diff --git a/src/cpp-flex.skl b/src/cpp-flex.skl
index 5a466f8b..43b9c20a 100644
--- a/src/cpp-flex.skl
+++ b/src/cpp-flex.skl
@@ -64,6 +64,9 @@ m4_changequote([[, ]])
 
 %# Macro hooks used by Flex start here
 
+m4_define([[M4_HOOK_COMMENT_OPEN]], [[/*]])
+m4_define([[M4_HOOK_COMMENT_CLOSE]], [[*/]])
+
 %# If this is not defined, no trace lines will be generated.
 m4_define([[M4_HOOK_TRACE_LINE_FORMAT]], [[#line $1 "$2"
 ]])
@@ -87,7 +90,7 @@ m4_define([[M4_HOOK_CONST_DEFINE]], [[#define $1 $2
 
 m4_define([[M4_HOOK_STATE_DYAD]], [[ {$1, $2},]])
 
-%# Macro hooks used by lex end here
+%% [0.0] Make hook macros available to Flex
 
 %not-for-header
 %if-c-only
diff --git a/src/cpp_backend.c b/src/cpp_backend.c
index 49b5a8e3..40a0549e 100644
--- a/src/cpp_backend.c
+++ b/src/cpp_backend.c
@@ -88,21 +88,6 @@ static const char *cpp_suffix (void)
 	return suffix;
 }
 
-static void cpp_comment(const char *txt)
-{
-	char buf[MAXLINE];
-	bool eol;
-
-	strncpy(buf, txt, MAXLINE-1);
-	eol = buf[strlen(buf)-1] == '\n';
-
-	if (eol)
-		buf[strlen(buf)-1] = '\0';
-	out_str("/* [[%s]] */", buf);
-	if (eol)
-		outc ('\n');
-}
-
 static void cpp_ntod(size_t num_full_table_rows)
 // Generate nxt table for ntod
 {
@@ -280,7 +265,6 @@ const char *cpp_skel[] = {
 struct flex_backend_t cpp_backend = {
 	.suffix = cpp_suffix,
 	.skel = cpp_skel,
-	.comment = cpp_comment,
 	.ntod = cpp_ntod,
 	.mkctbl = cpp_mkctbl,
 	.gen_yy_trans = cpp_gen_yy_trans,
diff --git a/src/flexdef.h b/src/flexdef.h
index dd600ebb..9a4090cd 100644
--- a/src/flexdef.h
+++ b/src/flexdef.h
@@ -306,8 +306,6 @@
 struct flex_backend_t {
 	const char *(*suffix)(void);		// Generate suffix for lexer source code
 	const char **skel;
-	// Language syntax generation
-	void (*comment)(const char *);		// Wrap a comment line
 	// Flex table generation
 	void (*ntod)(size_t);			// Generate nxt table initializer start (fulltbl mode)
 	void (*mkctbl)(size_t);			// Make full-speed compressed table initializer start
@@ -953,7 +951,7 @@ extern void out_m4_define(const char* def, const char* val);
 extern char *readable_form(int);
 
 /* Write out one section of the skeleton file. */
-extern void skelout(void);
+extern void skelout(bool);
 
 /* Output a yy_trans_info structure. */
 extern void transition_struct_out(int, int);
@@ -1029,6 +1027,8 @@ extern void lwarn(const char *);	/* report a warning */
 extern void yyerror(const char *);	/* report a parse error */
 extern int yyparse(void);		/* the YACC parser */
 
+/* Ship a comment to the generated output */
+extern void comment(const char *);
 
 /* from file scan.l */
 
diff --git a/src/gen.c b/src/gen.c
index 53ad6785..7bd258b5 100644
--- a/src/gen.c
+++ b/src/gen.c
@@ -844,7 +844,7 @@ void gentabs (void)
 void visible_define (const char *symname)
 {
 	out_m4_define(symname, NULL);
-	backend->comment(symname);
+	comment(symname);
 	outc ('\n');
 }
 
@@ -853,7 +853,7 @@ void visible_define_str (const char *symname, const char *val)
 	char buf[128];
 	out_m4_define(symname, val);
 	snprintf(buf, sizeof(buf), "%s = %s", symname, val);
-	backend->comment(buf);
+	comment(buf);
 	outc ('\n');
 }
 
@@ -924,13 +924,13 @@ void make_tables (void)
 		gentabs ();
 
 	snprintf(buf, sizeof(buf), "footprint: %ld bytes\n", footprint);
-	backend->comment(buf);
+	comment(buf);
 	outc ('\n');
 	
 	// Only at this point do we know if the automaton has backups.
 	// Some m4 conditionals require this information.
 
-	backend->comment("m4 controls begin\n");
+	comment("m4 controls begin\n");
 
 	if (num_backing_up > 0)
 		visible_define ( "M4_MODE_HAS_BACKING_UP");
@@ -941,7 +941,7 @@ void make_tables (void)
 	if ((num_backing_up > 0 && !reject) && (ctrl.fullspd || ctrl.fulltbl))
 		visible_define ( "M4_MODE_NULTRANS_WRAP");
 
-	backend->comment("m4 controls end\n");
+	comment("m4 controls end\n");
 	out ("\n");
 
 	if (ctrl.do_yylineno) {
diff --git a/src/main.c b/src/main.c
index 24b6003d..02a8d2ca 100644
--- a/src/main.c
+++ b/src/main.c
@@ -164,7 +164,7 @@ int flex_main (int argc, char *argv[])
 
 	readin ();
 
-	skelout ();		/* %% [1.0] DFA */
+	skelout (true);		/* %% [1.0] DFA */
 	footprint += ntod ();
 
 	for (i = 1; i <= num_rules; ++i)
@@ -177,7 +177,7 @@ int flex_main (int argc, char *argv[])
 			      ("-s option given but default rule can be matched"),
 			      rule_linenum[default_rule]);
 
-	backend->comment("START of m4 controls\n");
+	comment("START of m4 controls\n");
 
 	// mode switches for yy_trans_info specification
 	// nultrans
@@ -195,10 +195,10 @@ int flex_main (int argc, char *argv[])
 		    visible_define ( "M4_MODE_NO_NULTRANS_FULLSPD");
 	}
 	
-	backend->comment("END of m4 controls\n");
+	comment("END of m4 controls\n");
 	out ("\n");
 
-	backend->comment("START of Flex-generated definitions\n");
+	comment("START of Flex-generated definitions\n");
 	out_str_dec ("M4_HOOK_CONST_DEFINE(%s, %d)", "YY_NUM_RULES", num_rules);
 	out_str_dec ("M4_HOOK_CONST_DEFINE(%s, %d)", "YY_END_OF_BUFFER", num_rules + 1);
 	out_str_dec ("M4_HOOK_CONST_DEFINE(%s, %d)", "YY_JAMBASE", jambase);
@@ -208,27 +208,27 @@ int flex_main (int argc, char *argv[])
 	 * enough to hold the biggest offset.
 	 */
 	out_str3 ("M4_HOOK_CONST_DEFINE(%s, %s)", "YY_OFFSET_TYPE", backend->trans_offset_type(tblend + numecs + 1), "");
-	backend->comment("END of Flex-generated definitions\n");
+	comment("END of Flex-generated definitions\n");
 
-	skelout ();		/* %% [2.0] - tables get dumped here */
+	skelout (true);		/* %% [2.0] - tables get dumped here */
 
 	/* Generate the C state transition tables from the DFA. */
 	make_tables ();
 
-	skelout ();		/* %% [3.0] - mode-dependent static declarations get dumped here */
+	skelout (true);		/* %% [3.0] - mode-dependent static declarations get dumped here */
 
 	out (&action_array[defs1_offset]);
 
 	line_directive_out (stdout, 0);
 
-	skelout ();		/* %% [4.0] - various random yylex internals get dumped here */
+	skelout (true);		/* %% [4.0] - various random yylex internals get dumped here */
 
 	/* Copy prolog to output file. */
 	out (&action_array[prolog_offset]);
 
 	line_directive_out (stdout, 0);
 
-	skelout ();		/* %% [5.0] - main loop of matching-engine code gets dumped here */
+	skelout (true);		/* %% [5.0] - main loop of matching-engine code gets dumped here */
 
 	/* Copy actions to output file. */
 	out (&action_array[action_offset]);
@@ -249,7 +249,7 @@ int flex_main (int argc, char *argv[])
 		out ("M4_HOOK_EOF_STATE_CASE_TERMINATE");
 	}
 
-	skelout ();
+	skelout (true);
 
 	/* Copy remainder of input to output. */
 
@@ -1270,7 +1270,9 @@ void readin (void)
 
 	/* This is where we begin writing to the file. */
 
-	backend->comment("A lexical scanner generated by flex\n");
+	skelout(false);	/* [0.0] Make hook macros available, silently */
+
+	comment("A lexical scanner generated by flex\n");
 
 	/* Dump the %top code. */
 	if( top_buf.elts)
@@ -1394,15 +1396,12 @@ void readin (void)
 	if (ctrl.useecs)
 		ccl2ecl ();
 
-	out ("m4_changequote\n");
-	out ("m4_changequote([[, ]])\n");
-
 	// These are used to conditionalize code in the lex skeleton
 	// that historically used to be generated by C code in flex
 	// itself; by shoving all this stuff out to the skeleton file
 	// we make it easier to retarget the code generation.
 
-	backend->comment("START of m4 controls\n");
+	comment("START of m4 controls\n");
 
 	/* Define the start condition macros. */
 	{
@@ -1642,7 +1641,7 @@ void readin (void)
 	if (ctrl.stack_used)
 		visible_define("M4_YY_STACK_USED");
 
-	backend->comment("END of m4 controls\n");
+	comment("END of m4 controls\n");
 	out ("\n");
 }
 
diff --git a/src/misc.c b/src/misc.c
index b26e01f0..120a4e78 100644
--- a/src/misc.c
+++ b/src/misc.c
@@ -667,7 +667,7 @@ void   *reallocate_array (void *array, int size, size_t element_size)
  *    Copies skelfile or skel array to stdout until a line beginning with
  *    "%%" or EOF is found.
  */
-void skelout (void)
+void skelout (bool announce)
 {
 	char    buf_storage[MAXLINE];
 	char   *buf = buf_storage;
@@ -696,10 +696,10 @@ void skelout (void)
 			if (ctrl.ddebug && buf[1] != '#') {
 				bool escaped = buf[strlen (buf) - 1] == '\\';
 				if (escaped) {
-					backend->comment(buf);
+					comment(buf);
 					out ("\\\n");
 				} else {
-					backend->comment(buf);
+					comment(buf);
 					outc ('\n');
 				}
 			}
@@ -716,8 +716,10 @@ void skelout (void)
 			} 
 			else if (buf[1] == '%') {
 				/* %% is a break point for skelout() */
-				backend->comment(buf);
-				outc ('\n');
+				if (announce) {
+					comment(buf);
+					outc ('\n');
+				}
 				return;
 			}
 			else if (cmd_match (CMD_PUSH)){
@@ -725,7 +727,7 @@ void skelout (void)
 				if(ctrl.ddebug){
 					char buf2[MAXLINE];
 					snprintf(buf2, sizeof(buf2), "(state = (%s)\n",do_copy?"true":"false");
-					backend->comment(buf2);
+					comment(buf2);
 				}
 				out_str("%s\n", buf[strlen (buf) - 1] =='\\' ? "\\" : "");
 			}
@@ -734,7 +736,7 @@ void skelout (void)
 				if(ctrl.ddebug){
 					char buf2[MAXLINE];
 					snprintf(buf2, sizeof(buf2), "(state = (%s)\n",do_copy?"true":"false");
-					backend->comment(buf2);
+					comment(buf2);
 				}
 				out_str("%s\n", buf[strlen (buf) - 1] =='\\' ? "\\" : "");
 			}
@@ -865,3 +867,19 @@ char   *chomp (char *str)
 		*p-- = 0;
 	return str;
 }
+
+void comment(const char *txt)
+{
+	char buf[MAXLINE];
+	bool eol;
+
+	strncpy(buf, txt, MAXLINE-1);
+	eol = buf[strlen(buf)-1] == '\n';
+
+	if (eol)
+		buf[strlen(buf)-1] = '\0';
+	out_str("M4_HOOK_COMMENT_OPEN [[%s]] M4_HOOK_COMMENT_CLOSE", buf);
+	if (eol)
+		outc ('\n');
+}
+