diff --git a/loki/ir/pragma_utils.py b/loki/ir/pragma_utils.py
index 99d9362c0..3a17a822a 100644
--- a/loki/ir/pragma_utils.py
+++ b/loki/ir/pragma_utils.py
@@ -487,12 +487,12 @@ def _matches_starting_pragma(start, p):
     matches = []
     stack = []
     for i, p in enumerate(pragmas):
-        if 'end' not in p.content.lower():
+        if 'end' not in p.content.lower().split(' '):
             # If we encounter one that does have a match, stack it
             if any(_matches_starting_pragma(p, p2) for p2 in pragmas[i:]):
                 stack.append(p)
 
-        elif 'end' in p.content.lower() and stack:
+        elif 'end' in p.content.lower().split(' ') and stack:
             # If we and end that matches our last stacked, keep it!
             if _matches_starting_pragma(stack[-1], p):
                 p1 = stack.pop()
diff --git a/loki/ir/tests/test_pragma_utils.py b/loki/ir/tests/test_pragma_utils.py
index 92e05d001..f785a67f2 100644
--- a/loki/ir/tests/test_pragma_utils.py
+++ b/loki/ir/tests/test_pragma_utils.py
@@ -513,7 +513,7 @@ def test_tools_pragma_regions_attached_nested(frontend):
 
   out(0) = -2.0
 
-  !$loki data nofoo
+  !$loki data nofoo endfoo
   do i=1,n
     !$loki do_nothing
     out(i) = 0.0