diff --git a/youtube-dl b/youtube-dl
index 9e2862123c..ff8ad71771 100755
--- a/youtube-dl
+++ b/youtube-dl
@@ -571,7 +571,7 @@ class InfoExtractor(object):
 class YoutubeIE(InfoExtractor):
 	"""Information extractor for youtube.com."""
 
-	_VALID_URL = r'^((?:http://)?(?:\w+\.)?youtube\.com/(?:(?:v/)|(?:(?:watch(?:\.php)?)?\?(?:.+&)?v=)))?([0-9A-Za-z_-]+)(?(1).+)?$'
+	_VALID_URL = r'^((?:http://)?(?:\w+\.)?youtube\.com/(?:(?:v/)|(?:(?:watch(?:\.php)?)?[\?#](?:.+&)?v=)))?([0-9A-Za-z_-]+)(?(1).+)?$'
 	_LANG_URL = r'http://uk.youtube.com/?hl=en&persist_hl=1&gl=US&persist_gl=1&opt_out_ackd=1'
 	_LOGIN_URL = 'http://www.youtube.com/signup?next=/&gl=US&hl=en'
 	_AGE_URL = 'http://www.youtube.com/verify_age?next_url=/&gl=US&hl=en'