diff --git a/src/ex_cmds.h b/src/ex_cmds.h
index 8873484..b5260b9f 100644
--- a/src/ex_cmds.h
+++ b/src/ex_cmds.h
@@ -55,6 +55,7 @@
 #define EX_LOCK_OK  0x1000000	// command can be executed when textlock is
 				// set; when missing disallows editing another
 				// buffer when curbuf_lock is set
+#define EX_NONWHITE_OK 0x2000000  // command can be followed by non-white
 
 #define EX_FILES (EX_XFILE | EX_EXTRA)	// multiple extra files allowed
 #define EX_FILE1 (EX_FILES | EX_NOSPC)	// 1 file, defaults to current file
@@ -632,7 +633,7 @@
 	EX_EXTRA|EX_BANG|EX_SBOXOK|EX_CMDWIN|EX_LOCK_OK,
 	ADDR_NONE),
 EXCMD(CMD_global,	"global",	ex_global,
-	EX_RANGE|EX_WHOLEFOLD|EX_BANG|EX_EXTRA|EX_DFLALL|EX_SBOXOK|EX_CMDWIN|EX_LOCK_OK,
+	EX_RANGE|EX_WHOLEFOLD|EX_BANG|EX_EXTRA|EX_DFLALL|EX_SBOXOK|EX_CMDWIN|EX_LOCK_OK|EX_NONWHITE_OK,
 	ADDR_LINES),
 EXCMD(CMD_goto,		"goto",		ex_goto,
 	EX_RANGE|EX_COUNT|EX_TRLBAR|EX_SBOXOK|EX_CMDWIN|EX_LOCK_OK,
@@ -1277,7 +1278,7 @@
 	EX_BANG|EX_FILE1|EX_TRLBAR|EX_CMDWIN|EX_LOCK_OK,
 	ADDR_NONE),
 EXCMD(CMD_substitute,	"substitute",	ex_substitute,
-	EX_RANGE|EX_WHOLEFOLD|EX_EXTRA|EX_CMDWIN|EX_LOCK_OK,
+	EX_RANGE|EX_WHOLEFOLD|EX_EXTRA|EX_CMDWIN|EX_LOCK_OK|EX_NONWHITE_OK,
 	ADDR_LINES),
 EXCMD(CMD_sNext,	"sNext",	ex_previous,
 	EX_EXTRA|EX_RANGE|EX_COUNT|EX_BANG|EX_CMDARG|EX_ARGOPT|EX_TRLBAR,
@@ -1652,7 +1653,7 @@
 	EX_RANGE|EX_WHOLEFOLD|EX_BANG|EX_FILE1|EX_ARGOPT|EX_DFLALL|EX_TRLBAR,
 	ADDR_LINES),
 EXCMD(CMD_vglobal,	"vglobal",	ex_global,
-	EX_RANGE|EX_WHOLEFOLD|EX_EXTRA|EX_DFLALL|EX_CMDWIN|EX_LOCK_OK,
+	EX_RANGE|EX_WHOLEFOLD|EX_EXTRA|EX_DFLALL|EX_CMDWIN|EX_LOCK_OK|EX_NONWHITE_OK,
 	ADDR_LINES),
 EXCMD(CMD_var,		"var",		ex_var,
 	EX_EXTRA|EX_NOTRLCOM|EX_SBOXOK|EX_CMDWIN|EX_LOCK_OK,
@@ -1792,16 +1793,16 @@
 
 // commands that don't start with a letter
 EXCMD(CMD_bang,		"!",		ex_bang,
-	EX_RANGE|EX_WHOLEFOLD|EX_BANG|EX_FILES|EX_CMDWIN|EX_LOCK_OK,
+	EX_RANGE|EX_WHOLEFOLD|EX_BANG|EX_FILES|EX_CMDWIN|EX_LOCK_OK|EX_NONWHITE_OK,
 	ADDR_LINES),
 EXCMD(CMD_pound,	"#",		ex_print,
 	EX_RANGE|EX_WHOLEFOLD|EX_COUNT|EX_FLAGS|EX_TRLBAR|EX_CMDWIN|EX_LOCK_OK,
 	ADDR_LINES),
 EXCMD(CMD_and,		"&",		ex_substitute,
-	EX_RANGE|EX_WHOLEFOLD|EX_EXTRA|EX_CMDWIN|EX_LOCK_OK|EX_MODIFY,
+	EX_RANGE|EX_WHOLEFOLD|EX_EXTRA|EX_CMDWIN|EX_LOCK_OK|EX_MODIFY|EX_NONWHITE_OK,
 	ADDR_LINES),
 EXCMD(CMD_star,		"*",		ex_at,
-	EX_RANGE|EX_WHOLEFOLD|EX_EXTRA|EX_TRLBAR|EX_CMDWIN|EX_LOCK_OK,
+	EX_RANGE|EX_WHOLEFOLD|EX_EXTRA|EX_TRLBAR|EX_CMDWIN|EX_LOCK_OK|EX_NONWHITE_OK,
 	ADDR_LINES),
 EXCMD(CMD_lshift,	"<",		ex_operators,
 	EX_RANGE|EX_WHOLEFOLD|EX_COUNT|EX_FLAGS|EX_TRLBAR|EX_CMDWIN|EX_LOCK_OK|EX_MODIFY,
@@ -1813,7 +1814,7 @@
 	EX_RANGE|EX_WHOLEFOLD|EX_COUNT|EX_FLAGS|EX_TRLBAR|EX_CMDWIN|EX_LOCK_OK|EX_MODIFY,
 	ADDR_LINES),
 EXCMD(CMD_at,		"@",		ex_at,
-	EX_RANGE|EX_WHOLEFOLD|EX_EXTRA|EX_TRLBAR|EX_CMDWIN|EX_LOCK_OK,
+	EX_RANGE|EX_WHOLEFOLD|EX_EXTRA|EX_TRLBAR|EX_CMDWIN|EX_LOCK_OK|EX_NONWHITE_OK,
 	ADDR_LINES),
 EXCMD(CMD_block,	"{{{{{{{{",	ex_block,  // not found normally
 	0,
@@ -1822,7 +1823,7 @@
 	EX_TRLBAR|EX_CMDWIN|EX_LOCK_OK,
 	ADDR_NONE),
 EXCMD(CMD_tilde,	"~",		ex_substitute,
-	EX_RANGE|EX_WHOLEFOLD|EX_EXTRA|EX_CMDWIN|EX_LOCK_OK|EX_MODIFY,
+	EX_RANGE|EX_WHOLEFOLD|EX_EXTRA|EX_CMDWIN|EX_LOCK_OK|EX_MODIFY|EX_NONWHITE_OK,
 	ADDR_LINES),
 
 // commands that start with an uppercase letter