diff --git a/src/Text/Pandoc/Writers/Muse.hs b/src/Text/Pandoc/Writers/Muse.hs
index e72fcf52b..eb1821922 100644
--- a/src/Text/Pandoc/Writers/Muse.hs
+++ b/src/Text/Pandoc/Writers/Muse.hs
@@ -290,7 +290,8 @@ conditionalEscapeString s =
      "::" `isInfixOf` s ||
      "----" `isInfixOf` s ||
      "~~" `isInfixOf` s ||
-     "-" == s
+     "-" == s ||
+     ";" == s
     then escapeString s
     else s
 
diff --git a/test/Tests/Writers/Muse.hs b/test/Tests/Writers/Muse.hs
index 2728fd9f9..04f6de449 100644
--- a/test/Tests/Writers/Muse.hs
+++ b/test/Tests/Writers/Muse.hs
@@ -321,6 +321,7 @@ tests = [ testGroup "block elements"
                       , ""
                       , "   <verbatim>-</verbatim> bar"
                       ]
+            , "escape ; to avoid accidental comments" =: text "; foo" =?> "<verbatim>;</verbatim> foo"
             ]
           , testGroup "emphasis"
             [ "emph" =: emph (text "foo") =?> "<em>foo</em>"