diff --git a/packages/mermaid/src/diagrams/timeline/parser/timeline.jison b/packages/mermaid/src/diagrams/timeline/parser/timeline.jison
index 348c31fad8..136654a7f2 100644
--- a/packages/mermaid/src/diagrams/timeline/parser/timeline.jison
+++ b/packages/mermaid/src/diagrams/timeline/parser/timeline.jison
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@
 \#[^\n]*                /* skip comments */
 
 "timeline"               return 'timeline';
-"title"\s[^#\n;]+       return 'title';
+"title"\s[^#\n]+       return 'title';
 accTitle\s*":"\s*                                               { this.begin("acc_title");return 'acc_title'; }
 <acc_title>(?!\n|;|#)*[^\n]*                                    { this.popState(); return "acc_title_value"; }
 accDescr\s*":"\s*                                               { this.begin("acc_descr");return 'acc_descr'; }
@@ -26,11 +26,11 @@ accDescr\s*":"\s*                                               { this.begin("ac
 accDescr\s*"{"\s*                                { this.begin("acc_descr_multiline");}
 <acc_descr_multiline>[\}]                       { this.popState(); }
 <acc_descr_multiline>[^\}]*                     return "acc_descr_multiline_value";
-"section"\s[^#:\n;]+    return 'section';
+"section"\s[^#:\n]+    return 'section';
 
 // event starting with "==>" keyword
-":"\s[^#:\n;]+        return 'event';
-[^#:\n;]+               return 'period';
+":"\s[^#:\n]+        return 'event';
+[^#:\n]+               return 'period';
 
 
 <<EOF>>                 return 'EOF';
diff --git a/packages/mermaid/src/diagrams/timeline/timeline.spec.js b/packages/mermaid/src/diagrams/timeline/timeline.spec.js
index 69b9df1bad..186713ce1e 100644
--- a/packages/mermaid/src/diagrams/timeline/timeline.spec.js
+++ b/packages/mermaid/src/diagrams/timeline/timeline.spec.js
@@ -98,5 +98,30 @@ describe('when parsing a timeline ', function () {
         }
       });
     });
+
+    it('TL-6 should handle a section, and task and its multi line events with semicolons', function () {
+      let str = `timeline
+    section ;a;bc-123;
+      ;ta;sk1;: ;ev;ent1;
+      ;tas;k2;: ;eve;nt2;: ;event;3;
+           : ;eve;nt4: ;even;t5;
+   `;
+      timeline.parse(str);
+      expect(timelineDB.getSections()[0]).to.deep.equal(';a;bc-123;');
+      timelineDB.getTasks().forEach((t) => {
+        switch (t.task.trim()) {
+          case ';ta;sk1;':
+            expect(t.events).to.deep.equal([';ev;ent1;']);
+            break;
+
+          case ';tas;k2;':
+            expect(t.events).to.deep.equal([';eve;nt2;', ';event;3;', ';eve;nt4', ';even;t5;']);
+            break;
+
+          default:
+            break;
+        }
+      });
+    });
   });
 });