, char** argv, OMW::Engine& engine, Files::Configurat
 
     Files::PathContainer dataDirs(variables["data"].as<Files::PathContainer>());
 
-    std::string local(variables["data-local"].as<std::string>());
+    std::string local(variables["data-local"].as<Files::EscapeHashString>().toStdString());
     if (!local.empty())
     {
         dataDirs.push_back(Files::PathContainer::value_type(local));
@@ -206,15 +206,15 @@ bool parseOptions (int argc, char** argv, OMW::Engine& engine, Files::Configurat
     engine.setDataDirs(dataDirs);
 
     // fallback archives
-    StringsVector archives = variables["fallback-archive"].as<StringsVector>();
+    StringsVector archives = variables["fallback-archive"].as<Files::EscapeStringVector>().toStdStringVector();
     for (StringsVector::const_iterator it = archives.begin(); it != archives.end(); ++it)
     {
         engine.addArchive(*it);
     }
 
-    engine.setResourceDir(variables["resources"].as<std::string>());
+    engine.setResourceDir(variables["resources"].as<Files::EscapeHashString>().toStdString());
 
-    StringsVector content = variables["content"].as<StringsVector>();
+    StringsVector content = variables["content"].as<Files::EscapeStringVector>().toStdStringVector();
     if (content.empty())
     {
       std::cout << "No content file given (esm/esp, nor omwgame/omwaddon). Aborting..." << std::endl;
@@ -229,7 +229,7 @@ bool parseOptions (int argc, char** argv, OMW::Engine& engine, Files::Configurat
     }
 
     // startup-settings
-    engine.setCell(variables["start"].as<std::string>());
+    engine.setCell(variables["start"].as<Files::EscapeHashString>().toStdString());
     engine.setSkipMenu (variables["skip-menu"].as<bool>(), variables["new-game"].as<bool>());
     if (!variables["skip-menu"].as<bool>() && variables["new-game"].as<bool>())
         std::cerr << "new-game used without skip-menu -> ignoring it" << std::endl;
@@ -239,11 +239,11 @@ bool parseOptions (int argc, char** argv, OMW::Engine& engine, Files::Configurat
     engine.setCompileAllDialogue(variables["script-all-dialogue"].as<bool>());
     engine.setScriptsVerbosity(variables["script-verbose"].as<bool>());
     engine.setScriptConsoleMode (variables["script-console"].as<bool>());
-    engine.setStartupScript (variables["script-run"].as<std::string>());
+    engine.setStartupScript (variables["script-run"].as<Files::EscapeHashString>().toStdString());
     engine.setWarningsMode (variables["script-warn"].as<int>());
-    engine.setScriptBlacklist (variables["script-blacklist"].as<StringsVector>());
+    engine.setScriptBlacklist (variables["script-blacklist"].as<Files::EscapeStringVector>().toStdStringVector());
     engine.setScriptBlacklistUse (variables["script-blacklist-use"].as<bool>());
-    engine.setSaveGameFile (variables["load-savegame"].as<std::string>());
+    engine.setSaveGameFile (variables["load-savegame"].as<Files::EscapeHashString>().toStdString());
 
     // other settings
     engine.setSoundUsage(!variables["no-sound"].as<bool>());
diff --git a/components/fallback/validate.hpp b/components/fallback/validate.hpp
index 3b6398d6a..d82ef5770 100644
--- a/components/fallback/validate.hpp
+++ b/components/fallback/validate.hpp
@@ -3,6 +3,8 @@
 
 #include <boost/program_options.hpp>
 
+#include <components/files/configurationmanager.hpp>
+
 // Parses and validates a fallback map from boost program_options.
 // Note: for boost to pick up the validate function, you need to pull in the namespace e.g.
 // by using namespace Fallback;
@@ -11,38 +13,59 @@ namespace Fallback
 {
 
     struct FallbackMap {
-        std::map<std::string,std::string> mMap;
+        std::map<std::string, std::string> mMap;
     };
 
     void validate(boost::any &v, std::vector<std::string> const &tokens, FallbackMap*, int)
     {
-        if(v.empty())
+        if (v.empty())
         {
             v = boost::any(FallbackMap());
         }
 
         FallbackMap *map = boost::any_cast<FallbackMap>(&v);
 
-        for(std::vector<std::string>::const_iterator it=tokens.begin(); it != tokens.end(); ++it)
+        for (std::vector<std::string>::const_iterator it = tokens.begin(); it != tokens.end(); ++it)
         {
-            int sep = it->find(",");
-            if(sep < 1 || sep == (int)it->length()-1)
-    #if (BOOST_VERSION < 104200)
+            std::string temp = Files::EscapeHashString::processString(*it);
+            int sep = temp.find(",");
+            if (sep < 1 || sep == (int)temp.length() - 1)
+#if (BOOST_VERSION < 104200)
                 throw boost::program_options::validation_error("invalid value");
-    #else
+#else
                 throw boost::program_options::validation_error(boost::program_options::validation_error::invalid_option_value);
-    #endif
+#endif
 
-            std::string key(it->substr(0,sep));
-            std::string value(it->substr(sep+1));
+            std::string key(temp.substr(0, sep));
+            std::string value(temp.substr(sep + 1));
 
-            if(map->mMap.find(key) == map->mMap.end())
+            if (map->mMap.find(key) == map->mMap.end())
             {
-                map->mMap.insert(std::make_pair (key,value));
+                map->mMap.insert(std::make_pair(key, value));
             }
         }
     }
+}
 
+namespace Files {
+    void validate(boost::any &v, const std::vector<std::string> &tokens, Files::EscapeHashString * eHS, int a)
+    {
+        boost::program_options::validators::check_first_occurrence(v);
+        
+        if (v.empty())
+            v = boost::any(EscapeHashString(boost::program_options::validators::get_single_string(tokens)));
+    }
+
+    void validate(boost::any &v, const std::vector<std::string> &tokens, EscapeStringVector *, int)
+    {
+        if (v.empty())
+            v = boost::any(EscapeStringVector());
+
+        EscapeStringVector * eSV = boost::any_cast<EscapeStringVector>(&v);
+
+        for (std::vector<std::string>::const_iterator it = tokens.begin(); it != tokens.end(); ++it)
+            eSV->mVector.push_back(EscapeHashString(*it));
+    }
 }
 
 #endif
diff --git a/components/files/configurationmanager.cpp b/components/files/configurationmanager.cpp
index 5ac3dd695..3a7f57949 100644
--- a/components/files/configurationmanager.cpp
+++ b/components/files/configurationmanager.cpp
@@ -3,9 +3,11 @@
 #include <string>
 #include <iostream>
 #include <algorithm>
+#include <ctype.h>
 
 #include <boost/bind.hpp>
 #include <boost/algorithm/string/erase.hpp>
+#include <boost/algorithm/string/replace.hpp>
 #include <boost/filesystem/fstream.hpp>
 
 /**
@@ -139,8 +141,11 @@ bool ConfigurationManager::loadConfig(const boost::filesystem::path& path,
         if (!mSilent)
             std::cout << "Loading config file: " << cfgFile.string() << "... ";
 
-        boost::filesystem::ifstream configFileStream(cfgFile);
-        if (configFileStream.is_open())
+        boost::filesystem::ifstream configFileStreamUnfiltered(cfgFile);
+        boost::iostreams::filtering_istream configFileStream;
+        configFileStream.push(escape_hash_filter());
+        configFileStream.push(configFileStreamUnfiltered);
+        if (configFileStreamUnfiltered.is_open())
         {
             boost::program_options::store(boost::program_options::parse_config_file(
                 configFileStream, description, true), variables);
@@ -159,6 +164,152 @@ bool ConfigurationManager::loadConfig(const boost::filesystem::path& path,
     return false;
 }
 
+const int escape_hash_filter::sEscape = '@';
+const int escape_hash_filter::sEscapeIdentifier = 'a';
+const int escape_hash_filter::sHashIdentifier = 'h';
+
+escape_hash_filter::escape_hash_filter() : mNext(), mSeenNonWhitespace(false), mFinishLine(false)
+{
+}
+
+escape_hash_filter::~escape_hash_filter()
+{
+}
+
+template <typename Source>
+int escape_hash_filter::get(Source & src)
+{
+    if (mNext.empty())
+    {
+        int character = boost::iostreams::get(src);
+        bool record = true;
+        if (character == boost::iostreams::WOULD_BLOCK)
+        {
+            mNext.push(character);
+            record = false;
+        }
+        else if (character == EOF)
+        {
+            mSeenNonWhitespace = false;
+            mFinishLine = false;
+            mNext.push(character);
+        }
+        else if (character == '\n')
+        {
+            mSeenNonWhitespace = false;
+            mFinishLine = false;
+            mNext.push(character);
+        }
+        else if (mFinishLine)
+        {
+            mNext.push(character);
+        }
+        else if (character == '#')
+        {
+            if (mSeenNonWhitespace)
+            {
+                mNext.push(sEscape);
+                mNext.push(sHashIdentifier);
+            }
+            else
+            {
+                //it's fine being interpreted by Boost as a comment, and so is anything afterwards
+                mNext.push(character);
+                mFinishLine = true;
+            }
+        }
+        else if (mPrevious == sEscape)
+        {
+            mNext.push(sEscape);
+            mNext.push(sEscapeIdentifier);
+        }
+        else
+        {
+            mNext.push(character);
+        }
+        if (!mSeenNonWhitespace && !isspace(character))
+            mSeenNonWhitespace = true;
+        if (record)
+            mPrevious = character;
+    }
+    int retval = mNext.front();
+    mNext.pop();
+    return retval;
+}
+
+std::string EscapeHashString::processString(const std::string & str)
+{
+    std::string temp = boost::replace_all_copy<std::string>(str, std::string() + (char)escape_hash_filter::sEscape + (char)escape_hash_filter::sHashIdentifier, "#");
+    boost::replace_all(temp, std::string() + (char)escape_hash_filter::sEscape + (char)escape_hash_filter::sEscapeIdentifier, std::string((char) escape_hash_filter::sEscape, 1));
+    return temp;
+}
+
+EscapeHashString::EscapeHashString() : mData()
+{
+}
+
+EscapeHashString::EscapeHashString(const std::string & str) : mData(EscapeHashString::processString(str))
+{
+}
+
+EscapeHashString::EscapeHashString(const std::string & str, size_t pos, size_t len) : mData(EscapeHashString::processString(str), pos, len)
+{
+}
+
+EscapeHashString::EscapeHashString(const char * s) : mData(EscapeHashString::processString(std::string(s)))
+{
+}
+
+EscapeHashString::EscapeHashString(const char * s, size_t n) : mData(EscapeHashString::processString(std::string(s)), 0, n)
+{
+}
+
+EscapeHashString::EscapeHashString(size_t n, char c) : mData(n, c)
+{
+}
+
+template <class InputIterator>
+EscapeHashString::EscapeHashString(InputIterator first, InputIterator last) : mData(EscapeHashString::processString(std::string(first, last)))
+{
+}
+
+std::string EscapeHashString::toStdString() const
+{
+    return std::string(mData);
+}
+
+std::istream & operator>> (std::istream & is, EscapeHashString & eHS)
+{
+    std::string temp;
+    is >> temp;
+    eHS = EscapeHashString(temp);
+    return is;
+}
+
+std::ostream & operator<< (std::ostream & os, const EscapeHashString & eHS)
+{
+    os << eHS.mData;
+    return os;
+}
+
+EscapeStringVector::EscapeStringVector() : mVector()
+{
+}
+
+EscapeStringVector::~EscapeStringVector()
+{
+}
+
+std::vector<std::string> EscapeStringVector::toStdStringVector() const
+{
+    std::vector<std::string> temp = std::vector<std::string>();
+    for (std::vector<EscapeHashString>::const_iterator it = mVector.begin(); it != mVector.end(); ++it)
+    {
+        temp.push_back(it->toStdString());
+    }
+    return temp;
+}
+
 const boost::filesystem::path& ConfigurationManager::getGlobalPath() const
 {
     return mFixedPath.getGlobalConfigPath();
diff --git a/components/files/configurationmanager.hpp b/components/files/configurationmanager.hpp
index c05dbbb45..3ce995983 100644
--- a/components/files/configurationmanager.hpp
+++ b/components/files/configurationmanager.hpp
@@ -2,8 +2,10 @@
 #define COMPONENTS_FILES_CONFIGURATIONMANAGER_HPP
 
 #include <map>
+#include <queue>
 
 #include <boost/program_options.hpp>
+#include <boost/iostreams/filtering_stream.hpp>
 
 #include <components/files/fixedpath.hpp>
 #include <components/files/collections.hpp>
@@ -63,6 +65,65 @@ struct ConfigurationManager
         bool mSilent;
 };
 
+
+/**
+ * \struct escape_hash_filter
+ */
+struct escape_hash_filter : public boost::iostreams::input_filter
+{
+    static const int sEscape;
+    static const int sHashIdentifier;
+    static const int sEscapeIdentifier;
+
+    escape_hash_filter();
+    virtual ~escape_hash_filter();
+
+    template <typename Source> int get(Source & src);
+
+    private:
+        std::queue<int> mNext;
+        int mPrevious;
+
+        bool mSeenNonWhitespace;
+        bool mFinishLine;
+};
+
+/**
+ * \class EscapeHashString
+ */
+class EscapeHashString
+{
+    private:
+        std::string mData;
+    public:
+        static std::string processString(const std::string & str);
+
+        EscapeHashString();
+        EscapeHashString(const std::string & str);
+        EscapeHashString(const std::string & str, size_t pos, size_t len = std::string::npos);
+        EscapeHashString(const char * s);
+        EscapeHashString(const char * s, size_t n);
+        EscapeHashString(size_t n, char c);
+        template <class InputIterator>
+        EscapeHashString(InputIterator first, InputIterator last);
+
+        std::string toStdString() const;
+
+        friend std::ostream & operator<< (std::ostream & os, const EscapeHashString & eHS);
+};
+
+std::istream & operator>> (std::istream & is, EscapeHashString & eHS);
+
+struct EscapeStringVector
+{
+    std::vector<Files::EscapeHashString> mVector;
+
+    EscapeStringVector();
+    virtual ~EscapeStringVector();
+
+    std::vector<std::string> toStdStringVector() const;
+};
+
 } /* namespace Cfg */
 
 #endif /* COMPONENTS_FILES_CONFIGURATIONMANAGER_HPP */