diff --git a/R/engine_batch.R b/R/engine_batch.R
index e1845b7..18afd6f 100644
--- a/R/engine_batch.R
+++ b/R/engine_batch.R
@@ -448,15 +448,18 @@ rta_parse_write_table <- function(tok) {
   c <- tail_next_char(t)
   if (c != ",") stop_batch(", expected; not a ", c)
 
+  # Multiple options form one series token (legacy writeTableBatch):
+  # the token is chomped in 2-letter code + sign chunks until empty.
   options <- character(0)
-  repeat {
-    hs <- toupper(tail_next_token(t))
-    if (hs == "") break
-    if (nchar(hs) < 3L) stop_batch("Unknown option (", hs, ")")
+  hs <- toupper(tail_next_token(t))
+  while (nzchar(hs)) {
+    if (nchar(hs) < 2L) stop_batch("Unknown option (", hs, ")")
     opt <- substring(hs, 1L, 2L)
-    sign <- substring(hs, 3L, 3L)
+    hs <- trimws(substring(hs, 3L))
+    sign <- substring(hs, 1L, 1L)
     if (!(sign %in% c("+", "-")))
       stop_batch("+ or - expected; not a ", sign)
+    hs <- trimws(substring(hs, 2L))
     options <- c(options, paste0(sign, opt))
   }
 
diff --git a/tests/testthat/test_engine_parse.R b/tests/testthat/test_engine_parse.R
index cadd011..68db46e 100644
--- a/tests/testthat/test_engine_parse.R
+++ b/tests/testthat/test_engine_parse.R
@@ -142,6 +142,26 @@ test_that("WRITETABLE grammar: options, empty-options form and type bounds", {
   expect_error(rtauargus.native:::parse_batch(p3), class = "BatchError")
 })
 
+test_that("WRITETABLE option series: multiple options in one token", {
+  # Legacy writeTableBatch (batch.java) reads one option token and
+  # chomps it in 2-letter code + sign chunks, so AS+AR+ is a series of
+  # two options. The port must keep every option, not silently drop
+  # all but the first.
+  p <- local_arb(c('<WRITETABLE> (1, 5, AS+AR+, "out.tab")'))
+  cmd <- rtauargus.native:::parse_batch(p)[[1]]
+  expect_equal(cmd$options, c("+AS", "+AR"))
+  expect_equal(cmd$file, "out.tab")
+
+  p2 <- local_arb(c('<WRITETABLE> (1, 5, AS+AR+SO-, "out.tab")'))
+  cmd2 <- rtauargus.native:::parse_batch(p2)[[1]]
+  expect_equal(cmd2$options, c("+AS", "+AR", "-SO"))
+  expect_equal(cmd2$file, "out.tab")
+
+  # a sign-less tail of the series is an error, not a silent drop
+  p3 <- local_arb(c('<WRITETABLE> (1, 5, AS+AR, "out.tab")'))
+  expect_error(rtauargus.native:::parse_batch(p3), class = "BatchError")
+})
+
 test_that("READTABLE flags are parsed", {
   # READTABLE is only allowed in table-input position (after the data,
   # metadata and table specification)