diff --git a/app/helpers/markdownify_helper.rb b/app/helpers/markdownify_helper.rb
index 587a50ad1..e9af64fb1 100644
--- a/app/helpers/markdownify_helper.rb
+++ b/app/helpers/markdownify_helper.rb
@@ -22,11 +22,11 @@ module MarkdownifyHelper
   end
 
   def process_links(message)
-    message.gsub!(/\[([^\[]+)\]\(([^ ]+) \"(([^&]|(&[^q])|(&q[^u])|(&qu[^o])|(&quo[^t])|(&quot[^;]))+)\"\)/) do |m|
+    message.gsub!(/\[\s*([^\[]+)\s*\]\(\s*([^ ]+\s*) \"(([^&]|(&[^q])|(&q[^u])|(&qu[^o])|(&quo[^t])|(&quot[^;]))+)\"\s*\)/) do |m|
       escape = "\\"
-      link = $1
-      url = $2
-      title = $3
+      link = $1.strip
+      url = $2.strip
+      title = $3.strip
       url.gsub!("_", "\\_")
       url.gsub!("*", "\\*")
       protocol = (url =~ /^\w+:\/\//) ? '' :'http://'
@@ -34,10 +34,10 @@ module MarkdownifyHelper
       res
     end
 
-    message.gsub!(/\[([^\[]+)\]\(([^ ]+)\)/) do |m|
+    message.gsub!(/\[\s*([^\[]+)\s*\]\(\s*([^ ]+)\s*\)/) do |m|
       escape = "\\"
-      link = $1
-      url = $2
+      link = $1.strip
+      url = $2.strip
       url.gsub!("_", "\\_")
       url.gsub!("*", "\\*")
       protocol = (url =~ /^\w+:\/\//) ? '' :'http://'
diff --git a/spec/helpers/markdownify_helper_spec.rb b/spec/helpers/markdownify_helper_spec.rb
index a30ee28e0..7bfb4b3b8 100644
--- a/spec/helpers/markdownify_helper_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/helpers/markdownify_helper_spec.rb
@@ -214,7 +214,7 @@ describe MarkdownifyHelper do
       end
 
       it "should have a robust link parsing" do
-        message = "This [*text*](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Text_(literary_theory)) with many [links](google.com) tests [_http_](http://google.com/search?q=with_multiple__underscores*and**asterisks), [___FTP___](ftp://ftp.uni-kl.de/CCC/26C3/mp4/26c3-3540-en-a_hackers_utopia.mp4 \"File Transfer Protocol\"), [**any protocol**](foo://bar.example.org/yes_it*makes*no_sense)"
+        message = "This [ *text* ]( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Text_(literary_theory) ) with many [ links]( google.com) tests [_http_](http://google.com/search?q=with_multiple__underscores*and**asterisks ), [___FTP___]( ftp://ftp.uni-kl.de/CCC/26C3/mp4/26c3-3540-en-a_hackers_utopia.mp4 \"File Transfer Protocol\"), [**any protocol**](foo://bar.example.org/yes_it*makes*no_sense)"
         markdownify(message).should == 'This <a target="_blank" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Text_(literary_theory)"><em>text</em></a> with many <a target="_blank" href="http://google.com">links</a> tests <a target="_blank" href="http://google.com/search?q=with_multiple__underscores*and**asterisks"><em>http</em></a>, <a target="_blank" href="ftp://ftp.uni-kl.de/CCC/26C3/mp4/26c3-3540-en-a_hackers_utopia.mp4" title="File Transfer Protocol"><em><strong>FTP</strong></em></a>, <a target="_blank" href="foo://bar.example.org/yes_it*makes*no_sense"><strong>any protocol</strong></a>'
       end
     end