diff --git a/fhiclcpp/extended_value.h b/fhiclcpp/extended_value.h
index 484038d..a974c19 100644
--- a/fhiclcpp/extended_value.h
+++ b/fhiclcpp/extended_value.h
@@ -11,10 +11,12 @@
 #include "fhiclcpp/Protection.h"
 #include "fhiclcpp/fwd.h"
 #include "stdmap_shims.h"
+#include "fhiclcpp/exception.h"
 
 #include <map>
 #include <string>
 #include <vector>
+#include <utility>
 
 // ----------------------------------------------------------------------
 
@@ -24,8 +26,66 @@ namespace fhicl {
   };
 }
 
+namespace fhicl {
+namespace detail {
+using fhicl::exception;
+using fhicl::error;
+
+auto unwrap_value = [](auto value) {
+  try {
+    return boost::any_cast<std::pair<boost::any, std::string>>(value).first;
+  } catch (const boost::bad_any_cast &) {
+    return value;
+  }
+};
+
+auto unwrap_raw_value = [](auto value) {
+  try {
+    return boost::any_cast<std::pair<boost::any, std::string>>(value).second;
+  } catch (const boost::bad_any_cast &) {
+    return std::string{};
+  }
+};
+
+auto rtrim_whitespace = [](auto const &str) {
+  constexpr auto double_quote = '\"';
+  constexpr auto double_slashes = "//";
+  constexpr auto space_char=' ';
+  constexpr auto skip_chars = "# \n\r\t";
+
+  if(str.empty())
+    return str;
+   
+  if (str[0] == double_quote) {
+    std::size_t pos = str.find(double_quote, 1);
+
+    if (pos == std::string::npos)
+      throw exception(cant_find, "missing a double quote in str=" + str);
+
+    return str.substr(0, pos + 1);
+  }
+
+  std::size_t pos = str.find(double_slashes);
+
+  if (pos == std::string::npos) {
+    pos = str.find_first_of(skip_chars);
+
+    if (pos == std::string::npos)
+      return  str;
+  }
+
+  while(str[--pos]==space_char && pos!=0);
+
+  return str.substr(0, pos+1);
+};
+
+auto wrap_value = [](auto value, auto raw_value) {
+  return std::make_pair(value, rtrim_whitespace(raw_value));
+};
+} // namespace detail
+} // namespace fhicl
+  
 // ----------------------------------------------------------------------
-
 class fhicl::extended_value
 {
 public:
@@ -38,6 +98,7 @@ public:
     : in_prolog( false )
     , tag      ( UNKNOWN )
     , value    ()
+    , raw_value()    
     , src_info ()
     , protection (Protection::NONE)
   { }
@@ -49,9 +110,10 @@ public:
                  std::string const& src = {})
     : in_prolog( in_prolog )
     , tag      ( tag )
-    , value    ( value )
+    , value    ( fhicl::detail::unwrap_value(value))
+    , raw_value( fhicl::detail::unwrap_raw_value(value))
     , src_info ( src )
-    , protection (protection)
+    , protection (protection)    
   { }
 
   extended_value(bool       in_prolog,
@@ -60,7 +122,8 @@ public:
                  std::string const& src = {})
     : in_prolog( in_prolog )
     , tag      ( tag )
-    , value    ( value )
+    , value    ( fhicl::detail::unwrap_value(value))
+    , raw_value( fhicl::detail::unwrap_raw_value(value))
     , src_info ( src )
     , protection (Protection::NONE)
   { }
@@ -97,6 +160,7 @@ public:
   bool       in_prolog;
   value_tag  tag;
   boost::any value;
+  std::string raw_value;  
   std::string src_info;
   Protection protection;
 
diff --git a/fhiclcpp/parse.cc b/fhiclcpp/parse.cc
index 10a400e..1ea91e4 100644
--- a/fhiclcpp/parse.cc
+++ b/fhiclcpp/parse.cc
@@ -194,11 +194,13 @@ namespace {
   xvalue_dp(bool b,
             value_tag t,
             boost::any v,
-            FwdIter pos,
+            FwdIter first,
+	    FwdIter last,
             cet::includer const & s)
   {
-    std::string const src_info = s.src_whereis(pos);
-    return extended_value(b, t, v, src_info);
+    std::string const src_info = s.src_whereis(first);
+    boost::any wv= fhicl::detail::wrap_value(v,std::string(first,last));
+    return extended_value(b, t,wv,src_info);
   }
 
   complex_t
@@ -536,7 +538,7 @@ struct fhicl::value_parser
   value_parser();
 
   // data member:
-  extended_value  v;
+  extended_value    v;
 
   // parser rules:
   atom_token      nil, boolean;
@@ -731,23 +733,23 @@ fhicl::document_parser<FwdIter, Skip>::document_parser(cet::includer const & s)
 #pragma clang diagnostic ignored "-Wunsequenced"
 #endif
   value =
-    ((iter_pos >> vp.nil    ) [ _val = phx::bind(&xvalue_dp<iter_t>, ref(in_prolog), NIL     , qi::_2, qi::_1, ref(s)) ] |
-     (iter_pos >> vp.boolean) [ _val = phx::bind(&xvalue_dp<iter_t>, ref(in_prolog), BOOL    , qi::_2, qi::_1, ref(s)) ] |
-     (iter_pos >> vp.number ) [ _val = phx::bind(&xvalue_dp<iter_t>, ref(in_prolog), NUMBER  , qi::_2, qi::_1, ref(s)) ] |
-     (iter_pos >> vp.complex) [ _val = phx::bind(&xvalue_dp<iter_t>, ref(in_prolog), COMPLEX , qi::_2, qi::_1, ref(s)) ] |
-     (iter_pos >> vp.string ) [ _val = phx::bind(&xvalue_dp<iter_t>, ref(in_prolog), STRING  , qi::_2, qi::_1, ref(s)) ] |
+    ((iter_pos >> vp.nil >> iter_pos) [ _val = phx::bind(&xvalue_dp<iter_t>, ref(in_prolog), NIL     , qi::_2, qi::_1, qi::_3, ref(s)) ] |
+     (iter_pos >> vp.boolean >> iter_pos) [ _val = phx::bind(&xvalue_dp<iter_t>, ref(in_prolog), BOOL    , qi::_2, qi::_1, qi::_3, ref(s)) ] |
+     (iter_pos >> vp.number >> iter_pos) [ _val = phx::bind(&xvalue_dp<iter_t>, ref(in_prolog), NUMBER  , qi::_2, qi::_1, qi::_3, ref(s)) ] |
+     (iter_pos >> vp.complex >> iter_pos) [ _val = phx::bind(&xvalue_dp<iter_t>, ref(in_prolog), COMPLEX , qi::_2, qi::_1, qi::_3, ref(s)) ] |
+     (iter_pos >> vp.string >> iter_pos) [ _val = phx::bind(&xvalue_dp<iter_t>, ref(in_prolog), STRING  , qi::_2, qi::_1, qi::_3, ref(s)) ] |
      (iter_pos >> localref)
-     [ _val = phx::bind(&local_lookup<iter_t>,
-                        qi::_2, ref(tbl), ref(in_prolog),
-                        qi::_1, ref(s)) ] |
-     (iter_pos >> dbref)
-     [ _val = phx::bind(&database_lookup<iter_t>,
-                        qi::_2, ref(tbl), ref(in_prolog),
-                        qi::_1, ref(s)) ] |
-     (iter_pos >> vp.id    ) [ _val = phx::bind(&xvalue_dp<iter_t>, ref(in_prolog), TABLEID , qi::_2, qi::_1, ref(s)) ] |
-     (iter_pos >> sequence ) [ _val = phx::bind(&xvalue_dp<iter_t>, ref(in_prolog), SEQUENCE, qi::_2, qi::_1, ref(s)) ] |
-     (iter_pos >> table    ) [ _val = phx::bind(&xvalue_dp<iter_t>, ref(in_prolog), TABLE   , qi::_2, qi::_1, ref(s)) ] |
-     (iter_pos >> vp.catchall ) [ _val = phx::bind(&xvalue_dp<iter_t>, ref(in_prolog), STRING  , qi::_2, qi::_1, ref(s)) ]
+	[ _val = phx::bind(&local_lookup<iter_t>,
+			    qi::_2, ref(tbl), ref(in_prolog),
+			    qi::_1, ref(s)) ] |
+     (iter_pos >> dbref )
+	[ _val = phx::bind(&database_lookup<iter_t>,
+			    qi::_2, ref(tbl), ref(in_prolog),
+			    qi::_1, ref(s)) ] |
+     (iter_pos >> vp.id  >> iter_pos) [ _val = phx::bind(&xvalue_dp<iter_t>, ref(in_prolog), TABLEID , qi::_2, qi::_1, qi::_3, ref(s)) ] |
+     (iter_pos >> sequence >> iter_pos) [ _val = phx::bind(&xvalue_dp<iter_t>, ref(in_prolog), SEQUENCE, qi::_2, qi::_1, qi::_3, ref(s)) ] |
+     (iter_pos >> table  >>iter_pos) [ _val = phx::bind(&xvalue_dp<iter_t>, ref(in_prolog), TABLE   , qi::_2, qi::_1, qi::_3, ref(s)) ] |
+     (iter_pos >> vp.catchall >> iter_pos) [ _val = phx::bind(&xvalue_dp<iter_t>, ref(in_prolog), STRING  , qi::_2, qi::_1, qi::_3, ref(s)) ]
     );
 #ifdef __clang__
 #pragma clang diagnostic pop