diff --git a/src/Language/Docker/Parser/Prelude.hs b/src/Language/Docker/Parser/Prelude.hs
index 1ca7bf9..8abb430 100644
--- a/src/Language/Docker/Parser/Prelude.hs
+++ b/src/Language/Docker/Parser/Prelude.hs
@@ -368,12 +368,23 @@ someUnless name predicate = do
     applyPredicate =
       many $
         choice
-          [ castToSpace <$> escapedLineBreaks,
+          [ castToSpace <$> try insignificantLineBreak,
             takeWhile1P (Just name) (\c -> not (isSpaceNl c || predicate c)),
-            takeWhile1P Nothing (\c -> c == ?esc && not (predicate c))
-              <* notFollowedBy (char '\n')
+            try $
+              takeWhile1P Nothing (\c -> c == ?esc && not (predicate c))
+                <* notFollowedBy (char '\n')
           ]
 
+    -- An escaped line break followed by whitespace stands for a space (see
+    -- 'escapedLineBreaks'). Wherever a space ends the token being parsed, such
+    -- a line break ends it as well instead of being pulled into it. It is left
+    -- unconsumed, so that it can be parsed as the separator it is.
+    insignificantLineBreak = do
+      ws <- escapedLineBreaks
+      when (ws == FoundWhitespace && predicate ' ') $
+        fail "escaped line break separating two tokens"
+      pure ws
+
 comment :: Parser Text
 comment = do
   void $ char '#'
diff --git a/test/Language/Docker/ParseAddSpec.hs b/test/Language/Docker/ParseAddSpec.hs
index f1e1c5e..01a9e80 100644
--- a/test/Language/Docker/ParseAddSpec.hs
+++ b/test/Language/Docker/ParseAddSpec.hs
@@ -30,6 +30,14 @@ spec = do
                 )
                 def
             ]
+    it "ADD with a line continuation and no space before the backslash" $
+      let file = Text.unlines ["ADD foo.json\\", "  /root/foo.json"]
+       in assertAst
+            file
+            [ Add
+                ( AddArgs [ SourcePath "foo.json" ] ( TargetPath "/root/foo.json" ) )
+                def
+            ]
     it "list of quoted files" $
       let file = Text.unlines ["ADD [\"foo\", \"bar\", \"baz\", \"/app\"]"]
        in assertAst
diff --git a/test/Language/Docker/ParseCopySpec.hs b/test/Language/Docker/ParseCopySpec.hs
index 25aeb49..609fbfe 100644
--- a/test/Language/Docker/ParseCopySpec.hs
+++ b/test/Language/Docker/ParseCopySpec.hs
@@ -33,6 +33,29 @@ spec = do
                 )
                 def
             ]
+    it "COPY with a line continuation and no space before the backslash" $
+      let file = Text.unlines ["COPY foo.json\\", "  /root/foo.json"]
+       in assertAst
+            file
+            [ Copy
+                ( CopyArgs [ SourcePath "foo.json" ] ( TargetPath "/root/foo.json" ) )
+                def
+            ]
+    it "multifiles COPY with a line continuation and no space before the backslash" $
+      let file = Text.unlines ["COPY foo bar\\", "  baz /app"]
+       in assertAst
+            file
+            [ Copy
+                ( CopyArgs
+                    (fmap SourcePath ["foo", "bar", "baz"])
+                    (TargetPath "/app")
+                )
+                def
+            ]
+    it "COPY with a line continuation that is not followed by whitespace" $
+      -- Docker joins these two lines without inserting a space, which leaves
+      -- COPY with a single argument.
+      expectFail (Text.unlines ["COPY foo.json\\", "/root/foo.json"])
     it "list of quoted files" $
       let file = Text.unlines ["COPY [\"foo\", \"bar\", \"baz\", \"/app\"]"]
        in assertAst