diff --git a/src/node.js b/src/node.js
index bafdddbb..e50aabe5 100644
--- a/src/node.js
+++ b/src/node.js
@@ -19,24 +19,33 @@ function isBlank (node) {
 }
 
 function flankingWhitespace (node) {
-  var leading = ''
-  var trailing = ''
+  if (node.isBlock) return { leading: '', trailing: '' }
 
-  if (!node.isBlock) {
-    var hasLeading = /^\s/.test(node.textContent)
-    var hasTrailing = /\s$/.test(node.textContent)
-    var blankWithSpaces = node.isBlank && hasLeading && hasTrailing
+  var edges = edgeWhitespace(node.textContent)
 
-    if (hasLeading && !isFlankedByWhitespace('left', node)) {
-      leading = ' '
-    }
+  // abandon leading ASCII WS if left-flanked by ASCII WS
+  if (edges.leadingAscii && isFlankedByWhitespace('left', node)) {
+    edges.leading = edges.leadingNonAscii
+  }
 
-    if (!blankWithSpaces && hasTrailing && !isFlankedByWhitespace('right', node)) {
-      trailing = ' '
-    }
+  // abandon trailing ASCII WS if right-flanked by ASCII WS
+  if (edges.trailingAscii && isFlankedByWhitespace('right', node)) {
+    edges.trailing = edges.trailingNonAscii
   }
 
-  return { leading: leading, trailing: trailing }
+  return { leading: edges.leading, trailing: edges.trailing }
+}
+
+function edgeWhitespace (string) {
+  var m = string.match(/^(([ \t\r\n]*)(\s*))[\s\S]*?((\s*?)([ \t\r\n]*))$/)
+  return {
+    leading: m[1], // whole string for whitespace-only strings
+    leadingAscii: m[2],
+    leadingNonAscii: m[3],
+    trailing: m[4], // empty for whitespace-only strings
+    trailingNonAscii: m[5],
+    trailingAscii: m[6]
+  }
 }
 
 function isFlankedByWhitespace (side, node) {
diff --git a/test/index.html b/test/index.html
index 4dd70aa0..31c5f968 100644
--- a/test/index.html
+++ b/test/index.html
@@ -930,7 +930,7 @@ <h2>This is a header.</h2>
   <div class="input">
     <p>Foo<span>&nbsp;</span>Bar</p>
   </div>
-  <pre class="expected">Foo Bar</pre>
+  <pre class="expected">Foo&nbsp;Bar</pre>
 </div>
 
 <div class="case" data-name="triple tildes inside code" data-options='{"codeBlockStyle": "fenced", "fence": "~~~"}'>
@@ -989,6 +989,59 @@ <h2>This is a header.</h2>
 ```</pre>
 </div>
 
+<div class="case" data-name="text separated by ASCII and nonASCII space in an element">
+  <div class="input">
+    <p>Foo<span>  &nbsp;  </span>Bar</p>
+  </div>
+  <pre class="expected">Foo &nbsp; Bar</pre>
+</div>
+
+<div class="case" data-name="list-like text with non-breaking spaces">
+  <div class="input">&nbsp;1. First<br>&nbsp;2. Second</div>
+  <pre class="expected">&nbsp;1. First  <!-- hard break -->
+&nbsp;2. Second</pre>
+</div>
+
+<div class="case" data-name="element with trailing nonASCII WS followed by nonWS">
+  <div class="input"><i>foo&nbsp;</i>bar</div>
+  <pre class="expected">_foo_&nbsp;bar</pre>
+</div>
+
+<div class="case" data-name="element with trailing nonASCII WS followed by nonASCII WS">
+  <div class="input"><i>foo&nbsp;</i>&nbsp;bar</div>
+  <pre class="expected">_foo_&nbsp;&nbsp;bar</pre>
+</div>
+
+<div class="case" data-name="element with trailing ASCII WS followed by nonASCII WS">
+  <div class="input"><i>foo </i>&nbsp;bar</div>
+  <pre class="expected">_foo_ &nbsp;bar</pre>
+</div>
+
+<div class="case" data-name="element with trailing nonASCII WS followed by ASCII WS">
+  <div class="input"><i>foo&nbsp;</i> bar</div>
+  <pre class="expected">_foo_&nbsp; bar</pre>
+</div>
+
+<div class="case" data-name="nonWS followed by element with leading nonASCII WS">
+  <div class="input">foo<i>&nbsp;bar</i></div>
+  <pre class="expected">foo&nbsp;_bar_</pre>
+</div>
+
+<div class="case" data-name="nonASCII WS followed by element with leading nonASCII WS">
+  <div class="input">foo&nbsp;<i>&nbsp;bar</i></div>
+  <pre class="expected">foo&nbsp;&nbsp;_bar_</pre>
+</div>
+
+<div class="case" data-name="nonASCII WS followed by element with leading ASCII WS">
+  <div class="input">foo&nbsp;<i> bar</i></div>
+  <pre class="expected">foo&nbsp; _bar_</pre>
+</div>
+
+<div class="case" data-name="ASCII WS followed by element with leading nonASCII WS">
+  <div class="input">foo <i>&nbsp;bar</i></div>
+  <pre class="expected">foo &nbsp;_bar_</pre>
+</div>
+
 <!-- /TEST CASES -->
 
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