diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index fb2810e..1568232 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -188,14 +188,17 @@ You can activate it by adding it as a feature like this:
 configparser = { version = "3.2.0", features = ["tokio"] }
 ```
 
-## Override Defaults 
+## Override Options
 
-You can change the default configuration options like this. See the API for more verbose documentation.
+You can change the default configuration options like this.
+See the API for more verbose documentation.
 
 ```
-let mut default = IniDefault::default();
-default.multiline = true;
-let mut config = Ini::new_from_defaults(default);
+let mut parser_options = IniDefault::default();
+parser_options.multiline = true;
+parser_options.enable_inline_comments = false;
+
+let mut config = Ini::new_from_defaults(parser_options);
 ```
 
 ## 📜 License
@@ -224,7 +227,7 @@ Old changelogs are visible in the commit history.
   - Adds support for multi-line key-value pairs.
   - Adds `async-std` feature for asynchronous file operations.
   - Some performance optimizations.
-- 3.0.3 
+- 3.0.3
   - Add default empty line on empty strings.
   - Feature to append to existing `Ini` objects.
   - Minor lint fixes.
diff --git a/src/ini.rs b/src/ini.rs
index 1f9b41e..4b2afbd 100644
--- a/src/ini.rs
+++ b/src/ini.rs
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@ pub struct Ini {
     boolean_values: HashMap<bool, Vec<String>>,
     case_sensitive: bool,
     multiline: bool,
+    enable_inline_comments: bool,
 }
 
 #[cfg(all(feature = "serde", not(feature = "indexmap")))]
@@ -163,6 +164,16 @@ pub struct IniDefault {
     ///assert_eq!(default.multiline, false);
     ///```
     pub multiline: bool,
+    ///Denotes if the `Ini` object recognizes inline comments.
+    ///## Example
+    ///```rust
+    ///use configparser::ini::Ini;
+    ///
+    ///let mut config = Ini::new();
+    ///let default = config.defaults();
+    ///assert_eq!(default.enable_inline_comments, true);
+    ///```
+    pub enable_inline_comments: bool,
 }
 
 impl Default for IniDefault {
@@ -193,6 +204,7 @@ impl Default for IniDefault {
             .cloned()
             .collect(),
             case_sensitive: false,
+            enable_inline_comments: true, // retain compatibility with previous versions
         }
     }
 }
@@ -352,6 +364,7 @@ impl Ini {
             boolean_values: defaults.boolean_values,
             case_sensitive: defaults.case_sensitive,
             multiline: defaults.multiline,
+            enable_inline_comments: defaults.enable_inline_comments,
         }
     }
 
@@ -373,6 +386,7 @@ impl Ini {
             boolean_values: self.boolean_values.to_owned(),
             case_sensitive: self.case_sensitive,
             multiline: self.multiline,
+            enable_inline_comments: self.enable_inline_comments,
         }
     }
 
@@ -834,9 +848,13 @@ impl Ini {
                 continue;
             }
 
-            let line = match line.find(|c: char| inline_comment_symbols.contains(&c)) {
-                Some(idx) => &line[..idx],
-                None => line,
+            let line = if self.enable_inline_comments {
+                match line.find(|c: char| inline_comment_symbols.contains(&c)) {
+                    Some(idx) => &line[..idx],
+                    None => line,
+                }
+            } else {
+                line
             };
 
             let trimmed = line.trim();
diff --git a/tests/test.rs b/tests/test.rs
index d367247..30d9a73 100644
--- a/tests/test.rs
+++ b/tests/test.rs
@@ -255,7 +255,7 @@ basic_option=basic_value
 }
 
 #[test]
-fn inline_comment_symbols() -> Result<(), Box<dyn Error>> {
+fn inline_comment_symbols_enabled() -> Result<(), Box<dyn Error>> {
     const FILE_CONTENTS: &str = "
 [basic_section]
 ; basic comment
@@ -329,6 +329,60 @@ empty_option=
     Ok(())
 }
 
+#[test]
+fn inline_comment_symbols_disabled() -> Result<(), Box<dyn Error>> {
+    use configparser::ini::IniDefault;
+
+    const FILE_CONTENTS: &str = "
+[basic_section]
+; basic comment
+ ; comment with space
+basic_option=value
+basic_with_comment=value ; Simple comment
+basic_with_comment_hash=value # Simple comment
+basic_with_extra_inline=value ! comment
+empty_option=
+";
+
+    let mut parser_options = IniDefault::default();
+    // true tested in inline_comment_symbols_enabled()
+    parser_options.enable_inline_comments = false;
+
+    let mut config = Ini::new_from_defaults(parser_options);
+    config.read(FILE_CONTENTS.to_owned())?;
+
+    assert_eq!(
+        config.get("basic_section", "basic_with_comment"),
+        Some(String::from("value ; Simple comment"))
+    );
+    assert_eq!(
+        config.get("basic_section", "basic_with_comment_hash"),
+        Some(String::from("value # Simple comment"))
+    );
+    assert_eq!(
+        config.get("basic_section", "basic_with_extra_inline"),
+        Some(String::from("value ! comment"))
+    );
+    assert_eq!(
+        config.get("basic_section", "empty_option"),
+        Some(String::from(""))
+    );
+
+    config.set_inline_comment_symbols(Some(&['!']));
+    config.read(FILE_CONTENTS.to_owned())?;
+
+    assert_eq!(
+        config.get("basic_section", "basic_with_comment"),
+        Some(String::from("value ; Simple comment"))
+    );
+    assert_eq!(
+        config.get("basic_section", "basic_with_extra_inline"),
+        Some(String::from("value ! comment"))
+    );
+
+    Ok(())
+}
+
 #[test]
 #[cfg(feature = "indexmap")]
 fn sort_on_write() -> Result<(), Box<dyn Error>> {