diff --git a/src/emitter.cpp b/src/emitter.cpp
index ad21e22..c49fcc9 100644
--- a/src/emitter.cpp
+++ b/src/emitter.cpp
@@ -186,6 +186,7 @@ namespace YAML
 			case ES_WRITING_FLOW_SEQ_ENTRY:
 				return true;
 			case ES_DONE_WITH_FLOW_SEQ_ENTRY:
+				EmitSeparationIfNecessary();
 				m_stream << ',';
 				m_pState->RequireSoftSeparation();
 				m_pState->SwitchState(ES_WAITING_FOR_FLOW_SEQ_ENTRY);
@@ -221,9 +222,9 @@ namespace YAML
 				m_pState->SetError(ErrorMsg::EXPECTED_KEY_TOKEN);
 				return true;
 			case ES_WAITING_FOR_FLOW_MAP_KEY:
+				EmitSeparationIfNecessary();
 				m_pState->SwitchState(ES_WRITING_FLOW_MAP_KEY);
 				if(m_pState->CurrentlyInLongKey()) {
-					EmitSeparationIfNecessary();
 					m_stream << '?';
 					m_pState->RequireSoftSeparation();
 				}
@@ -234,6 +235,7 @@ namespace YAML
 				m_pState->SetError(ErrorMsg::EXPECTED_VALUE_TOKEN);
 				return true;
 			case ES_WAITING_FOR_FLOW_MAP_VALUE:
+				EmitSeparationIfNecessary();
 				m_stream << ':';
 				m_pState->RequireSoftSeparation();
 				m_pState->SwitchState(ES_WRITING_FLOW_MAP_VALUE);
@@ -496,6 +498,7 @@ namespace YAML
 		} else if(flowType == FT_FLOW) {
 			// Note: flow maps are allowed to be empty
 			assert(curState == ES_DONE_WITH_FLOW_MAP_VALUE || curState == ES_WAITING_FOR_FLOW_MAP_ENTRY);
+			EmitSeparationIfNecessary();
 			m_stream << "}";
 		} else
 			assert(false);
@@ -526,6 +529,7 @@ namespace YAML
 			m_pState->UnsetSeparation();
 			m_pState->SwitchState(ES_WAITING_FOR_BLOCK_MAP_KEY);
 		} else if(flowType == FT_FLOW) {
+			EmitSeparationIfNecessary();
 			if(curState == ES_DONE_WITH_FLOW_MAP_VALUE) {
 				m_stream << ',';
 				m_pState->RequireSoftSeparation();
@@ -796,8 +800,12 @@ namespace YAML
 		if(!good())
 			return *this;
 		
-		m_stream << Indentation(m_pState->GetPreCommentIndent());
+		if(m_stream.col() > 0)
+			m_stream << Indentation(m_pState->GetPreCommentIndent());
 		Utils::WriteComment(m_stream, comment.content, m_pState->GetPostCommentIndent());
+		m_pState->RequireHardSeparation();
+		m_pState->ForceHardSeparation();
+		
 		return *this;
 	}
 
diff --git a/src/emitterutils.cpp b/src/emitterutils.cpp
index 38bd18f..5bc0ba9 100644
--- a/src/emitterutils.cpp
+++ b/src/emitterutils.cpp
@@ -267,7 +267,7 @@ namespace YAML
 		
 		bool WriteComment(ostream& out, const std::string& str, int postCommentIndent)
 		{
-			unsigned curIndent = out.col();
+			const unsigned curIndent = out.col();
 			out << "#" << Indentation(postCommentIndent);
 			int codePoint;
 			for(std::string::const_iterator i = str.begin();
diff --git a/test/emittertests.cpp b/test/emittertests.cpp
index c3e0be7..246cd2d 100644
--- a/test/emittertests.cpp
+++ b/test/emittertests.cpp
@@ -503,6 +503,40 @@ namespace Test
 			
 			desiredOutput = "? long key  # long key\n: value";
 		}
+		
+		void InitialComment(YAML::Emitter& out, std::string& desiredOutput)
+		{
+			out << YAML::Comment("A comment describing the purpose of the file.");
+			out << YAML::BeginMap << YAML::Key << "key" << YAML::Value << "value" << YAML::EndMap;
+			
+			desiredOutput = "# A comment describing the purpose of the file.\nkey: value";
+		}
+
+		void InitialCommentWithDocIndicator(YAML::Emitter& out, std::string& desiredOutput)
+		{
+			out << YAML::BeginDoc << YAML::Comment("A comment describing the purpose of the file.");
+			out << YAML::BeginMap << YAML::Key << "key" << YAML::Value << "value" << YAML::EndMap;
+			
+			desiredOutput = "---\n# A comment describing the purpose of the file.\nkey: value";
+		}
+
+		void CommentInFlowSeq(YAML::Emitter& out, std::string& desiredOutput)
+		{
+			out << YAML::Flow << YAML::BeginSeq << "foo" << YAML::Comment("foo!") << "bar" << YAML::EndSeq;
+			
+			desiredOutput = "[foo  # foo!\n, bar]";
+		}
+
+		void CommentInFlowMap(YAML::Emitter& out, std::string& desiredOutput)
+		{
+			out << YAML::Flow << YAML::BeginMap;
+			out << YAML::Key << "foo" << YAML::Comment("foo!") << YAML::Value << "foo value";
+			out << YAML::Key << "bar" << YAML::Value << "bar value" << YAML::Comment("bar!");
+			out << YAML::Key << "baz" << YAML::Comment("baz!") << YAML::Value << "baz value" << YAML::Comment("baz!");
+			out << YAML::EndMap;
+			
+			desiredOutput = "{foo  # foo!\n: foo value, bar: bar value  # bar!\n, baz  # baz!\n: baz value  # baz!\n}";
+		}
 
 		void Indentation(YAML::Emitter& out, std::string& desiredOutput)
 		{
@@ -980,6 +1014,10 @@ namespace Test
 		RunEmitterTest(&Emitter::SimpleComment, "simple comment", passed, total);
 		RunEmitterTest(&Emitter::MultiLineComment, "multi-line comment", passed, total);
 		RunEmitterTest(&Emitter::ComplexComments, "complex comments", passed, total);
+		RunEmitterTest(&Emitter::InitialComment, "initial comment", passed, total);
+		RunEmitterTest(&Emitter::InitialCommentWithDocIndicator, "initial comment with doc indicator", passed, total);
+		RunEmitterTest(&Emitter::CommentInFlowSeq, "comment in flow seq", passed, total);
+		RunEmitterTest(&Emitter::CommentInFlowMap, "comment in flow map", passed, total);
 		RunEmitterTest(&Emitter::Indentation, "indentation", passed, total);
 		RunEmitterTest(&Emitter::SimpleGlobalSettings, "simple global settings", passed, total);
 		RunEmitterTest(&Emitter::ComplexGlobalSettings, "complex global settings", passed, total);