diff --git a/syntax/r.json b/syntax/r.json
index 11b528274..69e57cb08 100644
--- a/syntax/r.json
+++ b/syntax/r.json
@@ -462,7 +462,7 @@
         "roxygen": {
             "patterns": [
                 {
-                    "begin": "^(#')\\s*",
+                    "begin": "^\\s*(#')\\s*",
                     "beginCaptures": {
                         "1": {
                             "name": "punctuation.definition.comment.r"