diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 7cb535e..df7428e 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -15,6 +15,10 @@ Data not stored:
 - Attributes on arrays, maps, sets, and functions,
 - Function closures.
 
+Style and input sanitization:
+- Comments are treated as whitespace and are stripped from input
+- Trailing commas are ignored
+
 Note that this a strict superset of JSON, this if only JSON-supported 
 data is serialized the output will be strict JSON.
 
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 9575edb..8af2cda 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "ig-serialize",
-  "version": "1.3.2",
+  "version": "1.3.3",
   "description": "experimental extended json serializaion...",
   "main": "serialize.js",
   "scripts": {
diff --git a/serialize.js b/serialize.js
index 76a1d0e..744989f 100644
--- a/serialize.js
+++ b/serialize.js
@@ -53,7 +53,6 @@
 (function(require){ var module={} // make module AMD/node compatible...
 /*********************************************************************/
 
-
 var NULL = 'null'
 var UNDEFINED = 'undefined'
 var NAN = 'NaN'
@@ -333,13 +332,11 @@ module.eJSON = {
 		undefined: undefined,
 		NaN: NaN,
 
-		//'<REF': 'reference',
 		[REFERENCE.split('%')[0]]: 'reference',
 
-		//'<FUNC[': 'func',
 		[FUNCTION.split('%')[0]]: 'func',
 	},
-	
+
 
 	// generic helpers...
 	//
@@ -445,19 +442,39 @@ module.eJSON = {
 
 
 
+	// NOTE: this treats comments as whitespace...
+	COMMENTS: true,
 	WHITESPACE: ' \t\n',
 	skipWhitespace: function(str, i, line){
-		while(i < str.length 
-				&& this.WHITESPACE.includes(str[i])){
+		while(i < str.length){
+			if(this.COMMENTS){
+				// comment: '// ... \n'
+				if(str[i] == '/' && str[i+1] == '/'){
+					while(i < str.length && str[i] != '\n'){
+						i++ } }
+				// comment: '/* ... */'
+				if(str[i] == '/' && str[i+1] == '*'){
+					while(i < str.length && str.slice(i, i+2) != '*/'){
+						if(str[i] == '\n'){
+							line++ }
+						i++ } 
+					i += 2
+					if(i > str.length){
+						this.error('Unexpected end of input wile looking for "*/".', str, i-2, line) } } }
+			// non-whitespace...
+			if(!this.WHITESPACE.includes(str[i])){
+				break }
 			if(str[i] == '\n'){
 				line++ }
 			i++ }
 		return [i, line] },
 
+
 	//
-	//	.handler(match, str, i, line)
+	//	.handler(state, path, match, str, i, line)
 	//		-> [value, i, line]
 	//
+
 	number: function(state, path, match, str, i, line){
 		debug.lex('number', str, i, line)
 		// special cases..,
diff --git a/test.js b/test.js
index 5554437..5c7756b 100755
--- a/test.js
+++ b/test.js
@@ -28,6 +28,10 @@ var ejson = false
 
 var pre_cycle = true
 
+// XXX BUG: deserialize('1 2') -> 1
+// 		should throw:
+// 			'SyntaxError: Unexpected non-whitespace character after JSON at position 2 (line 1 column 3)'
+
 // XXX test whitespace handling...
 var setups = test.Setups({
 	'true': function(assert){
@@ -228,6 +232,24 @@ test.Cases({
 
 		// arrays...
 		['[1,2,]', '[1,2]'],
+
+		// comments...
+		['123 // comment...', '123'],
+		['// comment...\n123', '123'],
+		['// comment...\n123// comment...', '123'],
+		['/* comment */ 123', '123'],
+		['123 /* comment */', '123'],
+		['/* comment */123/* comment */', '123'],
+		[`// comment...
+			[
+				// comment...
+				1, // comment...
+				2 /* comment */,
+				// comment...
+				/* comment */ 3 /* comment*/,
+				// comment...
+			]
+			// comment...`, '[1,2,3]']
 	],
 	'syntax-simplifications': function(assert){
 		var aa, bb