diff --git a/main-command/src/main/scala/sbt/BasicCommands.scala b/main-command/src/main/scala/sbt/BasicCommands.scala
index f5432333e..daea8ed99 100644
--- a/main-command/src/main/scala/sbt/BasicCommands.scala
+++ b/main-command/src/main/scala/sbt/BasicCommands.scala
@@ -163,7 +163,7 @@ object BasicCommands {
     )
     def commandParser = state.map(s => (s.combinedParser & cmdPart) | cmdPart).getOrElse(cmdPart)
     val part = semi.flatMap(_ => matched(commandParser) <~ token(OptSpace)).map(_.trim)
-    (cmdPart.? ~ part.+).map {
+    (cmdPart.? ~ part.+ <~ semi.?).map {
       case (Some(h), t) => h.mkString.trim +: t.toList
       case (_, t)       => t.toList
     }
diff --git a/main-command/src/test/scala/sbt/MultiParserSpec.scala b/main-command/src/test/scala/sbt/MultiParserSpec.scala
index ec18b1c58..106490cbd 100644
--- a/main-command/src/test/scala/sbt/MultiParserSpec.scala
+++ b/main-command/src/test/scala/sbt/MultiParserSpec.scala
@@ -61,5 +61,10 @@ class MultiParserSpec extends FlatSpec with Matchers {
     "foo bar baz".parseEither shouldBe Left("Expected ';'\nfoo bar baz\n           ^")
     "foo bar baz;".parseEither shouldBe
       Left("Expected not ';'\nExpected '\"'\nfoo bar baz;\n            ^")
+    "foo;".parseEither shouldBe Left("Expected not ';'\nExpected '\"'\nfoo;\n    ^")
+  }
+  it should "parse commands with trailing semi-colon" in {
+    "foo;bar;".parse shouldBe Seq("foo", "bar")
+    "foo;   bar    ;".parse shouldBe Seq("foo", "bar")
   }
 }
diff --git a/sbt/src/sbt-test/watch/watch-parser/test b/sbt/src/sbt-test/watch/watch-parser/test
index 63a58eb8a..4d5358af7 100644
--- a/sbt/src/sbt-test/watch/watch-parser/test
+++ b/sbt/src/sbt-test/watch/watch-parser/test
@@ -17,5 +17,5 @@
 
 # All of the other tests have involved input tasks, so include commands with regular tasks as well.
 > ~; compile; setStringValue baz; checkStringValue baz
-# No trailing semicolons are allowed
--> ~; compile; setStringValue baz; checkStringValue baz;
+# Ensure that trailing semi colons work
+> ~ compile; setStringValue baz; checkStringValue baz;