diff --git a/mode/perl.py b/mode/perl.py
index b95615a..f966976 100644
--- a/mode/perl.py
+++ b/mode/perl.py
@@ -31,6 +31,10 @@ def _make_string_rules(forbidden=None):
     ]
     return rules
 
+class StrictStringGrammar(Grammar):
+    rules = [
+        PatternRule(r'escaped', r"\\'"),
+    ]
 class StringGrammar(Grammar):
     rules = _make_string_rules()
 
@@ -60,7 +64,7 @@ class PerlGrammar(Grammar):
 
         PatternRule(r'comment', r'#.*$'),
         RegionRule(r'perl_string', r'"', StringGrammar, r'"'),
-        RegionRule(r'perl_string', r"'", Grammar, r"'"),
+        RegionRule(r'perl_string', r"'", StrictStringGrammar, r"'"),
         RegionRule(r'evalstring', r"`", StringGrammar, r"`"),
         PatternRule(r'number', r'0?\.[0-9]+|[0-9]+(?:\.[0-9]+)?'),
         PatternRule(r'perl_keyword', r"(?<!->)(?:STDIN|STDERR|STDOUT|continue|do|else|elsif|eval|foreach|for|if|last|my|next|our|package|require|return|sub|undef|unless|until|use|while)(?![a-zA-Z0-9_])"),