diff --git a/app/models/comment.rb b/app/models/comment.rb
index 0f3fec09a..21faf3994 100644
--- a/app/models/comment.rb
+++ b/app/models/comment.rb
@@ -75,13 +75,17 @@ class Comment < ActiveRecord::Base
     self.post = parent
   end
 
+  def text= text
+     self[:text] = text.to_s.strip #to_s if for nil, for whatever reason
+  end
+
   class Generator < Federated::Generator
     def self.federated_class
       Comment
     end
 
     def initialize(person, target, text)
-      @text = text.strip		# remove leading and trailing whitespace now, otherwise it can cause signature issues
+      @text = text
       super(person, target)
     end
 
diff --git a/spec/integration/receiving_spec.rb b/spec/integration/receiving_spec.rb
index 3a3ac786c..cd55695d0 100644
--- a/spec/integration/receiving_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/integration/receiving_spec.rb
@@ -183,12 +183,28 @@ describe 'a user receives a post' do
           receive_with_zord(eve, alice.person, xml)
 
           comment = eve.comment!(@post, 'tada')
+          # Note: eve.comment! has already initialized comment.parent_author_signature. Writing to it again
+          # here causes the test to be different than the way the system actually runs
           comment.parent_author_signature = comment.sign_with_key(alice.encryption_key)
           @xml = comment.to_diaspora_xml
           comment.delete
+
+          comment_with_whitespace = alice.comment!(@post, '   I cannot lift my thumb from the spacebar  ')
+          @xml_with_whitespace = comment_with_whitespace.to_diaspora_xml
+          @guid_with_whitespace = comment_with_whitespace.guid
+          comment_with_whitespace.delete
         end
       end
 
+      it 'should receive a relayed comment with leading whitespace' do
+        eve.reload.visible_shareables(Post).size.should == 1
+        post_in_db = StatusMessage.find(@post.id)
+        post_in_db.comments.should == []
+        receive_with_zord(eve, alice.person, @xml_with_whitespace)
+
+        post_in_db.comments(true).first.guid.should == @guid_with_whitespace
+      end
+
       it 'should correctly attach the user already on the pod' do
         bob.reload.visible_shareables(Post).size.should == 1
         post_in_db = StatusMessage.find(@post.id)