diff --git a/docs/changelog.rst b/docs/changelog.rst
index a5d011570..49e702b65 100644
--- a/docs/changelog.rst
+++ b/docs/changelog.rst
@@ -74,6 +74,8 @@ Detailed list of changes
 
 - When multiple confirmable close requests are made focus the existing close confirmation window instead of opening a new one for each request (:iss:`6601`)
 
+- Config file format: allow splitting lines by starting subsequent lines with a backslash (:pull:`6603`)
+
 
 0.29.2 [2023-07-27]
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
diff --git a/kitty/conf/utils.py b/kitty/conf/utils.py
index 35123f85e..64e1761cf 100644
--- a/kitty/conf/utils.py
+++ b/kitty/conf/utils.py
@@ -264,44 +264,40 @@ def _parse(
         base_path_for_includes = config_dir
 
     it = iter(lines)
-    line: str
-    nextLine: str = ""
-    nextLineNum = 0
+    line = ''
+    next_line: str = ''
+    next_line_num = 0
 
     while True:
         try:
-            if nextLine != "":
-                line = nextLine
+            if next_line:
+                line = next_line
             else:
                 line = next(it).lstrip()
-                nextLineNum += 1
-            lineNum = nextLineNum
+                next_line_num += 1
+            line_num = next_line_num
 
             try:
-                nextLine = next(it).lstrip()
-                nextLineNum += 1
+                next_line = next(it).lstrip()
+                next_line_num += 1
 
-                while nextLine.startswith('\\'):
-                    if line.endswith("\n"):
-                        line = line[:-1]
-                    line += nextLine[1:]
+                while next_line.startswith('\\'):
+                    line = line.rstrip('\n') + next_line[1:]
                     try:
-                        nextLine = next(it).lstrip()
-                        nextLineNum += 1
+                        next_line = next(it).lstrip()
+                        next_line_num += 1
                     except StopIteration:
-                        nextLine = ""
+                        next_line = ''
                         break
             except StopIteration:
-                nextLine = ""
-                pass
-
+                next_line = ''
             try:
-                with currently_parsing.set_line(line, lineNum):
+                with currently_parsing.set_line(line, line_num):
                     parse_line(line, parse_conf_item, ans, base_path_for_includes, accumulate_bad_lines)
             except Exception as e:
                 if accumulate_bad_lines is None:
                     raise
-                accumulate_bad_lines.append(BadLine(lineNum, line.rstrip(), e, currently_parsing.file))
+                accumulate_bad_lines.append(BadLine(line_num, line.rstrip(), e, currently_parsing.file))
         except StopIteration:
             break
 
diff --git a/tools/config/api.go b/tools/config/api.go
index 50d7657ed..99be6a71e 100644
--- a/tools/config/api.go
+++ b/tools/config/api.go
@@ -74,41 +74,41 @@ func (self *ConfigParser) parse(scanner Scanner, name, base_path_for_includes st
 	}
 
 	lnum := 0
-	nextLineNum := 0
-	nextLine := ""
-    var line string
+	next_line_num := 0
+	next_line := ""
+	var line string
 
 	for {
-        if nextLine != "" {
-            line = nextLine
-        } else {
+		if next_line != "" {
+			line = next_line
+		} else {
 			if scanner.Scan() {
 				line = strings.TrimLeft(scanner.Text(), " \t")
+				next_line_num++
 			} else {
 				break
 			}
-			nextLineNum++
 			if line == "" {
 				continue
 			}
-        }
-        lnum = nextLineNum
-        if scanner.Scan() {
-			nextLine = strings.TrimLeft(scanner.Text(), " \t")
-            nextLineNum++
+		}
+		lnum = next_line_num
+		if scanner.Scan() {
+			next_line = strings.TrimLeft(scanner.Text(), " \t")
+			next_line_num++
 
-            for nextLine != "" && nextLine[0] == '\\' {
-				line += nextLine[1:]
-                if scanner.Scan() {
-					nextLine = strings.TrimLeft(scanner.Text(), " \t")
-					nextLineNum++
+			for strings.HasPrefix(next_line, `\`) {
+				line += next_line[1:]
+				if scanner.Scan() {
+					next_line = strings.TrimLeft(scanner.Text(), " \t")
+					next_line_num++
 				} else {
-					nextLine = ""
-                }
-            }
-        } else {
-            nextLine = ""
-        }
+					next_line = ""
+				}
+			}
+		} else {
+			next_line = ""
+		}
 
 		if line[0] == '#' {
 			if self.CommentsHandler != nil {