Index: core/jbehave-core/src/main/java/org/jbehave/scenario/parser/PatternScenarioParser.java
===================================================================
--- core/jbehave-core/src/main/java/org/jbehave/scenario/parser/PatternScenarioParser.java	(revision 1572)
+++ core/jbehave-core/src/main/java/org/jbehave/scenario/parser/PatternScenarioParser.java	(revision )
@@ -266,7 +266,7 @@
 				keywords.when(), keywords.then(), keywords.others());
 		String scenario = keywords.scenario();
 		String table = keywords.examplesTable();
-		return compile("((" + givenWhenThen + ") (.|\\s)*?)\\s*(\\Z|"
-				+ givenWhenThenSpaced + "|" + scenario + "|"+ table + ")");
+		return compile("((" + givenWhenThen + ") (.)*?)\\s*(\\Z|"
+				+ givenWhenThenSpaced + "|" + scenario + "|"+ table + ")", DOTALL);
 	}
 }
Index: core/jbehave-core/src/behaviour/java/org/jbehave/scenario/parser/PatternScenarioParserBehaviour.java
===================================================================
--- core/jbehave-core/src/behaviour/java/org/jbehave/scenario/parser/PatternScenarioParserBehaviour.java	(revision 1572)
+++ core/jbehave-core/src/behaviour/java/org/jbehave/scenario/parser/PatternScenarioParserBehaviour.java	(revision )
@@ -183,6 +183,29 @@
     }
 
     @Test
+    public void shouldParseStoryWithVeryLongStep() {
+        String scenario = aScenarioWithAVeryLongGivenStep();
+        ensureThatScenarioCanBeParsed(scenario);
+    }
+
+    private String aScenarioWithAVeryLongGivenStep() {
+        StringBuilder longScenarioBuilder = new StringBuilder()
+                .append("Given all these examples:" + NL)
+                .append("|one|two|three|" + NL);
+        int numberOfLinesInStep = 50;
+        for (int i = 0; i < numberOfLinesInStep; i++) {
+            longScenarioBuilder.append("|a|sample|line|" + NL);
+        }
+        longScenarioBuilder.append("When I do something" + NL);
+        longScenarioBuilder.append("Then something should happen" + NL);
+        return longScenarioBuilder.toString();
+    }
+
+    private void ensureThatScenarioCanBeParsed(String scenario) {
+        parser.defineStoryFrom(scenario);
+    }
+
+    @Test
     public void shouldParseLongStoryWithKeywordSplitScenarios() {
     	ensureLongStoryCanBeParsed(parser);        
     }