diff --git a/com.google.eclipse.protobuf.ui/src/com/google/eclipse/protobuf/ui/commands/SmartSemicolonHandler.java b/com.google.eclipse.protobuf.ui/src/com/google/eclipse/protobuf/ui/commands/SmartSemicolonHandler.java
index a0a43f5..6e3ba10 100644
--- a/com.google.eclipse.protobuf.ui/src/com/google/eclipse/protobuf/ui/commands/SmartSemicolonHandler.java
+++ b/com.google.eclipse.protobuf.ui/src/com/google/eclipse/protobuf/ui/commands/SmartSemicolonHandler.java
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@
 import com.google.eclipse.protobuf.grammar.CommonKeyword;
 import com.google.eclipse.protobuf.protobuf.*;
 import com.google.eclipse.protobuf.protobuf.Enum;
+import com.google.eclipse.protobuf.ui.preferences.pages.editor.numerictag.*;
 import com.google.eclipse.protobuf.ui.util.*;
 import com.google.eclipse.protobuf.util.ModelNodes;
 import com.google.inject.Inject;
@@ -53,6 +54,7 @@
   @Inject private HighlightingReconciler highlightingReconciler;
   @Inject private Literals literals;
   @Inject private ModelNodes nodes;
+  @Inject private NumericTagPreferencesFactory preferencesFactory;
   @Inject private ParserBasedContentAssistContextFactory contextFactory;
 
   private static final String SEMICOLON = CommonKeyword.SEMICOLON.toString();
@@ -166,17 +168,20 @@
   private void updateIndexInCommentOfParent(EObject o, int index, IXtextDocument document) {
     EObject parent = o.eContainer();
     if (parent == null) return;
-    String pattern = "Next[\\s]+Id:[\\s]+[\\d]+";
-    Pair<INode, Matcher> match = commentNodesFinder.matchingCommentNode(parent, pattern);
-    if (match == null) return;
-    String original = match.getSecond().group();
-    String replacement = NUMBERS_PATTERN.matcher(original).replaceFirst(String.valueOf(index + 1));
-    INode node = match.getFirst();
-    int offset = node.getTotalOffset() + node.getText().indexOf(original);
-    try {
-      document.replace(offset, original.length(), replacement);
-    } catch (BadLocationException e) {
-      logger.error("Unable to update comment tracking next tag number", e);
+    NumericTagPreferences preferences = preferencesFactory.preferences();
+    for (String pattern : preferences.patterns()) {
+      Pair<INode, Matcher> match = commentNodesFinder.matchingCommentNode(parent, pattern);
+      if (match == null) return;
+      String original = match.getSecond().group();
+      String replacement = NUMBERS_PATTERN.matcher(original).replaceFirst(String.valueOf(index + 1));
+      INode node = match.getFirst();
+      int offset = node.getTotalOffset() + node.getText().indexOf(original);
+      try {
+        document.replace(offset, original.length(), replacement);
+      } catch (BadLocationException e) {
+        String format = "Unable to update comment tracking next tag number using pattern '%s'";
+        logger.error(String.format(format, pattern), e);
+      }
     }
   }
 
diff --git a/com.google.eclipse.protobuf.ui/src/com/google/eclipse/protobuf/ui/preferences/pages/editor/numerictag/NumericTagPreferences.java b/com.google.eclipse.protobuf.ui/src/com/google/eclipse/protobuf/ui/preferences/pages/editor/numerictag/NumericTagPreferences.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..cd13a7b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/com.google.eclipse.protobuf.ui/src/com/google/eclipse/protobuf/ui/preferences/pages/editor/numerictag/NumericTagPreferences.java
@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright (c) 2011 Google Inc.
+ *
+ * All rights reserved. This program and the accompanying materials are made available under the terms of the Eclipse
+ * Public License v1.0 which accompanies this distribution, and is available at
+ *
+ * http://www.eclipse.org/legal/epl-v10.html
+ */
+package com.google.eclipse.protobuf.ui.preferences.pages.editor.numerictag;
+
+import org.eclipse.jface.preference.IPreferenceStore;
+
+import java.util.List;
+
+/**
+ * "Numeric tag" preferences, retrieved from an <code>{@link IPreferenceStore}</code>.
+ * 
+ * @author alruiz@google.com (Alex Ruiz)
+ */
+public class NumericTagPreferences {
+
+  private final List<String> patterns;
+  
+  NumericTagPreferences(RawPreferences preferences) {
+    patterns = preferences.patterns().value();
+  }
+  
+  public List<String> patterns() {
+    return patterns;
+  }
+}
diff --git a/com.google.eclipse.protobuf.ui/src/com/google/eclipse/protobuf/ui/preferences/pages/editor/numerictag/NumericTagPreferencesFactory.java b/com.google.eclipse.protobuf.ui/src/com/google/eclipse/protobuf/ui/preferences/pages/editor/numerictag/NumericTagPreferencesFactory.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5c22c08
--- /dev/null
+++ b/com.google.eclipse.protobuf.ui/src/com/google/eclipse/protobuf/ui/preferences/pages/editor/numerictag/NumericTagPreferencesFactory.java
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright (c) 2011 Google Inc.
+ *
+ * All rights reserved. This program and the accompanying materials are made available under the terms of the Eclipse
+ * Public License v1.0 which accompanies this distribution, and is available at
+ *
+ * http://www.eclipse.org/legal/epl-v10.html
+ */
+package com.google.eclipse.protobuf.ui.preferences.pages.editor.numerictag;
+
+import com.google.inject.Inject;
+
+import org.eclipse.jface.preference.IPreferenceStore;
+import org.eclipse.xtext.ui.editor.preferences.IPreferenceStoreAccess;
+
+/**
+ * Factory of <code>{@link NumericTagPreferences}</code>.
+ *
+ * @author alruiz@google.com (Alex Ruiz)
+ */
+public class NumericTagPreferencesFactory {
+
+  @Inject private IPreferenceStoreAccess storeAccess;
+
+  public NumericTagPreferences preferences() {
+    IPreferenceStore store = storeAccess.getWritablePreferenceStore();
+    return new NumericTagPreferences(new RawPreferences(store));
+  }
+}