diff --git a/bashlex/parser.py b/bashlex/parser.py
index ddf59066..d28186b3 100644
--- a/bashlex/parser.py
+++ b/bashlex/parser.py
@@ -360,6 +360,8 @@ def p_elif_clause(p):
     for i in range(1, len(p)):
         if isinstance(p[i], ast.node):
             parts.append(p[i])
+        elif isinstance(p[i], list):
+            parts.extend(p[i])
         else:
             parts.append(ast.node(kind='reservedword', word=p[i], pos=p.lexspan(i)))
     p[0] = parts
diff --git a/bashlex/tokenizer.py b/bashlex/tokenizer.py
index 46ed3980..a69aa457 100644
--- a/bashlex/tokenizer.py
+++ b/bashlex/tokenizer.py
@@ -969,11 +969,14 @@ def handledollarword():
     def _is_assignment(self, value, iscompassign):
         c = value[0]
 
-        def legalvariablechar(x):
+        def legalvariablestarter(x):
             return x.isalpha() or x == '_'
 
-        if not legalvariablechar(c):
-            return
+        def legalvariablechar(x):
+            return x.isalnum() or x == '_'
+
+        if not legalvariablestarter(c):
+            return False
 
         for i, c in enumerate(value):
             if c == '=':
diff --git a/tests/test-tokenizer.py b/tests/test-tokenizer.py
index de70f18d..9871c074 100644
--- a/tests/test-tokenizer.py
+++ b/tests/test-tokenizer.py
@@ -24,6 +24,14 @@ def assertTokens(self, s, tokens):
         for t in tokens:
             self.assertEquals(str(t.value), s[t.lexpos:t.endlexpos])
 
+    def assertNotTokens(self, s, tokens):
+        result = tokenize(s)
+        
+        if result[-1].value == '\n':
+            result.pop()
+
+        self.assertNotEqual(result, tokens)
+    
     def test_empty_string(self):
         self.assertEquals(len(tokenize('')), 0)
 
@@ -331,3 +339,19 @@ def test_tokenize(self):
                           t(tt.WORD, 'a', [0, 1]),
                           t(tt.WORD, "'b  '", [2, 7], set([flags.word.QUOTED])),
                           t(tt.WORD, 'c', [8, 9])])
+
+    def test_variables(self):
+        s = 'a0_=b'
+        self.assertTokens(s, [
+                          t(tt.ASSIGNMENT_WORD, 'a0_=b', [0, 5],
+                            flags=set([flags.word.NOSPLIT, flags.word.ASSIGNMENT]))])
+
+        s = 'a0_+=b'
+        self.assertTokens(s, [
+                          t(tt.ASSIGNMENT_WORD, 'a0_+=b', [0, 6],
+                            flags=set([flags.word.NOSPLIT, flags.word.ASSIGNMENT]))])
+
+        s = '0var=1'
+        self.assertTokens(s, [
+                          t(tt.WORD, '0var=1', [0, 6],
+                            flags=set([]))])
\ No newline at end of file