diff --git a/mode/perl.py b/mode/perl.py
index e03e479..37582b0 100644
--- a/mode/perl.py
+++ b/mode/perl.py
@@ -33,12 +33,17 @@ def _make_string_rules(forbidden):
     ]
     return rules
 
-class NoParen(Grammar):     rules = [PatternRule(r'data', 'r[^\)]+')]
-class NoBrace(Grammar):     rules = [PatternRule(r'data', 'r[^\}]+')]
-class NoBracket(Grammar):   rules = [PatternRule(r'data', 'r[^\]]+')]
-class NoAngle(Grammar):     rules = [PatternRule(r'data', 'r[^>]+')]
-class NoHash(Grammar):      rules = [PatternRule(r'data', 'r[^#]+')]
-class DataGrammar(Grammar): rules = [PatternRule(r'data', '.+')]
+class QuotedWords(Grammar): rules = [
+    PatternRule(r'data', r'[a-zA-Z0-9_]+'),
+    PatternRule(r'eol', r'\n'),
+    PatternRule(r'spaces', r' +'),
+]
+class NoParen(Grammar):     rules = [PatternRule(r'data', r'[^)]+')]
+class NoBrace(Grammar):     rules = [PatternRule(r'data', r'[^\}]+')]
+class NoBracket(Grammar):   rules = [PatternRule(r'data', r'[^\]]+')]
+class NoAngle(Grammar):     rules = [PatternRule(r'data', r'[^>]+')]
+class NoHash(Grammar):      rules = [PatternRule(r'data', r'[^#]+')]
+class DataGrammar(Grammar): rules = [PatternRule(r'data', r'.+')]
 
 class StrictStringGrammar(Grammar):
     rules = [
@@ -157,7 +162,7 @@ class PerlGrammar(Grammar):
         RegionRule(r'quoted', r'q[rqx](?P<delim>#)', StringGrammar, r'#'),
 
         # quote operator: q() and qw() do not interpolate
-        RegionRule(r'quoted', r'qw? *\(', NoParen, r'\)'),
+        RegionRule(r'quoted', r'qw? *\(', QuotedWords, r'\)'),
         RegionRule(r'quoted', r'qw? *{', NoBrace, r'}'),
         RegionRule(r'quoted', r'qw? *<', NoAngle, r'>'),
         RegionRule(r'quoted', r'qw? *\[', NoBracket, r'\]'),