diff --git a/evennia/utils/text2html.py b/evennia/utils/text2html.py
index 0527fcb038..b7107a97a9 100644
--- a/evennia/utils/text2html.py
+++ b/evennia/utils/text2html.py
@@ -93,7 +93,7 @@ class TextToHTMLparser(object):
     re_uline = re.compile("(?:%s)(.*?)(?=%s|%s)" % (underline.replace("[", r"\["), fgstop, bgstop))
     re_blink = re.compile("(?:%s)(.*?)(?=%s|%s)" % (blink.replace("[", r"\["), fgstop, bgstop))
     re_inverse = re.compile("(?:%s)(.*?)(?=%s|%s)" % (inverse.replace("[", r"\["), fgstop, bgstop))
-    re_string = re.compile(r'(?P<htmlchars>[<&>])|(?P<space> [ \t]+)|(?P<lineend>\r\n|\r|\n)', re.S|re.M|re.I)
+    re_string = re.compile(r'(?P<htmlchars>[<&>])|(?P<space> [ \t]+)|(?P<spacestart>^ )|(?P<lineend>\r\n|\r|\n)', re.S|re.M|re.I)
     re_url = re.compile(r'((?:ftp|www|https?)\W+(?:(?!\.(?:\s|$)|&\w+;)[^"\',;$*^\\(){}<>\[\]\s])+)(\.(?:\s|$)|&\w+;|)')
     re_mxplink =  re.compile(r'\|lc(.*?)\|lt(.*?)\|le', re.DOTALL)
 
@@ -269,7 +269,7 @@ class TextToHTMLparser(object):
             return '<br>'
         elif cdict['space'] == '\t':
             return ' ' * self.tabstop
-        elif cdict['space']:
+        elif cdict['space'] or cdict["spacestart"]:
             text = match.group().replace('\t', '&nbsp;' * self.tabstop)
             text = text.replace(' ', '&nbsp;')
             return text