--- src/config.cpp
+++ src/config.cpp
@@ -175,24 +175,26 @@
 		std::istringstream iss(line);
 		std::string id, eq, val;
 
-		bool error = false;
-
-		if (!(iss >> id)) {
-			continue;
-		} else if (id[0] == '#') {
+		iss >> id;
+		if (iss.fail()) {
 			continue;
 		} else if (id.empty()) {
 			continue;
-		} else if (!(iss >> eq >> val >> std::ws) || eq != "=" || iss.get() != EOF) {
-			error = true;
+		} else if (id[0] == '#') {
+			continue;
 		}
 
-		if (error) {
+		iss >> eq >> val;
+		// check that:
+		// 1) fail/bad bits aren't set
+		// 2) eq field is '='
+		// 3) that there are no trailing fields, after ignoring any trailing whitespace
+		if (iss.fail() || eq.compare("=") || !(iss >> std::ws).eof()) {
 			SDL_LogError(SDL_LOG_CATEGORY_ERROR, "Syntax error on line %d", lineno);
 			return false;
-		} else {
-			Config::options[id] = val;
 		}
+
+		Config::options[id] = val;
 	}
 	return true;
 }