1 files changed, 31 insertions, 6 deletions
diff --git a/src/Text/Pandoc/Readers/Org.hs b/src/Text/Pandoc/Readers/Org.hs
index a75e3cec8..a6ebf65dc 100644
--- a/src/Text/Pandoc/Readers/Org.hs
+++ b/src/Text/Pandoc/Readers/Org.hs
@@ -69,7 +69,32 @@ parseOrg = do
   blocks' <- parseBlocks
   st <- getState
   let meta = runF (orgStateMeta' st) st
-  return $ Pandoc meta $ filter (/= Null) (B.toList $ runF blocks' st)
+  let removeUnwantedBlocks = dropCommentTrees . filter (/= Null)
+  return $ Pandoc meta $ removeUnwantedBlocks (B.toList $ runF blocks' st)
+
+-- | Drop COMMENT headers and the document tree below those headers.
+dropCommentTrees :: [Block] -> [Block]
+dropCommentTrees [] = []
+dropCommentTrees blks@(b:bs) =
+  maybe blks (flip dropUntilHeaderAboveLevel bs) $ commentHeaderLevel b
+
+-- | Return the level of a header starting a comment tree and Nothing
+-- otherwise.
+commentHeaderLevel :: Block -> Maybe Int
+commentHeaderLevel blk =
+   case blk of
+     (Header level _ ((Str "COMMENT"):_)) -> Just level
+     _                                    -> Nothing
+
+-- | Drop blocks until a header on or above the given level is seen
+dropUntilHeaderAboveLevel :: Int -> [Block] -> [Block]
+dropUntilHeaderAboveLevel n = dropWhile (not . isHeaderLevelLowerEq n)
+
+isHeaderLevelLowerEq :: Int -> Block -> Bool
+isHeaderLevelLowerEq n blk =
+  case blk of
+    (Header level _ _) -> n >= level
+    _                  -> False
 
 --
 -- Parser State for Org
@@ -946,7 +971,7 @@ parseInlines = trimInlinesF . mconcat <$> many1 inline
 
 -- treat these as potentially non-text when parsing inline:
 specialChars :: [Char]
-specialChars = "\"$'()*+-./:<=>[\\]^_{|}~"
+specialChars = "\"$'()*+-,./:<=>[\\]^_{|}~"
 
 
 whitespace :: OrgParser (F Inlines)
@@ -1224,10 +1249,10 @@ displayMath = return . B.displayMath <$> choice [ rawMathBetween "\\[" "\\]"
                                                 ]
 symbol :: OrgParser (F Inlines)
 symbol = return . B.str . (: "") <$> (oneOf specialChars >>= updatePositions)
- where updatePositions c
-           | c `elem` emphasisPreChars = c <$ updateLastPreCharPos
-           | c `elem` emphasisForbiddenBorderChars = c <$ updateLastForbiddenCharPos
-           | otherwise = return c
+ where updatePositions c = do
+         when (c `elem` emphasisPreChars) updateLastPreCharPos
+         when (c `elem` emphasisForbiddenBorderChars) updateLastForbiddenCharPos
+         return c
 
 emphasisBetween :: Char
                 -> OrgParser (F Inlines)