diff --git a/lib/parse.js b/lib/parse.js
index 5d81ef0..b8ab953 100644
--- a/lib/parse.js
+++ b/lib/parse.js
@@ -36,16 +36,14 @@ module.exports = function parse(html, options) {
                 inComponent = false;
             }
         }
-        // check if this is a comment tag. if so, just return.
-        if (tag.indexOf('<!--') === 0) {
-            return;
-        }
+
         var isOpen = tag.charAt(1) !== '/';
+        var isComment = tag.indexOf('<!--') === 0;
         var start = index + tag.length;
         var nextChar = html.charAt(start);
         var parent;
 
-        if (isOpen) {
+        if (isOpen && !isComment) {
             level++;
 
             current = parseTag(tag);
@@ -74,8 +72,10 @@ module.exports = function parse(html, options) {
             arr[level] = current;
         }
 
-        if (!isOpen || current.voidElement) {
-            level--;
+        if (isComment || !isOpen || current.voidElement) {
+            if (!isComment) {
+                level--;
+            }
             if (!inComponent && nextChar !== '<' && nextChar) {
                 // trailing text node
                 // if we're at the root, push a base text node. otherwise add as
diff --git a/test/parse.js b/test/parse.js
index 4c2e446..c7406f5 100644
--- a/test/parse.js
+++ b/test/parse.js
@@ -385,7 +385,7 @@ test('parse', function (t) {
         ]
     }], 'should ignore HTML comments');
 
-    html = '<div>Hi <!-- I\'m a nested comment! with a <span></span> --></div><span><!--test--></span>';
+    html = '<div>Hi <!-- I\'m a nested comment! with a <span></span> -->there<strong>!</strong></div><span><!--test--></span>';
     parsed = HTML.parse(html);
     t.deepEqual(parsed, [{
         type: 'tag',
@@ -393,7 +393,15 @@ test('parse', function (t) {
         attrs: {},
         voidElement: false,
         children: [
-            { type: 'text', content: 'Hi '}
+            { type: 'text', content: 'Hi '},
+            { type: 'text', content: 'there'},
+            {
+                type: 'tag',
+                name: 'strong',
+                attrs: {},
+                voidElement: false,
+                children: [{ type: 'text', content: '!'}]
+            }
         ]
     },{
         type: 'tag',