diff --git a/py/repl.c b/py/repl.c
index bca1be584e..4cafb88e2d 100644
--- a/py/repl.c
+++ b/py/repl.c
@@ -14,43 +14,66 @@ bool str_startswith_word(const char *str, const char *head) {
     return head[i] == '\0' && (str[i] == '\0' || !unichar_isalpha(str[i]));
 }
 
-bool mp_repl_is_compound_stmt(const char *line) {
-    // compound if line starts with a certain keyword
-    if (
-           str_startswith_word(line, "if")
-        || str_startswith_word(line, "while")
-        || str_startswith_word(line, "for")
-        || str_startswith_word(line, "try")
-        || str_startswith_word(line, "with")
-        || str_startswith_word(line, "def")
-        || str_startswith_word(line, "class")
-        || str_startswith_word(line, "@")
-       ) {
-        return true;
+bool mp_repl_continue_with_input(const char *input) {
+    // check for blank input
+    if (input[0] == '\0') {
+        return false;
     }
 
-    // also "compound" if unmatched open bracket or triple quote
+    // check if input starts with a certain keyword
+    bool starts_with_compound_keyword =
+           input[0] == '@'
+        || str_startswith_word(input, "if")
+        || str_startswith_word(input, "while")
+        || str_startswith_word(input, "for")
+        || str_startswith_word(input, "try")
+        || str_startswith_word(input, "with")
+        || str_startswith_word(input, "def")
+        || str_startswith_word(input, "class")
+        ;
+
+    // check for unmatched open bracket or triple quote
+    // TODO don't look at triple quotes inside single quotes
     int n_paren = 0;
     int n_brack = 0;
     int n_brace = 0;
     int in_triple_quote = 0;
-    for (const char *l = line; *l; l++) {
-        switch (*l) {
+    const char *i;
+    for (i = input; *i; i++) {
+        switch (*i) {
             case '(': n_paren += 1; break;
             case ')': n_paren -= 1; break;
             case '[': n_brack += 1; break;
             case ']': n_brack -= 1; break;
             case '{': n_brace += 1; break;
             case '}': n_brace -= 1; break;
+            case '\'':
+                if (in_triple_quote != '"' && i[1] == '\'' && i[2] == '\'') {
+                    i += 2;
+                    in_triple_quote = '\'' - in_triple_quote;
+                }
+                break;
             case '"':
-                if (l[1] == '"' && l[2] == '"') {
-                    l += 2;
-                    in_triple_quote = 1 - in_triple_quote;
+                if (in_triple_quote != '\'' && i[1] == '"' && i[2] == '"') {
+                    i += 2;
+                    in_triple_quote = '"' - in_triple_quote;
                 }
                 break;
         }
     }
-    return n_paren > 0 || n_brack > 0 || n_brace > 0 || in_triple_quote != 0;
+
+    // continue if unmatched brackets or quotes
+    if (n_paren > 0 || n_brack > 0 || n_brace > 0 || in_triple_quote != 0) {
+        return true;
+    }
+
+    // continue if compound keyword and last line was not empty
+    if (starts_with_compound_keyword && i[-1] != '\n') {
+        return true;
+    }
+
+    // otherwise, don't continue
+    return false;
 }
 
 #endif // MICROPY_ENABLE_REPL_HELPERS
diff --git a/py/repl.h b/py/repl.h
index 23259fa90d..cba77aad0b 100644
--- a/py/repl.h
+++ b/py/repl.h
@@ -1,3 +1,3 @@
 #if MICROPY_ENABLE_REPL_HELPERS
-bool mp_repl_is_compound_stmt(const char *line);
+bool mp_repl_continue_with_input(const char *input);
 #endif
diff --git a/stm/pyexec.c b/stm/pyexec.c
index f3dfd70aab..52a436218e 100644
--- a/stm/pyexec.c
+++ b/stm/pyexec.c
@@ -283,15 +283,12 @@ void pyexec_repl(void) {
             continue;
         }
 
-        if (mp_repl_is_compound_stmt(vstr_str(&line))) {
-            for (;;) {
-                vstr_add_char(&line, '\n');
-                int len = vstr_len(&line);
-                int ret = readline(&line, "... ");
-                if (ret == VCP_CHAR_CTRL_D || vstr_len(&line) == len) {
-                    // done entering compound statement
-                    break;
-                }
+        while (mp_repl_continue_with_input(vstr_str(&line))) {
+            vstr_add_char(&line, '\n');
+            int ret = readline(&line, "... ");
+            if (ret == VCP_CHAR_CTRL_D) {
+                // stop entering compound statement
+                break;
             }
         }
 
diff --git a/stmhal/pyexec.c b/stmhal/pyexec.c
index b960198ec7..298e58a5fd 100644
--- a/stmhal/pyexec.c
+++ b/stmhal/pyexec.c
@@ -204,15 +204,12 @@ friendly_repl_reset:
             continue;
         }
 
-        if (mp_repl_is_compound_stmt(vstr_str(&line))) {
-            for (;;) {
-                vstr_add_char(&line, '\n');
-                int len = vstr_len(&line);
-                int ret = readline(&line, "... ");
-                if (ret == VCP_CHAR_CTRL_D || vstr_len(&line) == len) {
-                    // done entering compound statement
-                    break;
-                }
+        while (mp_repl_continue_with_input(vstr_str(&line))) {
+            vstr_add_char(&line, '\n');
+            int ret = readline(&line, "... ");
+            if (ret == VCP_CHAR_CTRL_D) {
+                // stop entering compound statement
+                break;
             }
         }
 
diff --git a/teensy/main.c b/teensy/main.c
index bfb7413e7f..eb153c245d 100644
--- a/teensy/main.c
+++ b/teensy/main.c
@@ -399,15 +399,12 @@ void do_repl(void) {
             continue;
         }
 
-        if (mp_repl_is_compound_stmt(vstr_str(&line))) {
-            for (;;) {
-                vstr_add_char(&line, '\n');
-                int len = vstr_len(&line);
-                int ret = readline(&line, "... ");
-                if (ret == 0 || vstr_len(&line) == len) {
-                    // done entering compound statement
-                    break;
-                }
+        while (mp_repl_continue_with_input(vstr_str(&line))) {
+            vstr_add_char(&line, '\n');
+            int ret = readline(&line, "... ");
+            if (ret == 0) {
+                // stop entering compound statement
+                break;
             }
         }
 
diff --git a/unix/main.c b/unix/main.c
index 1549054f04..11df4cadf2 100644
--- a/unix/main.c
+++ b/unix/main.c
@@ -146,17 +146,15 @@ STATIC void do_repl(void) {
             // EOF
             return;
         }
-        if (mp_repl_is_compound_stmt(line)) {
-            for (;;) {
-                char *line2 = prompt("... ");
-                if (line2 == NULL || strlen(line2) == 0) {
-                    break;
-                }
-                char *line3 = strjoin(line, '\n', line2);
-                free(line);
-                free(line2);
-                line = line3;
+        while (mp_repl_continue_with_input(line)) {
+            char *line2 = prompt("... ");
+            if (line2 == NULL) {
+                break;
             }
+            char *line3 = strjoin(line, '\n', line2);
+            free(line);
+            free(line2);
+            line = line3;
         }
 
         mp_lexer_t *lex = mp_lexer_new_from_str_len(MP_QSTR__lt_stdin_gt_, line, strlen(line), false);
diff --git a/windows/main.c b/windows/main.c
index 36d98f73d0..5ba21eef30 100644
--- a/windows/main.c
+++ b/windows/main.c
@@ -126,17 +126,15 @@ static void do_repl(void) {
             // EOF
             return;
         }
-        if (mp_repl_is_compound_stmt(line)) {
-            for (;;) {
-                char *line2 = prompt("... ");
-                if (line2 == NULL || strlen(line2) == 0) {
-                    break;
-                }
-                char *line3 = str_join(line, '\n', line2);
-                free(line);
-                free(line2);
-                line = line3;
+        while (mp_repl_continue_with_input(line)) {
+            char *line2 = prompt("... ");
+            if (line2 == NULL) {
+                break;
             }
+            char *line3 = str_join(line, '\n', line2);
+            free(line);
+            free(line2);
+            line = line3;
         }
 
         mp_lexer_t *lex = mp_lexer_new_from_str_len(MP_QSTR__lt_stdin_gt_, line, strlen(line), false);