diff --git a/language-configuration.json b/language-configuration.json
index 2c8b732..5ad1de2 100644
--- a/language-configuration.json
+++ b/language-configuration.json
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@
         ["{", "}"],
         ["[", "]"],
         ["(", ")"],
-        ["\"", "\""],
+        { "open": "\"", "close": "\"", "notIn": ["string"] },
         ["'", "'"]
     ],
     // symbols that that can be used to surround a selection
diff --git a/syntaxes/merlin32.tmLanguage.json b/syntaxes/merlin32.tmLanguage.json
index 23bf58f..720894a 100644
--- a/syntaxes/merlin32.tmLanguage.json
+++ b/syntaxes/merlin32.tmLanguage.json
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@
 		"directives": {
 			"patterns": [{
 				"name": "support.function.directive.merlin32",
-				"match": "(?i)\\b(EQU|ANOP|ORG|PUT|PUTBIN|START|END|DUM|DEND|MX|XC|LONGA|LONGI|USE|USING|REL|DSK|LNK|SAV|TYP|IF|DO|ELSE|FIN|LUP|ELUP|\\^|ERR|DAT|AST|CYC|EXP|LST|LSTDO|PAG|TTL|SKP|TR|KBD|PAU|SW|USR)\\b"
+				"match": "(?i)\\b(EQU|ANOP|ORG|PUT|PUTBIN|START|END|DUM|DEND|MX|XC|LONGA|LONGI|USE|USING|REL|DSK|LNK|SAV|TYP|IF|DO|ELSE|FIN|LUP|ELUP|ERR|DAT|AST|CYC|EXP|LST|LSTDO|PAG|TTL|SKP|TR|KBD|PAU|SW|USR)\\b|(--\\^)"
 			}]
 		},
 		"strings": {