diff --git a/lib/coderay/scanners/c.rb b/lib/coderay/scanners/c.rb
index fb2f30db..a0ac0b7c 100644
--- a/lib/coderay/scanners/c.rb
+++ b/lib/coderay/scanners/c.rb
@@ -73,6 +73,15 @@ def scan_tokens encoder, options
             end
             encoder.text_token match, :operator
 
+          elsif match = scan(/L?"/)
+            encoder.begin_group :string
+            if match[0] == ?L
+              encoder.text_token 'L', :modifier
+              match = '"'
+            end
+            encoder.text_token match, :delimiter
+            state = :string
+
           elsif match = scan(/ [A-Za-z_][A-Za-z_0-9]* /x)
             kind = IDENT_KIND[match]
             if kind == :ident && label_expected && !in_preproc_line && scan(/:(?!:)/)
@@ -89,15 +98,6 @@ def scan_tokens encoder, options
             end
             encoder.text_token match, kind
 
-          elsif match = scan(/L?"/)
-            encoder.begin_group :string
-            if match[0] == ?L
-              encoder.text_token 'L', :modifier
-              match = '"'
-            end
-            encoder.text_token match, :delimiter
-            state = :string
-
           elsif match = scan(/ \# \s* if \s* 0 /x)
             match << scan_until(/ ^\# (?:elif|else|endif) .*? $ | \z /xm) unless eos?
             encoder.text_token match, :comment
diff --git a/lib/coderay/scanners/cpp.rb b/lib/coderay/scanners/cpp.rb
index cd4d0941..15d1ffa0 100644
--- a/lib/coderay/scanners/cpp.rb
+++ b/lib/coderay/scanners/cpp.rb
@@ -89,6 +89,15 @@ def scan_tokens encoder, options
             end
             encoder.text_token match, :operator
 
+          elsif match = scan(/L?"/)
+            encoder.begin_group :string
+            if match[0] == ?L
+              encoder.text_token 'L', :modifier
+              match = '"'
+            end
+            state = :string
+            encoder.text_token match, :delimiter
+
           elsif match = scan(/ [A-Za-z_][A-Za-z_0-9]* /x)
             kind = IDENT_KIND[match]
             if kind == :ident && label_expected && !in_preproc_line && scan(/:(?!:)/)
@@ -110,15 +119,6 @@ def scan_tokens encoder, options
           elsif match = scan(/\$/)
             encoder.text_token match, :ident
 
-          elsif match = scan(/L?"/)
-            encoder.begin_group :string
-            if match[0] == ?L
-              encoder.text_token match, 'L', :modifier
-              match = '"'
-            end
-            state = :string
-            encoder.text_token match, :delimiter
-
           elsif match = scan(/#[ \t]*(\w*)/)
             encoder.text_token match, :preprocessor
             in_preproc_line = true