diff --git a/doc/src/sgml/ref/pgbench.sgml b/doc/src/sgml/ref/pgbench.sgml
index 3fb29f8..eb0e8ac 100644
--- a/doc/src/sgml/ref/pgbench.sgml
+++ b/doc/src/sgml/ref/pgbench.sgml
@@ -810,6 +810,7 @@ pgbench <optional> <replaceable>options</> </optional> <replaceable>dbname</>
   <para>
    Script file meta commands begin with a backslash (<literal>\</>) and
    extend to the end of the line.
+   They can spread over several lines with backslash-return continuations.
    Arguments to a meta command are separated by white space.
    These meta commands are supported:
   </para>
@@ -838,7 +839,8 @@ pgbench <optional> <replaceable>options</> </optional> <replaceable>dbname</>
       Examples:
 <programlisting>
 \set ntellers 10 * :scale
-\set aid (1021 * random(1, 100000 * :scale)) % (100000 * :scale) + 1
+\set aid (1021 * random(1, 100000 * :scale)) % \
+           (100000 * :scale) + 1
 </programlisting></para>
     </listitem>
    </varlistentry>
diff --git a/src/bin/pgbench/exprscan.l b/src/bin/pgbench/exprscan.l
index 9a3be3d..ec58ae3 100644
--- a/src/bin/pgbench/exprscan.l
+++ b/src/bin/pgbench/exprscan.l
@@ -65,6 +65,7 @@ alnum			[a-zA-Z0-9_]
 space			[ \t\r\f\v]
 nonspace		[^ \t\r\f\v\n]
 newline			[\n]
+continuation	\\{newline}
 
 /* Exclusive states */
 %x EXPR
@@ -90,6 +91,11 @@ newline			[\n]
 
 	/* INITIAL state */
 
+{nonspace}+{continuation}		{
+					/* Found "word\\\n", just emit word and return it */
+					psqlscan_emit(cur_state, yytext, yyleng-2);
+					return 1;
+				}
 {nonspace}+		{
 					/* Found a word, emit and return it */
 					psqlscan_emit(cur_state, yytext, yyleng);
@@ -104,6 +110,8 @@ newline			[\n]
 					return 0;
 				}
 
+{continuation}	{ /* ignore */ }
+
 	/* EXPR state */
 
 <EXPR>{
@@ -138,6 +146,8 @@ newline			[\n]
 					return FUNCTION;
 				}
 
+{continuation}	{ /* ignore */ }
+
 {newline}		{
 					/* report end of command */
 					last_was_newline = true;