diff --git a/src/diagrams/class/classDiagram.spec.js b/src/diagrams/class/classDiagram.spec.js
index ef2a98415..dd0d29452 100644
--- a/src/diagrams/class/classDiagram.spec.js
+++ b/src/diagrams/class/classDiagram.spec.js
@@ -242,69 +242,74 @@ describe('class diagram, ', function () {
 
     it('should handle comments at the start', function () {
       const str =
-        '%% Comment\n' +
-        'classDiagram\n' +
-        'class Class1 {\n' +
-        'int : test\n' +
-        'string : foo\n' +
-        'test()\n' +
-        'foo()\n' +
-        '}';
+        `%% Comment
+        classDiagram
+        class Class1 {
+          int : test
+          string : foo
+          test()
+          foo()
+        }`;
       parser.parse(str);
     });
 
     it('should handle comments at the end', function () {
       const str =
-        'classDiagram\n' +
-        'class Class1 {\n' +
-        'int : test\n' +
-        'string : foo\n' +
-        'test()\n' +
-        'foo()\n' +
-        '\n}' +
-        '%% Comment\n';
+        `classDiagram
+class Class1 {
+int : test
+string : foo
+test()
+foo()
+
+}
+%% Comment
+`;
 
       parser.parse(str);
     });
 
     it('should handle comments at the end no trailing newline', function () {
       const str =
-      'classDiagram\n' +
-      'class Class1 {\n' +
-        'int : test\n' +
-        'string : foo\n' +
-        'test()\n' +
-        'foo()\n' +
-        '}\n' +
-        '%% Comment';
+      `classDiagram
+class Class1 {
+int : test
+string : foo
+test()
+foo()
+}
+%% Comment`;
 
       parser.parse(str);
     });
 
     it('should handle a comment with multiple line feeds', function () {
       const str =
-        'classDiagram\n\n\n' +
-        '%% Comment\n\n' +
-        'class Class1 {\n' +
-        'int : test\n' +
-        'string : foo\n' +
-        'test()\n' +
-        'foo()\n' +
-        '}';
+        `classDiagram
+
+
+%% Comment
+
+class Class1 {
+int : test
+string : foo
+test()
+foo()
+}`;
 
       parser.parse(str);
     });
 
     it('should handle a comment with mermaid class diagram code in them', function () {
       const str =
-        'classDiagram\n' +
-        '%% Comment Class01 <|-- Class02\n' +
-        'class Class1 {\n' +
-        'int : test\n' +
-        'string : foo\n' +
-        'test()\n' +
-        'foo()\n' +
-        '}';
+        `classDiagram
+%% Comment Class01 <|-- Class02
+class Class1 {
+int : test
+string : foo
+test()
+foo()
+}`;
 
       parser.parse(str);
     });
@@ -640,7 +645,7 @@ describe('class diagram, ', function () {
       expect(testClass.cssClasses.length).toBe(1);
       expect(testClass.cssClasses[0]).toBe('clickable');
     });
-    
+
     it('should associate link with tooltip', function () {
       const str = 'classDiagram\n' + 'class Class1\n' + 'Class1 : someMethod()\n' + 'link Class1 "google.com" "A tooltip"';
       parser.parse(str);
diff --git a/src/diagrams/class/parser/classDiagram.jison b/src/diagrams/class/parser/classDiagram.jison
index 6bc53956b..7c8d36a95 100644
--- a/src/diagrams/class/parser/classDiagram.jison
+++ b/src/diagrams/class/parser/classDiagram.jison
@@ -17,11 +17,11 @@
 <type_directive>":"                                             { this.popState(); this.begin('arg_directive'); return ':'; }
 <type_directive,arg_directive>\}\%\%                            { this.popState(); this.popState(); return 'close_directive'; }
 <arg_directive>((?:(?!\}\%\%).|\n)*)                            return 'arg_directive';
-\%%(?!\{)[^\n]*                                                 /* skip comments */
-[^\}]\%\%[^\n]*                                                 /* skip comments */
-\%\%[^\n]*\n*           /* do nothing */
-\n+                     return 'NEWLINE';
-\s+                     /* skip whitespace */
+\%\%(?!\{)*[^\n]*                                                 /* skip comments */
+[^\}]\%\%*[^\n]*                                                 /* skip comments */
+\%\%*[^\n]*[\n]*           /* do nothing */
+[\n]+                     return 'NEWLINE';
+[\s]+                     /* skip whitespace */
 "classDiagram-v2"       return 'CLASS_DIAGRAM';
 "classDiagram"          return 'CLASS_DIAGRAM';
 [\{]                    { this.begin("struct"); /*console.log('Starting struct');*/return 'STRUCT_START';}
@@ -146,11 +146,15 @@ mermaidDoc
     ;
 
 graphConfig
-    : CLASS_DIAGRAM NEWLINE statements EOF
+    : NEWLINE
+    | NEWLINE graphConfig
+    | graphConfig NEWLINE
+    | CLASS_DIAGRAM NEWLINE statements EOF
     ;
 
 statements
     : statement
+    | NEWLINE statement
     | statement NEWLINE
     | statement NEWLINE statements
     ;