diff --git a/lib/rdoc/ruby_lex.rb b/lib/rdoc/ruby_lex.rb
index c2b4e9857a..3c15af0500 100644
--- a/lib/rdoc/ruby_lex.rb
+++ b/lib/rdoc/ruby_lex.rb
@@ -1337,7 +1337,6 @@ def identify_string(ltype, quoted = ltype, type = nil)
             when "'", '\\' then
               str << ch
             else
-              str << '\\'
               str << ch
             end
           else
diff --git a/test/test_rdoc_ruby_lex.rb b/test/test_rdoc_ruby_lex.rb
index f4d98e756b..9687532c93 100644
--- a/test/test_rdoc_ruby_lex.rb
+++ b/test/test_rdoc_ruby_lex.rb
@@ -455,6 +455,17 @@ def test_class_tokenize_regexp_continuing_backslash
     assert_equal expected, tokens
   end
 
+  def test_class_tokenize_single_quote_escape
+    tokens = RDoc::RubyLex.tokenize %q{'\\\\ \\' \\&'}, nil
+
+    expected = [
+      @TK::TkSTRING.new( 0, 1,  0, %q{'\\\\ \\' \\&'}),
+      @TK::TkNL    .new(10, 1, 10, "\n"),
+    ]
+
+    assert_equal expected, tokens
+  end
+
   def test_class_tokenize_string
     tokens = RDoc::RubyLex.tokenize "'hi'", nil