diff --git a/hledger-lib/Hledger/Read/JournalReader.hs b/hledger-lib/Hledger/Read/JournalReader.hs
index 5daf540ad..caa5db5a7 100644
--- a/hledger-lib/Hledger/Read/JournalReader.hs
+++ b/hledger-lib/Hledger/Read/JournalReader.hs
@@ -248,8 +248,10 @@ directivep = (do
    ,commoditydirectivep
    ,commodityconversiondirectivep
    ,definedirectivep
+   ,evaldirectivep
    ,exprdirectivep
    ,payeedirectivep
+   ,pythondirectivep
    ,decimalmarkdirectivep
    ,defaultyeardirectivep
    ,defaultcommoditydirectivep
@@ -528,7 +530,8 @@ formatdirectivep expectedsym = do
 -- apply fixed, apply tag, assert, bucket, A, capture, check, define, expr
 applyfixeddirectivep, applytagdirectivep, assertdirectivep, bucketdirectivep,
   capturedirectivep, checkdirectivep, definedirectivep, exprdirectivep,
-  valuedirectivep, commandlineflagdirectivep :: JournalParser m ()
+  valuedirectivep, pythondirectivep, evaldirectivep, commandlineflagdirectivep
+  :: JournalParser m ()
 applyfixeddirectivep = do string "apply fixed" >> lift restofline >> return ()
 applytagdirectivep   = do string "apply tag" >> lift restofline >> return ()
 assertdirectivep     = do string "assert"  >> lift restofline >> return ()
@@ -538,6 +541,10 @@ checkdirectivep      = do string "check"   >> lift restofline >> return ()
 definedirectivep     = do string "define"  >> lift restofline >> return ()
 exprdirectivep       = do string "expr"    >> lift restofline >> return ()
 valuedirectivep      = do string "value"   >> lift restofline >> return ()
+pythondirectivep      = do string "python" >> lift restofline >> many (indented $ lift restofline) >> return ()
+  where
+    indented = (lift skipNonNewlineSpaces1 >>)
+evaldirectivep      = do string "eval"   >> lift restofline >> return ()
 commandlineflagdirectivep = do string "--" >> lift restofline >> return ()
 
 keywordp :: String -> JournalParser m ()
diff --git a/hledger/hledger.m4.md b/hledger/hledger.m4.md
index df9f4760c..2c5065f78 100644
--- a/hledger/hledger.m4.md
+++ b/hledger/hledger.m4.md
@@ -2751,6 +2751,8 @@ define  VAR=EXPR
 expr    EXPR
 tag     NAME
 value   EXPR
+python
+eval    EXPR
 --command-line-flag
 ```
 
diff --git a/hledger/test/ledger-compat/syntax/hledger-other.test b/hledger/test/ledger-compat/syntax/hledger-other.test
index 535aeb128..141205d46 100644
--- a/hledger/test/ledger-compat/syntax/hledger-other.test
+++ b/hledger/test/ledger-compat/syntax/hledger-other.test
@@ -59,6 +59,9 @@ tag Receipt
   check value =~ /pattern/
   assert value != "foobar"
 value some_func
+python
+  import os
+eval foo
 --command-line-flag
 
 $ hledger -f- check