diff --git a/module/ice-9/read.scm b/module/ice-9/read.scm
index 17215d8b1..a8dbd92f9 100644
--- a/module/ice-9/read.scm
+++ b/module/ice-9/read.scm
@@ -731,16 +731,18 @@
                     (read-neoteric ch)))))
 
   (define (read-directive)
-    (let ((ch (next)))
+    (define (directive-char? ch)
+      (and (char? ch)
+           (or (eqv? ch #\-)
+               (char-alphabetic? ch)
+               (char-numeric? ch))))
+    (let ((ch (peek)))
       (cond
-       ((eof-object? ch)
-        (error "unexpected end of input after #!"))
+       ((directive-char? ch)
+        (next)
+        (string->symbol (take-while ch directive-char?)))
        (else
-        (string->symbol
-         (take-while ch (lambda (ch)
-                          (or (eqv? ch #\-)
-                              (char-alphabetic? ch)
-                              (char-numeric? ch)))))))))
+        #f))))
 
   (define (skip-scsh-comment)
     (let lp ((ch (next)))
diff --git a/test-suite/tests/reader.test b/test-suite/tests/reader.test
index 535ff1c8f..fad531b39 100644
--- a/test-suite/tests/reader.test
+++ b/test-suite/tests/reader.test
@@ -184,7 +184,22 @@
                      (read-string "'(foo bar]"))
 
   (pass-if-exception "paren mismatch (4)" exception:mismatched-paren
-                     (read-string "'[foo bar)")))
+    (read-string "'[foo bar)"))
+
+  (pass-if-equal '(#f 1) (read-string "(#f1)"))
+  (pass-if-equal '(#f a) (read-string "(#fa)"))
+  (pass-if-equal '(#f a) (read-string "(#Fa)"))
+  (pass-if-equal '(#t 1) (read-string "(#t1)"))
+  (pass-if-equal '(#t r) (read-string "(#tr)"))
+  (pass-if-equal '(#t r) (read-string "(#Tr)"))
+  (pass-if-equal '(#t) (read-string "(#TrUe)"))
+  (pass-if-equal '(#t) (read-string "(#TRUE)"))
+  (pass-if-equal '(#t) (read-string "(#true)"))
+  (pass-if-equal '(#f) (read-string "(#false)"))
+  (pass-if-equal '(#f) (read-string "(#FALSE)"))
+  (pass-if-equal '(#f) (read-string "(#FaLsE)"))
+
+  (pass-if (eof-object? (read-string "#!!#"))))