diff --git a/src/builder/b-conf.c b/src/builder/b-conf.c
index 397ea41..8e237f0 100644
--- a/src/builder/b-conf.c
+++ b/src/builder/b-conf.c
@@ -367,6 +367,7 @@ saib_config_global(struct sai_builder *builder, const char *d)
 	lwsl_info("%s: %s\n", __func__, (char *)buf);
 	lejp_construct(&ctx, saib_conf_global_cb, &a,
 			paths_global, LWS_ARRAY_SIZE(paths_global));
+	sai_lejp_enable_comments(&ctx);
 
 	do {
 		n = (int)read(fd, buf, sizeof(buf));
@@ -407,6 +408,7 @@ saib_config(struct sai_builder *builder, const char *d)
 	}
 	lwsl_notice("%s: %s\n", __func__, (char *)buf);
 	lejp_construct(&ctx, saib_conf_cb, &a, paths, LWS_ARRAY_SIZE(paths));
+	sai_lejp_enable_comments(&ctx);
 
 	do {
 		n = (int)read(fd, buf, sizeof(buf));
diff --git a/src/common/include/private.h b/src/common/include/private.h
index e33b865..fbd2787 100644
--- a/src/common/include/private.h
+++ b/src/common/include/private.h
@@ -23,6 +23,17 @@
 
 #include <libwebsockets.h>
 
+/*
+ * lws made lejp '#' to-end-of-line comments opt-in (LEJP_FLAG_FEAT_COMMENTS);
+ * .sai.json and the /etc/sai conf files document comment support, so opt
+ * their parsers in.  Older lws accepted comments unconditionally.
+ */
+#if defined(LEJP_FLAG_FEAT_COMMENTS)
+#define sai_lejp_enable_comments(_ctx) ((_ctx)->flags |= LEJP_FLAG_FEAT_COMMENTS)
+#else
+#define sai_lejp_enable_comments(_ctx) do { (void)(_ctx); } while (0)
+#endif
+
 #if defined(WIN32)
 #define HAVE_STRUCT_TIMESPEC
 #endif
diff --git a/src/device/d-conf.c b/src/device/d-conf.c
index 6be89d0..6469726 100644
--- a/src/device/d-conf.c
+++ b/src/device/d-conf.c
@@ -215,6 +215,7 @@ said_config_global(struct sai_devices *devices, const char *d)
 	lwsl_info("%s: %s\n", __func__, (char *)buf);
 	lejp_construct(&ctx, said_conf_global_cb, &a,
 			paths_global, LWS_ARRAY_SIZE(paths_global));
+	sai_lejp_enable_comments(&ctx);
 
 	do {
 		n = (int)read(fd, buf, sizeof(buf));
diff --git a/src/power/p-conf.c b/src/power/p-conf.c
index a5dddc4..95eaec5 100644
--- a/src/power/p-conf.c
+++ b/src/power/p-conf.c
@@ -143,6 +143,7 @@ saip_config_global(struct sai_power *power, const char *d)
 	lwsl_info("%s: %s\n", __func__, (char *)buf);
 	lejp_construct(&ctx, saip_conf_global_cb, &a,
 			paths_global, LWS_ARRAY_SIZE(paths_global));
+	sai_lejp_enable_comments(&ctx);
 
 	do {
 		n = (int)read(fd, buf, sizeof(buf));
diff --git a/src/server/s-notification.c b/src/server/s-notification.c
index 8ed2ef6..a56afa5 100644
--- a/src/server/s-notification.c
+++ b/src/server/s-notification.c
@@ -1075,6 +1075,7 @@ sai_notification_file_upload_cb(void *data, const char *name,
 		pss->dry = 1;
 		lejp_construct(&saictx, sai_saifile_lejp_cb, pss, saifile_paths,
 			       LWS_ARRAY_SIZE(saifile_paths));
+		sai_lejp_enable_comments(&saictx);
 		m = lejp_parse(&saictx, (uint8_t *)pss->sn.saifile,
 			       (int)pss->sn.saifile_out_pos);
 		sai_event_db_close(&pss->vhd->sqlite3_cache, (sqlite3 **)&pss->sn.e.pdb);
@@ -1109,6 +1110,7 @@ sai_notification_file_upload_cb(void *data, const char *name,
 		pss->dry = 0;
 		lejp_construct(&saictx, sai_saifile_lejp_cb, pss, saifile_paths,
 			       LWS_ARRAY_SIZE(saifile_paths));
+		sai_lejp_enable_comments(&saictx);
 		m = lejp_parse(&saictx, (uint8_t *)pss->sn.saifile,
 			       (int)pss->sn.saifile_out_pos);
 
diff --git a/src/virt/v-conf.c b/src/virt/v-conf.c
index 33a663e..eb2360c 100644
--- a/src/virt/v-conf.c
+++ b/src/virt/v-conf.c
@@ -103,6 +103,7 @@ saiv_conf_dir_cb(const char *dirpath, void *user, struct lws_dir_entry *lde)
 
 	memset(&vctx, 0, sizeof(vctx));
 	lejp_construct(&ctx, saiv_conf_plat_cb, &vctx, paths_plat, LWS_ARRAY_SIZE(paths_plat));
+	sai_lejp_enable_comments(&ctx);
 
 	while ((n = read(fd, buf, sizeof(buf))) > 0) {
 		m = lejp_parse(&ctx, buf, (int)n);
@@ -188,6 +189,7 @@ saiv_config_global(struct sai_virt *virt, const char *filepath)
 	}
 
 	lejp_construct(&ctx, saiv_conf_global_cb, virt, paths_global, LWS_ARRAY_SIZE(paths_global));
+	sai_lejp_enable_comments(&ctx);
 
 	while ((n = read(fd, buf, sizeof(buf))) > 0) {
 		m = lejp_parse(&ctx, buf, (int)n);