diff --git a/lib/yard/cli/yardopts_command.rb b/lib/yard/cli/yardopts_command.rb
index b86497e85..8e5ae8729 100644
--- a/lib/yard/cli/yardopts_command.rb
+++ b/lib/yard/cli/yardopts_command.rb
@@ -65,11 +65,14 @@ def yardopts_options(opts)
 
       private
 
-      # Parses the .yardopts file for default yard options
+      # Parses the .yardopts file for default yard options,
+      # ignoring comment lines beginning with // or #
       # @return [Array<String>] an array of options parsed from .yardopts
       def yardopts(file = options_file)
         return [] unless use_yardopts_file
-        File.read_binary(file).shell_split
+        contents = File.read_binary(file)
+        opts = contents.gsub(%r{(#|//).*\n?}, "")
+        opts.shell_split
       rescue Errno::ENOENT
         []
       end
diff --git a/spec/cli/yardoc_spec.rb b/spec/cli/yardoc_spec.rb
index 5430cef32..f4e017a67 100644
--- a/spec/cli/yardoc_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/cli/yardoc_spec.rb
@@ -510,10 +510,23 @@ def foo; end
       optsdata = String.new("foo bar")
       expect(optsdata).to receive(:shell_split)
       expect(File).to receive(:read_binary).with("test").and_return(optsdata)
+      allow(optsdata).to receive(:gsub).and_return(optsdata)
       @yardoc.options_file = "test"
       @yardoc.run
     end
 
+    it "ignores .yardopts tokens that are comments" do
+      optsdata = String.new("--one-file --locale es # --locale en\n// --title not_my_title")
+      expect(File).to receive(:read_binary).with("test").and_return(optsdata)
+      @yardoc.options_file = "test"
+      @yardoc.run
+
+      expect(@yardoc.options.onefile).to be_truthy
+      expect(@yardoc.options.locale).to eq('es')
+      expect(@yardoc.options.title).not_to eq('not_my_title')
+      expect(@yardoc.options.serializer.options)
+    end
+
     it "allows opts specified in command line to override yardopts file" do
       expect(File).to receive(:read_binary).with(".yardopts").and_return("-o NOTMYPATH")
       @yardoc.run("-o", "MYPATH", "FILE")