diff --git a/conf/lex.go b/conf/lex.go
index 87fe466b..b50c0ffe 100644
--- a/conf/lex.go
+++ b/conf/lex.go
@@ -57,6 +57,8 @@ const (
 	sqStringStart     = '\''
 	sqStringEnd       = '\''
 	optValTerm        = ';'
+	blockStart        = '('
+	blockEnd          = ')'
 )
 
 type stateFn func(lx *lexer) stateFn
@@ -257,7 +259,10 @@ func lexKeyStart(lx *lexer) stateFn {
 	case isWhitespace(r) || isNL(r):
 		lx.next()
 		return lexSkip(lx, lexKeyStart)
-	case r == sqStringStart || r == dqStringStart:
+	case r == dqStringStart:
+		lx.next()
+		return lexSkip(lx, lexDubQuotedKey)
+	case r == sqStringStart:
 		lx.next()
 		return lexSkip(lx, lexQuotedKey)
 	}
@@ -266,10 +271,22 @@ func lexKeyStart(lx *lexer) stateFn {
 	return lexKey
 }
 
+// lexDubQuotedKey consumes the text of a key between quotes.
+func lexDubQuotedKey(lx *lexer) stateFn {
+	r := lx.peek()
+	if r == dqStringEnd {
+		lx.emit(itemKey)
+		lx.next()
+		return lexSkip(lx, lexKeyEnd)
+	}
+	lx.next()
+	return lexDubQuotedKey
+}
+
 // lexQuotedKey consumes the text of a key between quotes.
 func lexQuotedKey(lx *lexer) stateFn {
 	r := lx.peek()
-	if r == sqStringEnd || r == dqStringEnd {
+	if r == sqStringEnd {
 		lx.emit(itemKey)
 		lx.next()
 		return lexSkip(lx, lexKeyEnd)
@@ -326,11 +343,17 @@ func lexValue(lx *lexer) stateFn {
 		lx.ignore()
 		lx.emit(itemMapStart)
 		return lexMapKeyStart
-	case r == dqStringStart || r == sqStringStart:
+	case r == sqStringStart:
 		lx.ignore() // ignore the " or '
 		return lexQuotedString
+	case r == dqStringStart:
+		lx.ignore() // ignore the " or '
+		return lexDubQuotedString
 	case r == '-':
 		return lexNumberStart
+	case r == blockStart:
+		lx.ignore()
+		return lexBlock
 	case isDigit(r):
 		lx.backup() // avoid an extra state and use the same as above
 		return lexNumberOrDateStart
@@ -434,9 +457,12 @@ func lexMapKeyStart(lx *lexer) stateFn {
 			return lexCommentStart
 		}
 		lx.backup()
-	case r == sqStringStart || r == dqStringStart:
+	case r == sqStringStart:
 		lx.next()
 		return lexSkip(lx, lexMapQuotedKey)
+	case r == dqStringStart:
+		lx.next()
+		return lexSkip(lx, lexMapDubQuotedKey)
 	}
 	lx.ignore()
 	lx.next()
@@ -446,7 +472,7 @@ func lexMapKeyStart(lx *lexer) stateFn {
 // lexMapQuotedKey consumes the text of a key between quotes.
 func lexMapQuotedKey(lx *lexer) stateFn {
 	r := lx.peek()
-	if r == sqStringEnd || r == dqStringEnd {
+	if r == sqStringEnd {
 		lx.emit(itemKey)
 		lx.next()
 		return lexSkip(lx, lexMapKeyEnd)
@@ -455,6 +481,18 @@ func lexMapQuotedKey(lx *lexer) stateFn {
 	return lexMapQuotedKey
 }
 
+// lexMapQuotedKey consumes the text of a key between quotes.
+func lexMapDubQuotedKey(lx *lexer) stateFn {
+	r := lx.peek()
+	if r == dqStringEnd {
+		lx.emit(itemKey)
+		lx.next()
+		return lexSkip(lx, lexMapKeyEnd)
+	}
+	lx.next()
+	return lexMapDubQuotedKey
+}
+
 // lexMapKey consumes the text of a key. Assumes that the first character (which
 // is not whitespace) has already been consumed.
 func lexMapKey(lx *lexer) stateFn {
@@ -559,7 +597,7 @@ func (lx *lexer) isBool() bool {
 func lexQuotedString(lx *lexer) stateFn {
 	r := lx.next()
 	switch {
-	case r == dqStringEnd || r == sqStringEnd:
+	case r == sqStringEnd:
 		lx.backup()
 		lx.emit(itemString)
 		lx.next()
@@ -569,6 +607,22 @@ func lexQuotedString(lx *lexer) stateFn {
 	return lexQuotedString
 }
 
+// lexDubQuotedString consumes the inner contents of a string. It assumes that the
+// beginning '"' has already been consumed and ignored. It will not interpret any
+// internal contents.
+func lexDubQuotedString(lx *lexer) stateFn {
+	r := lx.next()
+	switch {
+	case r == dqStringEnd:
+		lx.backup()
+		lx.emit(itemString)
+		lx.next()
+		lx.ignore()
+		return lx.pop()
+	}
+	return lexDubQuotedString
+}
+
 // lexString consumes the inner contents of a string. It assumes that the
 // beginning '"' has already been consumed and ignored.
 func lexString(lx *lexer) stateFn {
@@ -585,7 +639,7 @@ func lexString(lx *lexer) stateFn {
 			lx.emit(itemString)
 		}
 		return lx.pop()
-	case r == dqStringEnd || r == sqStringEnd:
+	case r == sqStringEnd:
 		lx.backup()
 		lx.emit(itemString)
 		lx.next()
@@ -595,6 +649,66 @@ func lexString(lx *lexer) stateFn {
 	return lexString
 }
 
+// lexDubString consumes the inner contents of a string. It assumes that the
+// beginning '"' has already been consumed and ignored.
+func lexDubString(lx *lexer) stateFn {
+	r := lx.next()
+	switch {
+	case r == '\\':
+		return lexStringEscape
+	// Termination of non-quoted strings
+	case isNL(r) || r == eof || r == optValTerm || isWhitespace(r):
+		lx.backup()
+		if lx.isBool() {
+			lx.emit(itemBool)
+		} else {
+			lx.emit(itemString)
+		}
+		return lx.pop()
+	case r == dqStringEnd:
+		lx.backup()
+		lx.emit(itemString)
+		lx.next()
+		lx.ignore()
+		return lx.pop()
+	}
+	return lexDubString
+}
+
+// lexBlock consumes the inner contents as a string. It assumes that the
+// beginning '(' has already been consumed and ignored. It will continue
+// processing until it finds a ')' on a new line by itself.
+func lexBlock(lx *lexer) stateFn {
+	r := lx.next()
+	switch {
+	case r == blockEnd:
+		lx.backup()
+		lx.backup()
+
+		// Looking for a ')' character on a line by itself, if the previous
+		// character isn't a new line, then break so we keep processing the block.
+		if lx.next() != '\n' {
+			lx.next()
+			break
+		}
+		lx.next()
+
+		// Make sure the next character is a new line or an eof. We want a ')' on a
+		// bare line by itself.
+		switch lx.next() {
+		case '\n', eof:
+			lx.backup()
+			lx.backup()
+			lx.emit(itemString)
+			lx.next()
+			lx.ignore()
+			return lx.pop()
+		}
+		lx.backup()
+	}
+	return lexBlock
+}
+
 // lexStringEscape consumes an escaped character. It assumes that the preceding
 // '\\' has already been consumed.
 func lexStringEscape(lx *lexer) stateFn {
diff --git a/conf/lex_test.go b/conf/lex_test.go
index a2848337..71e427ed 100644
--- a/conf/lex_test.go
+++ b/conf/lex_test.go
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ func expect(t *testing.T, lx *lexer, items []item) {
 			t.Fatal(item.val)
 		}
 		if item != items[i] {
-			t.Fatalf("Testing: '%s'\nExpected %+v, received %+v\n",
+			t.Fatalf("Testing: '%s'\nExpected %q, received %q\n",
 				lx.input, items[i], item)
 		}
 	}
@@ -482,4 +482,46 @@ func TestDoubleNestedMapsNewLines(t *testing.T) {
 	expect(t, lx, expectedItems)
 }
 
+var blockexample = `
+numbers (
+1234567890
+)
+`
 
+func TestBlockString(t *testing.T) {
+	expectedItems := []item{
+		{itemKey, "numbers", 2},
+		{itemString, "\n1234567890\n", 4},
+	}
+	lx := lex(blockexample)
+	expect(t, lx, expectedItems)
+}
+
+func TestBlockStringEOF(t *testing.T) {
+	expectedItems := []item{
+		{itemKey, "numbers", 2},
+		{itemString, "\n1234567890\n", 4},
+	}
+	blockbytes := []byte(blockexample[0 : len(blockexample)-1])
+	blockbytes = append(blockbytes, 0)
+	lx := lex(string(blockbytes))
+	expect(t, lx, expectedItems)
+}
+
+var mlblockexample = `
+numbers (
+  12(34)56
+  (
+    7890
+  )
+)
+`
+
+func TestBlockStringMultiLine(t *testing.T) {
+	expectedItems := []item{
+		{itemKey, "numbers", 2},
+		{itemString, "\n  12(34)56\n  (\n    7890\n  )\n", 7},
+	}
+	lx := lex(mlblockexample)
+	expect(t, lx, expectedItems)
+}
diff --git a/conf/parse_test.go b/conf/parse_test.go
index 3bceb2a0..1e2626f8 100644
--- a/conf/parse_test.go
+++ b/conf/parse_test.go
@@ -95,3 +95,21 @@ func TestSample2(t *testing.T) {
 
 	test(t, cluster, ex)
 }
+
+var sample3 = `
+foo  {
+  expr = '(true == "false")'
+  text = 'This is a multi-line
+text block.'
+}
+`
+
+func TestSample3(t *testing.T) {
+	ex := map[string]interface{}{
+		"foo": map[string]interface{}{
+			"expr": "(true == \"false\")",
+			"text": "This is a multi-line\ntext block.",
+		},
+	}
+	test(t, sample3, ex)
+}