diff --git a/changelog b/changelog
index 561c0e9..bb47f03 100644
--- a/changelog
+++ b/changelog
@@ -45,6 +45,7 @@ Xlist (mlist, olist, rlist, zlist, slist, tlist, qlist)
   Minor IBT change to list 'in-progress' IBT's in yellow
   Bug Fix: Webster added to the util makefile for make all (wasn't compiling)
   Update to webster code to hopefully fix 'tell m-w' bug
+  IBT's no longer read preceding spaces (body and notes), which inserts spaces every copyover
 [Nov 01 2010] - Rumble
   Fixed do_scan crash due to exits to NOWHERE. (thanks Rhade)
   Changed do_score experience tnl to list only mortals since LVL_IMMORT showed negative EXP.
diff --git a/src/db.c b/src/db.c
index 78e5b05..1d71177 100644
--- a/src/db.c
+++ b/src/db.c
@@ -2784,6 +2784,61 @@ char *fread_string(FILE *fl, const char *error)
   return (strlen(buf) ? strdup(buf) : NULL);
 }
 
+/* fread_clean_string is the same as fread_string, but skips preceding spaces */
+char *fread_clean_string(FILE *fl, const char *error)
+{
+  char buf[MAX_STRING_LENGTH], tmp[513];
+  char *point, c;
+  int done = 0, length = 0, templength;
+
+  *buf = '\0';
+
+  do
+  {
+    if( feof( fl ) )
+    {
+      log( "%s", "fread_clean_string: EOF encountered on read." );
+      return 0;
+    }
+    c = getc( fl );
+  }
+  while( isspace( c ) );
+  ungetc( c, fl );
+
+  do {
+    if (!fgets(tmp, 512, fl)) {
+      log("SYSERR: fread_clean_string: format error at or near %s", error);
+      exit(1);
+    }
+    /* If there is a '~', end the string; else put an "\r\n" over the '\n'. */
+    /* now only removes trailing ~'s -- Welcor */
+    point = strchr(tmp, '\0');
+    for (point-- ; (*point=='\r' || *point=='\n'); point--);
+    if (*point=='~') {
+      *point='\0';
+      done = 1;
+    } else {
+      *(++point) = '\r';
+      *(++point) = '\n';
+      *(++point) = '\0';
+    }
+
+    templength = point - tmp;
+
+    if (length + templength >= MAX_STRING_LENGTH) {
+      log("SYSERR: fread_clean_string: string too large (db.c)");
+      log("%s", error);
+      exit(1);
+    } else {
+      strcat(buf + length, tmp);	/* strcat: OK (size checked above) */
+      length += templength;
+    }
+  } while (!done);
+
+  /* allocate space for the new string and copy it */
+  return (strlen(buf) ? strdup(buf) : NULL);
+}
+
 /* Read a numerical value from a given file */
 int fread_number(FILE *fp)
 {
diff --git a/src/db.h b/src/db.h
index 4c94492..5b537de 100644
--- a/src/db.h
+++ b/src/db.h
@@ -243,6 +243,7 @@ char *fread_action(FILE *fl, int nr);
 int   create_entry(char *name);
 void  zone_update(void);
 char  *fread_string(FILE *fl, const char *error);
+char  *fread_clean_string(FILE *fl, const char *error);
 int   fread_number(FILE *fp);
 char  *fread_line(FILE *fp);
 int   fread_flags(FILE *fp, int *fg, int fg_size);
diff --git a/src/ibt.c b/src/ibt.c
index 3212b7f..4f32389 100755
--- a/src/ibt.c
+++ b/src/ibt.c
@@ -148,7 +148,7 @@ static IBT_DATA *read_ibt( char *filename, FILE *fp )
         {
           case 'B':
             if (!str_cmp(word, "Body"))  STRFREE(ibtData->body);
-            KEY("Body",     ibtData->body,   fread_string( fp, buf ));
+            KEY("Body",     ibtData->body,   fread_clean_string( fp, buf ));
             break;
 
           case 'E':
@@ -185,7 +185,7 @@ static IBT_DATA *read_ibt( char *filename, FILE *fp )
             if (!str_cmp(word, "Name") && ibtData->name)   STRFREE(ibtData->name);
             if (!str_cmp(word, "Notes") && ibtData->notes)  STRFREE(ibtData->notes);
             TXT_KEY("Name",     ibtData->name,    fread_line( fp ));
-            KEY("Notes",        ibtData->notes,   fread_string( fp, buf ));
+            KEY("Notes",        ibtData->notes,   fread_clean_string( fp, buf ));
             break;
 
           case 'R':