diff --git a/src/lexer.rs b/src/lexer.rs
index 232ab949..42267cf9 100644
--- a/src/lexer.rs
+++ b/src/lexer.rs
@@ -490,6 +490,7 @@ impl<'src> Lexer<'src> {
       '@' => self.lex_single(At),
       '[' => self.lex_delimiter(BracketL),
       '\n' | '\r' => self.lex_eol(),
+      '\u{feff}' => self.lex_single(ByteOrderMark),
       ']' => self.lex_delimiter(BracketR),
       '`' | '"' | '\'' => self.lex_string(),
       '{' => self.lex_delimiter(BraceL),
@@ -926,6 +927,7 @@ mod tests {
       BraceR => "}",
       BracketL => "[",
       BracketR => "]",
+      ByteOrderMark => "\u{feff}",
       Colon => ":",
       ColonEquals => ":=",
       Comma => ",",
diff --git a/src/parser.rs b/src/parser.rs
index 32bf5c31..1dc064a5 100644
--- a/src/parser.rs
+++ b/src/parser.rs
@@ -57,7 +57,12 @@ impl<'tokens, 'src> Parser<'tokens, 'src> {
   /// `Parser::next`
   fn unexpected_token(&self) -> CompileResult<'src, CompileError<'src>> {
     self.error(CompileErrorKind::UnexpectedToken {
-      expected: self.expected.iter().cloned().collect::<Vec<TokenKind>>(),
+      expected: self
+        .expected
+        .iter()
+        .cloned()
+        .filter(|kind| *kind != ByteOrderMark)
+        .collect::<Vec<TokenKind>>(),
       found: self.next()?.kind,
     })
   }
@@ -302,6 +307,8 @@ impl<'tokens, 'src> Parser<'tokens, 'src> {
 
     let mut eol_since_last_comment = false;
 
+    self.accept(ByteOrderMark)?;
+
     loop {
       let next = self.next()?;
 
diff --git a/src/token_kind.rs b/src/token_kind.rs
index bd752736..79139bb6 100644
--- a/src/token_kind.rs
+++ b/src/token_kind.rs
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ pub(crate) enum TokenKind {
   BraceR,
   BracketL,
   BracketR,
+  ByteOrderMark,
   Colon,
   ColonEquals,
   Comma,
@@ -51,6 +52,7 @@ impl Display for TokenKind {
         BraceR => "'}'",
         BracketL => "'['",
         BracketR => "']'",
+        ByteOrderMark => "byte order mark",
         Colon => "':'",
         ColonEquals => "':='",
         Comma => "','",
@@ -61,6 +63,7 @@ impl Display for TokenKind {
         Eol => "end of line",
         Equals => "'='",
         EqualsEquals => "'=='",
+        EqualsTilde => "'=~'",
         Identifier => "identifier",
         Indent => "indent",
         InterpolationEnd => "'}}'",
@@ -70,7 +73,6 @@ impl Display for TokenKind {
         Plus => "'+'",
         StringToken => "string",
         Text => "command text",
-        EqualsTilde => "'=~'",
         Unspecified => "unspecified",
         Whitespace => "whitespace",
       }
diff --git a/tests/byte_order_mark.rs b/tests/byte_order_mark.rs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..676aefa1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/byte_order_mark.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,52 @@
+use crate::common::*;
+
+#[test]
+fn ignore_leading_byte_order_mark() {
+  Test::new()
+    .justfile(
+      "
+      \u{feff}foo:
+        echo bar
+    ",
+    )
+    .stderr("echo bar\n")
+    .stdout("bar\n")
+    .run();
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn non_leading_byte_order_mark_produces_error() {
+  Test::new()
+    .justfile(
+      "
+      foo:
+        echo bar
+      \u{feff}
+    ",
+    )
+    .stderr(
+      "
+      error: Expected \'@\', comment, end of file, end of line, or identifier, but found byte order mark
+        |
+      3 | \u{feff}
+        | ^
+      ")
+    .status(EXIT_FAILURE)
+    .run();
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn dont_mention_byte_order_mark_in_errors() {
+  Test::new()
+    .justfile("{")
+    .stderr(
+      "
+      error: Expected '@', comment, end of file, end of line, or identifier, but found '{'
+        |
+      1 | {
+        | ^
+      ",
+    )
+    .status(EXIT_FAILURE)
+    .run();
+}
diff --git a/tests/lib.rs b/tests/lib.rs
index 70bfd1ee..fe9819af 100644
--- a/tests/lib.rs
+++ b/tests/lib.rs
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ mod test;
 
 mod assert_stdout;
 mod assert_success;
+mod byte_order_mark;
 mod changelog;
 mod choose;
 mod command;