diff --git a/src/frontend/inp.c b/src/frontend/inp.c
index f9adf3fde..917695d7f 100644
--- a/src/frontend/inp.c
+++ b/src/frontend/inp.c
@@ -555,8 +555,8 @@ inp_spsource(FILE *fp, bool comfile, char *filename)
                     *s='*';
                     s = dd->li_line + 8;
                     while ( isspace(*s) ) s++;
-                    cstoken[0]=gettok_char(&s, '=', FALSE);                   
-                    cstoken[1]=gettok_char(&s, '=', TRUE);
+                    cstoken[0]=gettok_char(&s, '=', FALSE, FALSE);
+                    cstoken[1]=gettok_char(&s, '=', TRUE, FALSE);
                     cstoken[2]=gettok(&s);
                     for (i=0; i<3;i++) {
                         wl_append_word(&wlist, &wl, cstoken[i]);
diff --git a/src/frontend/inpcom.c b/src/frontend/inpcom.c
index c192dc408..7277c7882 100644
--- a/src/frontend/inpcom.c
+++ b/src/frontend/inpcom.c
@@ -4032,8 +4032,8 @@ static void inp_compat(struct line *deck)
                         card->li_linenum_orig, card->li_line);
                     controlled_exit(EXIT_BAD);
                 }
-                str_ptr =  gettok_char(&cut_line, '{', FALSE);
-                expression = gettok_char(&cut_line, '}', TRUE); /* expression */
+                str_ptr =  gettok_char(&cut_line, '{', FALSE, FALSE);
+                expression = gettok_char(&cut_line, '}', TRUE, TRUE); /* expression */
                 if ((!expression) || (!str_ptr)) {
                     fprintf(stderr, "Error: bad sytax in line %d\n  %s\n",
                         card->li_linenum_orig, card->li_line);
@@ -4230,8 +4230,8 @@ static void inp_compat(struct line *deck)
                         card->li_linenum_orig, card->li_line);
                     controlled_exit(EXIT_BAD);
                 }
-                str_ptr =  gettok_char(&cut_line, '{', FALSE);
-                expression = gettok_char(&cut_line, '}', TRUE); /* expression */
+                str_ptr =  gettok_char(&cut_line, '{', FALSE, FALSE);
+                expression = gettok_char(&cut_line, '}', TRUE, TRUE); /* expression */
                 if ((!expression) || (!str_ptr)) {
                     fprintf(stderr, "Error: bad sytax in line %d\n  %s\n",
                         card->li_linenum_orig, card->li_line);
@@ -4413,7 +4413,7 @@ static void inp_compat(struct line *deck)
                 fprintf(stderr,"ERROR: mal formed R line: %s\n", curr_line);
                 controlled_exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
             }
-            equation = gettok_char(&str_ptr, '}', TRUE);
+            equation = gettok_char(&str_ptr, '}', TRUE, TRUE);
             str_ptr = strstr(cut_line, "tc1");
             if (str_ptr) {
                 /* We need to have 'tc1=something */
@@ -4505,7 +4505,7 @@ static void inp_compat(struct line *deck)
                 fprintf(stderr,"ERROR: mal formed C line: %s\n",curr_line);
                 controlled_exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
             }
-            equation = gettok_char(&str_ptr, '}', TRUE);
+            equation = gettok_char(&str_ptr, '}', TRUE, TRUE);
             str_ptr = strstr(cut_line, "tc1");
             if (str_ptr) {
                 /* We need to have 'tc1=something */
@@ -4618,7 +4618,7 @@ static void inp_compat(struct line *deck)
                 fprintf(stderr,"ERROR: mal formed L line: %s\n", curr_line);
                 controlled_exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
             }
-            equation = gettok_char(&str_ptr, '}', TRUE);
+            equation = gettok_char(&str_ptr, '}', TRUE, TRUE);
             str_ptr = strstr(cut_line, "tc1");
             if (str_ptr) {
                 /* We need to have 'tc1=something */
diff --git a/src/include/ngspice/stringutil.h b/src/include/ngspice/stringutil.h
index f03e34721..de09438c5 100644
--- a/src/include/ngspice/stringutil.h
+++ b/src/include/ngspice/stringutil.h
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ void strtoupper(char *str);
 char * stripWhiteSpacesInsideParens(char *str);
 char * gettok(char **s);
 char * gettok_instance(char **);
-char * gettok_char(char **s, char p, bool inc_p);
+char * gettok_char(char **s, char p, bool inc_p, bool nested);
 
 
 #ifdef CIDER
diff --git a/src/misc/string.c b/src/misc/string.c
index 08249dd47..c2ead4e8c 100644
--- a/src/misc/string.c
+++ b/src/misc/string.c
@@ -362,10 +362,12 @@ gettok_instance(char **s)
 
 /* get the next token starting at next non white spice, stopping
    at p, if inc_p is true, then including p, else excluding p,
-   return NULL if p is not found
+   return NULL if p is not found.
+   If '}', ']'  or ')' and nested is true, find corresponding p
+
 */
 char *
-gettok_char(char **s, char p, bool inc_p)
+gettok_char(char **s, char p, bool inc_p, bool nested)
 {
     char c;
     char *token ;				/* return token */
@@ -378,15 +380,38 @@ gettok_char(char **s, char p, bool inc_p)
         return (NULL);  /* return NULL if we come to end of line */
 
     spice_dstring_init(&buf) ;
-    while ((c = **s) != '\0' && 
-         ( **s != p )
-        )  {
-        spice_dstring_append_char( &buf, *(*s)++ ) ;
+    if (nested && (( p == '}' ) || ( p == ')' ) || ( p == ']'))) {
+        char q;
+        int count = 0;
+        /* find opening bracket */
+        if (( p == '}' ) || ( p == ']' )) q = p - 2;
+        else  q = p - 1;
+        /* add string in front of q, excluding q */
+        while ((c = **s) != '\0' && ( **s != q ))  {
+            spice_dstring_append_char( &buf, *(*s)++ ) ;
+        }
+        /* return if nested bracket found, excluding its character */
+        while ((c = **s) != '\0')  {
+            if (c == q) count++;
+            else if (c == p) count--;
+            if (count == 0) {
+                break;
+            }
+            spice_dstring_append_char( &buf, *(*s)++ ) ;
+        }
     }
+    else
+        /* just look for p and return string, excluding p */
+        while ((c = **s) != '\0' && ( **s != p ))  {
+            spice_dstring_append_char( &buf, *(*s)++ ) ;
+        }
+
     if (c == '\0')
         /* p not found */
         return (NULL);
+
     if (inc_p)
+        /* add p */
         spice_dstring_append_char( &buf, *(*s)++ ) ;
 
     /* Now iterate up to next non-whitespace char */