diff -r d7aa625147f7 Lib/pydoc.py
--- a/Lib/pydoc.py	Sat Apr 06 20:26:53 2013 -0500
+++ b/Lib/pydoc.py	Thu Sep 26 16:54:52 2013 +0530
@@ -53,6 +53,8 @@
 #     path will be displayed.
 
 import sys, imp, os, re, types, inspect, __builtin__, pkgutil, warnings
+import tokenize, ast
+from token import tok_name
 from repr import Repr
 from string import expandtabs, find, join, lower, split, strip, rfind, rstrip
 from traceback import extract_tb
@@ -192,22 +194,15 @@
                 return True
     return False
 
-def source_synopsis(file):
-    line = file.readline()
-    while line[:1] == '#' or not strip(line):
-        line = file.readline()
-        if not line: break
-    line = strip(line)
-    if line[:4] == 'r"""': line = line[1:]
-    if line[:3] == '"""':
-        line = line[3:]
-        if line[-1:] == '\\': line = line[:-1]
-        while not strip(line):
-            line = file.readline()
-            if not line: break
-        result = strip(split(line, '"""')[0])
-    else: result = None
-    return result
+def source_synopsis(file_):
+    # generate_tokens always atleast returns ENDMARKER
+    for token in tokenize.generate_tokens(file_.readline):
+        token_name = tok_name[token[0]]
+        if token_name not in ['COMMENT', 'NL']:
+            break
+    if token_name == 'STRING':
+        return ast.literal_eval(token[1]).strip().split('\n')[0].strip()
+    return None
 
 def synopsis(filename, cache={}):
     """Get the one-line summary out of a module file."""
diff -r d7aa625147f7 Lib/test/test_pydoc.py
--- a/Lib/test/test_pydoc.py	Sat Apr 06 20:26:53 2013 -0500
+++ b/Lib/test/test_pydoc.py	Thu Sep 26 16:54:52 2013 +0530
@@ -12,7 +12,8 @@
 from collections import namedtuple
 from test.script_helper import assert_python_ok
 from test.test_support import (
-    TESTFN, rmtree, reap_children, captured_stdout)
+    TESTFN, rmtree, reap_children, captured_stdout, unlink)
+import StringIO
 
 from test import pydoc_mod
 
@@ -281,6 +282,31 @@
         self.assertEqual(expected, result,
             "documentation for missing module found")
 
+    def test_synopsis(self):
+        # issue 1185124
+        # summary is returned even for single triple quote docstrings
+        self.addCleanup(unlink, TESTFN)
+        with open(TESTFN, 'w') as f:
+            f.write('#!/usr/bin/python\n')
+            f.write("'''\nline 1: h\xe9\n")
+            f.write("line 2: hi'''\n")
+        synopsis = pydoc.synopsis(TESTFN, {})
+        self.assertEqual(synopsis, 'line 1: h\xe9')
+
+    def test_source_synopsis(self):
+        # extension to issue 1185124
+        # source_synopsis should work in all cases where __doc__ works 
+
+        # single quotes
+        example_string = "#!/usr/bin/python\n\n'Module summary'\nprint('hello')"
+        synopsis = pydoc.source_synopsis(StringIO.StringIO(example_string))
+        self.assertEqual(synopsis, 'Module summary')
+
+        # double quotes
+        example_string = '"summary"'
+        synopsis = pydoc.source_synopsis(StringIO.StringIO(example_string))
+        self.assertEqual(synopsis, 'summary')
+
     def test_input_strip(self):
         missing_module = " test.i_am_not_here "
         result = run_pydoc(missing_module)