diff --git a/ldoc/lang.lua b/ldoc/lang.lua
index 8f6ea72..a06c8c6 100644
--- a/ldoc/lang.lua
+++ b/ldoc/lang.lua
@@ -129,10 +129,11 @@ end
 -- Depending on the case successfully detected, returns a function which
 -- will be called later to fill in inferred item tags
 function Lua:item_follows(t,v,tok)
-   local parser
+   local parser, case
    local is_local = t == 'keyword' and v == 'local'
    if is_local then t,v = tnext(tok) end
    if t == 'keyword' and v == 'function' then -- case [1]
+      case = 1
       parser = parse_lua_function_header
    elseif t == 'iden' then
       local name,t,v = tools.get_fun_name(tok,v)
@@ -140,39 +141,37 @@ function Lua:item_follows(t,v,tok)
       t,v = tnext(tok)
       if t == 'keyword' and v == 'function' then -- case [2]
          tnext(tok) -- skip '('
+         case = 2
          parser = function(tags,tok)
             tags.name = name
             parse_lua_parameters(tags,tok)
          end
       elseif t == '{' then -- case [3]
+         case = 3
          parser = function(tags,tok)
             tags.class = 'table'
             tags.name = name
             parse_lua_table (tags,tok)
          end
       else -- case [4]
+         case = 4
          parser = function(tags)
             tags.class = 'field'
             tags.name = name
          end
       end
    end
-   return parser, is_local
+   return parser, is_local, case
 end
 
 
--- this is called, whether the tag was inferred or not.
--- Currently tries to fill in the fields of a table from comments
-function Lua:parse_extra (tags,tok)
-   if tags.class == 'table' and not tags.field then
-      local res, stat
-      if t ~= '{' then
-         stat,t,v = pcall(tok)
-         if not stat then return nil end
-         res,t,v = self:search_for_token(tok,'{','{',tok())
-         if not res then return nil,t,v end
-      end
-      parse_lua_table (tags,tok)
+-- we only call the function returned by the item_follows above if there
+-- is not already a name and a type.
+-- Otherwise, this is called. Currrently only tries to fill in the fields
+-- of a table from a table definition as identified above
+function Lua:parse_extra (tags,tok,case)
+   if tags.class == 'table' and not tags.field and case == 3 then
+      parse_lua_table(tags,tok)
    end
 end
 
diff --git a/ldoc/parse.lua b/ldoc/parse.lua
index 8345f5d..4ffbb4b 100644
--- a/ldoc/parse.lua
+++ b/ldoc/parse.lua
@@ -147,13 +147,15 @@ local function parse_file(fname,lang, package)
                t,v = tok()
             end
          end
+
          if not t then break end -- no more file!
 
          if t == 'space' then t,v = tnext(tok) end
 
-         local item_follows, tags, is_local
+         local item_follows, tags, is_local, case
          if ldoc_comment or first_comment then
             comment = table.concat(comment)
+
             if not ldoc_comment and first_comment then
                F:warning("first comment must be a doc comment!")
                break
@@ -161,7 +163,7 @@ local function parse_file(fname,lang, package)
             if first_comment then
                first_comment = false
             else
-               item_follows, is_local = lang:item_follows(t,v,tok)
+               item_follows, is_local, case = lang:item_follows(t,v,tok)
             end
             if item_follows or comment:find '@'then
                tags = extract_tags(comment)
@@ -215,7 +217,7 @@ local function parse_file(fname,lang, package)
                if item_follows then -- parse the item definition
                   item_follows(tags,tok)
                else
-                  lang:parse_extra(tags,tok)
+                  lang:parse_extra(tags,tok,case)
                end
             end
             -- local functions treated specially
diff --git a/ldoc/tools.lua b/ldoc/tools.lua
index 962fee9..808965c 100644
--- a/ldoc/tools.lua
+++ b/ldoc/tools.lua
@@ -261,7 +261,7 @@ function M.get_parameters (tok,endtoken,delim)
    args.comments = {}
    local ltl = lexer.get_separated_list(tok,endtoken,delim)
 
-   if #ltl[1] == 0 then return args end -- no arguments
+   if not ltl or #ltl[1] == 0 then return args end -- no arguments
 
    local function set_comment (idx,tok)
       local text = value_of(tok):gsub('%s*$','')