diff --git a/rc/core/comment.kak b/rc/core/comment.kak
index 994de24a..2b101db8 100644
--- a/rc/core/comment.kak
+++ b/rc/core/comment.kak
@@ -1,43 +1,52 @@
-## Line comments
+# Line comments
 declare-option -docstring "characters inserted at the beginning of a commented line" \
     str comment_line '#'
 
-## Block comments
-declare-option -docstring "colon separated tuple containing the characters inserted before/after a commented line" \
-    str-list comment_block
+# Block comments
+declare-option -docstring "characters inserted before a commented block" \
+    str comment_block_begin
+declare-option -docstring "characters inserted after a commented block" \
+    str comment_block_end
 
-## Default comments for all languages
+# Default comments for all languages
 hook global BufSetOption filetype=asciidoc %{
-    set-option buffer comment_block '///:///'
+    set-option buffer comment_block_begin '///'
+    set-option buffer comment_block_end '///'
 }
 
 hook global BufSetOption filetype=(c|cpp|go|java|javascript|objc|php|rust|sass|scala|scss|swift) %{
     set-option buffer comment_line '//'
-    set-option buffer comment_block '/*:*/'
+    set-option buffer comment_block_begin '/*'
+    set-option buffer comment_block_end '*/'
 }
 
 hook global BufSetOption filetype=(cabal|haskell|moon) %{
     set-option buffer comment_line '--'
-    set-option buffer comment_block '{-:-}'
+    set-option buffer comment_block_begin '{-'
+    set-option buffer comment_block_end '-}'
 }
 
 hook global BufSetOption filetype=clojure %{
     set-option buffer comment_line '#_ '
-    set-option buffer comment_block '(comment :)'
+    set-option buffer comment_block_begin '(comment '
+    set-option buffer comment_block_end ')'
 }
 
 hook global BufSetOption filetype=coffee %{
-    set-option buffer comment_block '###:###'
+    set-option buffer comment_block_begin '###'
+    set-option buffer comment_block_end '###'
 }
 
 hook global BufSetOption filetype=css %{
     set-option buffer comment_line ''
-    set-option buffer comment_block '/*:*/'
+    set-option buffer comment_block_begin '/*'
+    set-option buffer comment_block_end '*/'
 }
 
 hook global BufSetOption filetype=d %{
     set-option buffer comment_line '//'
-    set-option buffer comment_block '/+:+/'
+    set-option buffer comment_block_begin '/+'
+    set-option buffer comment_block_end '+/'
 }
 
 hook global BufSetOption filetype=(gas|ini) %{
@@ -50,7 +59,8 @@ hook global BufSetOption filetype=haml %{
 
 hook global BufSetOption filetype=html %{
     set-option buffer comment_line ''
-    set-option buffer comment_block '<!--:-->'
+    set-option buffer comment_block_begin '<lt>!--'
+    set-option buffer comment_block_end '-->'
 }
 
 hook global BufSetOption filetype=latex %{
@@ -59,102 +69,94 @@ hook global BufSetOption filetype=latex %{
 
 hook global BufSetOption filetype=lisp %{
     set-option buffer comment_line ';'
-    set-option buffer comment_block '#|:|#'
+    set-option buffer comment_block_begin '#|'
+    set-option buffer comment_block_end '|#'
 }
 
 hook global BufSetOption filetype=lua %{
     set-option buffer comment_line '--'
-    set-option buffer comment_block '--[[:]]'
+    set-option buffer comment_block_begin '--[['
+    set-option buffer comment_block_end ']]'
 }
 
 hook global BufSetOption filetype=markdown %{
     set-option buffer comment_line ''
-    set-option buffer comment_block '[//]: # (:)'
+    set-option buffer comment_block_begin '[//]'
+    set-option buffer comment_block_end '# (:)'
 }
 
 hook global BufSetOption filetype=perl %{
-    set-option buffer comment_block '#[:]'
+    set-option buffer comment_block_begin '#['
+    set-option buffer comment_block_end ']'
 }
 
 hook global BufSetOption filetype=pug %{
-    set buffer comment_line '//'
+    set-option buffer comment_line '//'
 }
 
 hook global BufSetOption filetype=python %{
-    set-option buffer comment_block "''':'''"
+    set-option buffer comment_block_begin "'''"
+    set-option buffer comment_block_end "'''"
 }
 
 hook global BufSetOption filetype=ragel %{
     set-option buffer comment_line '%%'
-    set-option buffer comment_block '%%{:}%%'
+    set-option buffer comment_block_begin '%%{'
+    set-option buffer comment_block_end '}%%'
 }
 
 hook global BufSetOption filetype=ruby %{
-    set-option buffer comment_block '^begin=:^=end'
+    set-option buffer comment_block_begin '^begin='
+    set-option buffer comment_block_end '^=end'
 }
 
-define-command comment-block -docstring '(un)comment selected lines using block comments' %{
+define-command comment-block -docstring '(un)comment selections using block comments' %{
     %sh{
-        exec_proof() {
-            ## Replace the '<' sign that is interpreted differently in `execute-keys`
-            printf %s\\n "$@" | sed 's,<,<lt>,g'
-        }
-
-        readonly opening=$(exec_proof "${kak_opt_comment_block%:*}")
-        readonly closing=$(exec_proof "${kak_opt_comment_block##*:}")
-
-        if [ -z "${opening}" ] || [ -z "${closing}" ]; then
-            echo "echo -debug 'The \`comment_block\` variable is empty, could not comment the selection'"
-            exit
+        if [ -z "${kak_opt_comment_block_begin}" ] || [ -z "${kak_opt_comment_block_end}" ]; then
+            echo "fail \"The 'comment_block' options are empty, could not comment the selection\""
         fi
+    }
+    evaluate-commands -draft %{
+        # Keep non-empty selections
+        execute-keys <a-K>\A\s*\z<ret>
 
-        printf %s\\n "evaluate-commands -draft %{ try %{
-            ## The selection is empty
-            execute-keys <a-K>\\A[\\h\\v\\n]*\\z<ret>
+        try %{
+            # Assert that the selection has not been commented
+            execute-keys "<a-K>\A\Q%opt{comment_block_begin}\E.*\Q%opt{comment_block_end}\E\n*\z<ret>"
 
-            try %{
-                ## The selection has already been commented
-                execute-keys %{<a-K>\\A\\Q${opening}\\E.*\\Q${closing}\\E\\n*\\z<ret>}
-
-                ## Comment the selection
-                execute-keys -draft %{a${closing}<esc>i${opening}}
-            } catch %{
-                ## Uncomment the commented selection
-                execute-keys -draft %{s(\\A\\Q${opening}\\E)|(\\Q${closing}\\E\\n*\\z)<ret>d}
-            }
-        } }"
+            # Comment the selection
+            execute-keys -draft "a%opt{comment_block_end}<esc>i%opt{comment_block_begin}"
+        } catch %{
+            # Uncomment the commented selection
+            execute-keys -draft "s(\A\Q%opt{comment_block_begin}\E)|(\Q%opt{comment_block_end}\E\n*\z)<ret>d"
+        }
     }
 }
 
 define-command comment-line -docstring '(un)comment selected lines using line comments' %{
     %sh{
-        readonly opening="${kak_opt_comment_line}"
-        readonly opening_escaped="\\Q${opening}\\E"
-
-        if [ -z "${opening}" ]; then
-            echo "echo -debug 'The \`comment_line\` variable is empty, could not comment the line'"
-            exit
+        if [ -z "${kak_opt_comment_line}" ]; then
+            echo "fail \"The 'comment_line' option is empty, could not comment the line\""
         fi
+    }
+    evaluate-commands -draft %{
+        # Select the content of the lines, without indentation
+        execute-keys <a-s>gi<a-l>
 
-        printf %s\\n "evaluate-commands -draft %{
-            ## Select the content of the lines, without indentation
-            execute-keys <a-s>I<esc><a-l>
+        try %{
+            # Keep non-empty lines
+            execute-keys <a-K>\A\s*\z<ret>
 
             try %{
-                ## There’s no text on the line
-                execute-keys <a-K>\\A[\\h\\v\\n]*\\z<ret>
+                # Assert that the line has not been commented
+                execute-keys "<a-K>\A\Q%opt{comment_line}\E<ret>"
 
-                try %{
-                    ## The line has already been commented
-                    execute-keys %{<a-K>\\A${opening_escaped}<ret>}
-
-                    ## Comment the line
-                    execute-keys -draft %{i${opening}}
-                } catch %{
-                    ## Uncomment the line
-                    execute-keys -draft %{s\\A${opening_escaped}\\h*<ret>d}
-                }
+                # Comment the line
+                execute-keys -draft "i%opt{comment_line}"
+            } catch %{
+                # Uncomment the line
+                execute-keys -draft "s\A\Q%opt{comment_line}\E\h*<ret>d"
             }
-        }"
+        }
     }
 }