diff --git a/pkg/reader/reader.go b/pkg/reader/reader.go
index d756c6b1..17229c99 100644
--- a/pkg/reader/reader.go
+++ b/pkg/reader/reader.go
@@ -937,6 +937,18 @@ func (r *Reader) readDispatch() (interface{}, error) {
 		return r.readExpr()
 	case '#':
 		return r.readSymbolicValue()
+	case '!':
+		// comment, discard until end of line
+		for {
+			rn, _, err := r.rs.ReadRune()
+			if err != nil {
+				return nil, r.error("error reading input: %w", err)
+			}
+			if rn == '\n' {
+				break
+			}
+		}
+		return r.readExpr()
 	default:
 		return nil, r.error("invalid dispatch character: %c", rn)
 	}
diff --git a/pkg/reader/testdata/clj-cache/read/7cf33476e7cff8b85c6eff7cd370f29253b2121045ac88f190714c42e61648b1.glj b/pkg/reader/testdata/clj-cache/read/7cf33476e7cff8b85c6eff7cd370f29253b2121045ac88f190714c42e61648b1.glj
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..6e84050b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/reader/testdata/clj-cache/read/7cf33476e7cff8b85c6eff7cd370f29253b2121045ac88f190714c42e61648b1.glj
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+true
+291
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/pkg/reader/testdata/clj-cache/read/9466e130e88346e09e754f11f5539093f6df5223fe9922c21323ebab98fd518b.glj b/pkg/reader/testdata/clj-cache/read/9466e130e88346e09e754f11f5539093f6df5223fe9922c21323ebab98fd518b.glj
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..902b0c76
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/reader/testdata/clj-cache/read/9466e130e88346e09e754f11f5539093f6df5223fe9922c21323ebab98fd518b.glj
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+true
+1.0E10
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/pkg/reader/testdata/clj-cache/read/bfd59979737de1a540673045c3adb336332c2c205d2c5fbaff6b1c7a9f3fc9ef.glj b/pkg/reader/testdata/clj-cache/read/bfd59979737de1a540673045c3adb336332c2c205d2c5fbaff6b1c7a9f3fc9ef.glj
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..a83a244d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/reader/testdata/clj-cache/read/bfd59979737de1a540673045c3adb336332c2c205d2c5fbaff6b1c7a9f3fc9ef.glj
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+true
+42
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/pkg/reader/testdata/clj-cache/read/c00e2650a826a4886c2bab00b70f6f3a00f8e1590c8cadc560ef493c3562028c.glj b/pkg/reader/testdata/clj-cache/read/c00e2650a826a4886c2bab00b70f6f3a00f8e1590c8cadc560ef493c3562028c.glj
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..8dc67fe3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/reader/testdata/clj-cache/read/c00e2650a826a4886c2bab00b70f6f3a00f8e1590c8cadc560ef493c3562028c.glj
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+true
+0M
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/pkg/reader/testdata/clj-equiv-cache/efe5931ea5c44cd13420973e881027e0261414ca43a4872137e3508ebff9ca58 b/pkg/reader/testdata/clj-equiv-cache/efe5931ea5c44cd13420973e881027e0261414ca43a4872137e3508ebff9ca58
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..27ba77dd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/reader/testdata/clj-equiv-cache/efe5931ea5c44cd13420973e881027e0261414ca43a4872137e3508ebff9ca58
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+true
diff --git a/pkg/reader/testdata/reader/shebang.glj b/pkg/reader/testdata/reader/shebang.glj
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..20f8373d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/reader/testdata/reader/shebang.glj
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+#! this is treated as a comment
+42
diff --git a/pkg/reader/testdata/reader/shebang.out b/pkg/reader/testdata/reader/shebang.out
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..d81cc071
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/reader/testdata/reader/shebang.out
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+42