diff --git a/include/mpsp.h b/include/mpsp.h
index e2335477b..794480167 100644
--- a/include/mpsp.h
+++ b/include/mpsp.h
@@ -41,6 +41,6 @@ void  sp_stretch_root (hcstat_table_t *in, hcstat_table_t *out);
 int   mask_ctx_init (mask_ctx_t *mask_ctx, const user_options_t *user_options, const user_options_extra_t *user_options_extra, const folder_config_t *folder_config, const restore_ctx_t *restore_ctx, const hashconfig_t *hashconfig);
 void  mask_ctx_destroy (mask_ctx_t *mask_ctx);
 
-void  mask_ctx_parse_maskfile (mask_ctx_t *mask_ctx, user_options_t *user_options, const hashconfig_t *hashconfig);
+int   mask_ctx_parse_maskfile (mask_ctx_t *mask_ctx, user_options_t *user_options, const hashconfig_t *hashconfig);
 
 #endif // _MPSP_H
diff --git a/include/types.h b/include/types.h
index 2f33fe89e..12499cfc2 100644
--- a/include/types.h
+++ b/include/types.h
@@ -817,6 +817,13 @@ typedef struct
 
 } cs_t;
 
+typedef struct
+{
+  char mf_buf[0x100];
+  int  mf_len;
+
+} mf_t;
+
 typedef struct
 {
   u32  key;
@@ -1172,6 +1179,8 @@ typedef struct
 
   char *mask;
 
+  mf_t  *mfs;
+
 } mask_ctx_t;
 
 typedef struct
diff --git a/src/hashcat.c b/src/hashcat.c
index 73d940806..921ae3c5e 100644
--- a/src/hashcat.c
+++ b/src/hashcat.c
@@ -283,11 +283,13 @@ static int inner1_loop (user_options_t *user_options, user_options_extra_t *user
     {
       // nothing yet
     }
-    if ((user_options->attack_mode == ATTACK_MODE_HYBRID1) || (user_options->attack_mode == ATTACK_MODE_HYBRID2))
+    else if ((user_options->attack_mode == ATTACK_MODE_HYBRID1) || (user_options->attack_mode == ATTACK_MODE_HYBRID2))
     {
       mask_ctx->mask = mask_ctx->masks[mask_ctx->masks_pos];
 
-      mask_ctx_parse_maskfile (mask_ctx, user_options, hashconfig);
+      const int rc_mask_file = mask_ctx_parse_maskfile (mask_ctx, user_options, hashconfig);
+
+      if (rc_mask_file == -1) return -1;
 
       mask_ctx->css_buf = mp_gen_css (mask_ctx->mask, strlen (mask_ctx->mask), mask_ctx->mp_sys, mask_ctx->mp_usr, &mask_ctx->css_cnt, hashconfig, user_options);
 
@@ -312,7 +314,9 @@ static int inner1_loop (user_options_t *user_options, user_options_extra_t *user
   {
     mask_ctx->mask = mask_ctx->masks[mask_ctx->masks_pos];
 
-    mask_ctx_parse_maskfile (mask_ctx, user_options, hashconfig);
+    const int rc_mask_file = mask_ctx_parse_maskfile (mask_ctx, user_options, hashconfig);
+
+    if (rc_mask_file == -1) return -1;
 
     if (user_options->attack_mode == ATTACK_MODE_BF) // always true
     {
diff --git a/src/mpsp.c b/src/mpsp.c
index d1075a385..103c5bfa6 100644
--- a/src/mpsp.c
+++ b/src/mpsp.c
@@ -16,6 +16,8 @@
 #include "interface.h"
 #include "mpsp.h"
 
+#define MAX_MFS 5 // 4*charset, 1*mask
+
 void mp_css_to_uniq_tbl (uint css_cnt, cs_t *css, uint uniq_tbls[SP_PW_MAX][CHARSIZ])
 {
   /* generates a lookup table where key is the char itself for fastest possible lookup performance */
@@ -881,6 +883,8 @@ int mask_ctx_init (mask_ctx_t *mask_ctx, const user_options_t *user_options, con
   mask_ctx->masks_pos = 0;
   mask_ctx->masks_cnt = 0;
 
+  mask_ctx->mfs = (mf_t *) mycalloc (MAX_MFS, sizeof (mf_t));
+
   mp_setup_sys (mask_ctx->mp_sys);
 
   if (user_options->custom_charset_1) mp_setup_usr (mask_ctx->mp_sys, mask_ctx->mp_usr, user_options->custom_charset_1, 0, hashconfig, user_options);
@@ -1110,112 +1114,108 @@ void mask_ctx_destroy (mask_ctx_t *mask_ctx)
 
   myfree (mask_ctx->masks);
 
+  myfree (mask_ctx->mfs);
+
   myfree (mask_ctx);
 }
 
-void mask_ctx_parse_maskfile (mask_ctx_t *mask_ctx, user_options_t *user_options, const hashconfig_t *hashconfig)
+int mask_ctx_parse_maskfile (mask_ctx_t *mask_ctx, user_options_t *user_options, const hashconfig_t *hashconfig)
 {
-  if (mask_ctx->enabled == false) return;
+  if (mask_ctx->enabled == false) return 0;
 
-  if (mask_ctx->mask_from_file == false) return;
+  if (mask_ctx->mask_from_file == false) return 0;
 
-  if (mask_ctx->mask[0] == '\\' && mask_ctx->mask[1] == '#') mask_ctx->mask++; // escaped comment sign (sharp) "\#"
+  mf_t *mfs = mask_ctx->mfs;
 
-  char *str_ptr;
-  uint  str_pos;
+  mfs[0].mf_len = 0;
+  mfs[1].mf_len = 0;
+  mfs[2].mf_len = 0;
+  mfs[3].mf_len = 0;
+  mfs[4].mf_len = 0;
 
-  uint mask_offset = 0;
+  char *mask_buf = mask_ctx->mask;
 
-  uint separator_cnt;
+  const int mask_len = strlen (mask_buf);
 
-  for (separator_cnt = 0; separator_cnt < 4; separator_cnt++)
+  bool escaped = false;
+
+  int mf_cnt = 0;
+
+  for (int i = 0; i < mask_len; i++)
   {
-    str_ptr = strstr (mask_ctx->mask + mask_offset, ",");
+    mf_t *mf = mfs + mf_cnt;
 
-    if (str_ptr == NULL) break;
-
-    str_pos = str_ptr - mask_ctx->mask;
-
-    // escaped separator, i.e. "\,"
-
-    if (str_pos > 0)
+    if (escaped == true)
     {
-      if (mask_ctx->mask[str_pos - 1] == '\\')
+      escaped = false;
+
+      mf->mf_buf[mf->mf_len] = mask_buf[i];
+
+      mf->mf_len++;
+    }
+    else
+    {
+      if (mask_buf[i] == '\\')
       {
-        separator_cnt--;
+        escaped = true;
+      }
+      else if (mask_buf[i] == ',')
+      {
+        mf->mf_buf[mf->mf_len] = 0;
 
-        mask_offset = str_pos + 1;
+        mf_cnt++;
 
-        continue;
+        if (mf_cnt >= MAX_MFS)
+        {
+          log_error ("ERROR: Invalid line '%s' in maskfile", mask_buf);
+
+          return -1;
+        }
+      }
+      else
+      {
+        mf->mf_buf[mf->mf_len] = mask_buf[i];
+
+        mf->mf_len++;
       }
     }
+  }
 
-    // reset the offset
+  mf_t *mf = mfs + mf_cnt;
 
-    mask_offset = 0;
+  mf->mf_buf[mf->mf_len] = 0;
 
-    mask_ctx->mask[str_pos] = 0;
-
-    switch (separator_cnt)
+  for (int i = 0; i < mf_cnt; i++)
+  {
+    switch (i)
     {
       case 0:
-        user_options->custom_charset_1 = mask_ctx->mask;
+        user_options->custom_charset_1 = mfs[0].mf_buf;
         mp_reset_usr (mask_ctx->mp_usr, 0);
         mp_setup_usr (mask_ctx->mp_sys, mask_ctx->mp_usr, user_options->custom_charset_1, 0, hashconfig, user_options);
         break;
 
       case 1:
-        user_options->custom_charset_2 = mask_ctx->mask;
+        user_options->custom_charset_2 = mfs[1].mf_buf;
         mp_reset_usr (mask_ctx->mp_usr, 1);
         mp_setup_usr (mask_ctx->mp_sys, mask_ctx->mp_usr, user_options->custom_charset_2, 1, hashconfig, user_options);
         break;
 
       case 2:
-        user_options->custom_charset_3 = mask_ctx->mask;
+        user_options->custom_charset_3 = mfs[2].mf_buf;
         mp_reset_usr (mask_ctx->mp_usr, 2);
         mp_setup_usr (mask_ctx->mp_sys, mask_ctx->mp_usr, user_options->custom_charset_3, 2, hashconfig, user_options);
         break;
 
       case 3:
-        user_options->custom_charset_4 = mask_ctx->mask;
+        user_options->custom_charset_4 = mfs[3].mf_buf;
         mp_reset_usr (mask_ctx->mp_usr, 3);
         mp_setup_usr (mask_ctx->mp_sys, mask_ctx->mp_usr, user_options->custom_charset_4, 3, hashconfig, user_options);
         break;
     }
-
-    mask_ctx->mask += str_pos + 1;
   }
 
-  /**
-   * What follows is a very special case where "\," is within the mask field of a line in a .hcmask file only because otherwise (without the "\")
-   * it would be interpreted as a custom charset definition.
-   *
-   * We need to replace all "\," with just "," within the mask (but allow the special case "\\," which means "\" followed by ",")
-   * Note: "\\" is not needed to replace all "\" within the mask! The meaning of "\\" within a line containing the string "\\," is just to allow "\" followed by ","
-   */
+  mask_ctx->mask = mfs[mf_cnt].mf_buf;
 
-  if (separator_cnt == 0) return;
-
-  uint mask_len_cur = strlen (mask_ctx->mask);
-
-  uint mask_out_pos = 0;
-
-  char mask_prev = 0;
-
-  for (uint mask_iter = 0; mask_iter < mask_len_cur; mask_iter++, mask_out_pos++)
-  {
-    if (mask_ctx->mask[mask_iter] == ',')
-    {
-      if (mask_prev == '\\')
-      {
-        mask_out_pos -= 1; // this means: skip the previous "\"
-      }
-    }
-
-    mask_prev = mask_ctx->mask[mask_iter];
-
-    mask_ctx->mask[mask_out_pos] = mask_ctx->mask[mask_iter];
-  }
-
-  mask_ctx->mask[mask_out_pos] = 0;
+  return 0;
 }