diff --git a/Lib/idlelib/codecontext.py b/Lib/idlelib/codecontext.py
index 316e5109e6c..2bfb2e988ff 100644
--- a/Lib/idlelib/codecontext.py
+++ b/Lib/idlelib/codecontext.py
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@
 from idlelib.config import idleConf
 
 BLOCKOPENERS = {"class", "def", "elif", "else", "except", "finally", "for",
-                    "if", "try", "while", "with"}
+                "if", "try", "while", "with", "async"}
 UPDATEINTERVAL = 100 # millisec
 FONTUPDATEINTERVAL = 1000 # millisec
 
diff --git a/Misc/NEWS.d/next/IDLE/2018-05-17-19-41-12.bpo-33564.XzHZJe.rst b/Misc/NEWS.d/next/IDLE/2018-05-17-19-41-12.bpo-33564.XzHZJe.rst
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..df828485f69
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Misc/NEWS.d/next/IDLE/2018-05-17-19-41-12.bpo-33564.XzHZJe.rst
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+IDLE's code context now recognizes async as a block opener.