diff --git a/latex.el b/latex.el
index 05238344..6b464d50 100644
--- a/latex.el
+++ b/latex.el
@@ -4022,7 +4022,7 @@ performed in that case."
           (if (re-search-forward
                (concat "\\("
                        ;; Code comments.
-                       "\\([^ \r\n%\\]\\|\\\\%\\)\\([ \t]\\|\\\\\\\\\\)*"
+                       "\\([^ \r\n%\\]\\|\\\\[% ]\\)\\([ \t]\\|\\\\\\\\\\)*"
                        TeX-comment-start-regexp
                        "\\|"
                        ;; Lines ending with `\par'.