diff --git a/lisp/progmodes/elisp-mode.el b/lisp/progmodes/elisp-mode.el
index 7ed2d3d08c..e91d81de6d 100644
--- a/lisp/progmodes/elisp-mode.el
+++ b/lisp/progmodes/elisp-mode.el
@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@ 'emacs-lisp-mode-abbrev-table
 
 (defvar emacs-lisp-mode-syntax-table
   (let ((table (make-syntax-table lisp-data-mode-syntax-table)))
+    (modify-syntax-entry ?r "_ p" table)
     ;; These are redundant, now.
     ;;(modify-syntax-entry ?\[ "(]  " table)
     ;;(modify-syntax-entry ?\] ")[  " table)
diff --git a/src/lread.c b/src/lread.c
index a6c2db5d99..8222c17d0b 100644
--- a/src/lread.c
+++ b/src/lread.c
@@ -2970,10 +2970,11 @@ read1 (Lisp_Object readcharfun, int *pch, bool first_in_list)
   bool multibyte;
   char stackbuf[stackbufsize];
   current_thread->stack_top = stackbuf;
-
+  bool raw_literal = false;
   *pch = 0;
 
  retry:
+  raw_literal = false;
 
   c = READCHAR_REPORT_MULTIBYTE (&multibyte);
   if (c < 0)
@@ -3564,7 +3565,23 @@ read1 (Lisp_Object readcharfun, int *pch, bool first_in_list)
 
 	invalid_syntax ("?", readcharfun);
       }
-
+      /* "raw" string literal syntax, a la Python; "raw" literals do
+	 not process escapes except for \" */
+    case 'r':
+      {
+	int next_ch;
+	next_ch = READCHAR;
+	if (next_ch == '\"')
+	  {
+	    raw_literal = true;
+	    /* fall through to string reading */
+	  }
+	else
+	  {
+	    UNREAD (next_ch);
+	    goto read_symbol;
+	  }
+      }
     case '"':
       {
 	ptrdiff_t count = SPECPDL_INDEX ();
@@ -3599,7 +3616,21 @@ read1 (Lisp_Object readcharfun, int *pch, bool first_in_list)
 	    if (ch == '\\')
 	      {
 		int modifiers;
-
+		if (raw_literal)
+		  {
+		    /* still have to handle backslash followed by
+		       double quote even in a raw literal */
+		    int next_ch = READCHAR;
+		    if (next_ch == '\"')
+		      {
+			ch = next_ch;
+		      }
+		    else
+		      {
+			UNREAD(next_ch);
+		      }
+		    goto read_normal_char;
+		  }
 		ch = read_escape (readcharfun, 1);
 
 		/* CH is -1 if \ newline or \ space has just been seen.  */
@@ -3653,6 +3684,7 @@ read1 (Lisp_Object readcharfun, int *pch, bool first_in_list)
 	      }
 	    else
 	      {
+	      read_normal_char:
 		p += CHAR_STRING (ch, (unsigned char *) p);
 		if (CHAR_BYTE8_P (ch))
 		  force_singlebyte = true;
diff --git a/test/src/lread-tests.el b/test/src/lread-tests.el
index dac8f95bc4..964f3da91b 100644
--- a/test/src/lread-tests.el
+++ b/test/src/lread-tests.el
@@ -262,5 +262,15 @@ lread-float
   (should (equal (read "-0.e-5") -0.0))
   )
 
+(ert-deftest lread-string-raw-syntax ()
+  ;; syntax r"a\bc" => string composed of ?a, ?\\, ?b, ?c
+  (should (equal (read "r\"a\\bc\"") "a\\bc"))
+  ;; syntax "a\bc" => string composed of ?a, ?\b, ?c 
+  (should (equal (read "\"a\\bc\"") "a\C-hc"))
+  ;; syntax r"a\"b\"a" => string composed of ?a, ?\", ?b, ?\", ?a
+  (should (equal (read "r\"a\\\"b\\\"a\"") "a\"b\"a"))
+  ;; syntax r"a\\b" => string composed of ?a, ?\\, ?\\, ?b
+  (should (equal (read "r\"a\\\\b\"") "a\\\\b"))
+  )
 
 ;;; lread-tests.el ends here