diff --git a/test/T050-new.sh b/test/T050-new.sh
index bc20440b..69697c48 100755
--- a/test/T050-new.sh
+++ b/test/T050-new.sh
@@ -330,7 +330,6 @@ output=$(NOTMUCH_NEW --quiet 2>&1)
 test_expect_equal "$output" ""
 
 test_begin_subtest "leading/trailing whitespace in new.tags is ignored"
-test_subtest_known_broken
 # avoid complications with leading spaces and "notmuch config"
 sed -i 's/^tags=.*$/tags= fu bar ; ; bar /' notmuch-config
 add_message
diff --git a/test/T070-insert.sh b/test/T070-insert.sh
index 9d29c859..ec170b30 100755
--- a/test/T070-insert.sh
+++ b/test/T070-insert.sh
@@ -235,7 +235,6 @@ test_json_nodes <<<"$output" \
 		'new_tags:[0][0][0]["tags"] = ["bar", "foo"]'
 
 test_begin_subtest "leading/trailing whitespace in new.tags is ignored"
-test_subtest_known_broken
 # avoid complications with leading spaces and "notmuch config"
 sed -i 's/^tags=.*$/tags= fu bar ; ; bar /' notmuch-config
 gen_insert_msg
diff --git a/test/T590-libconfig.sh b/test/T590-libconfig.sh
index 912aaa1f..6c426ae8 100755
--- a/test/T590-libconfig.sh
+++ b/test/T590-libconfig.sh
@@ -273,7 +273,6 @@ test_expect_equal_file EXPECTED OUTPUT
 restore_database
 
 test_begin_subtest "notmuch_config_get_values (ignore leading/trailing whitespace)"
-test_subtest_known_broken
 cat c_head - c_tail <<'EOF' | test_C ${MAIL_DIR} ${NOTMUCH_CONFIG} %NULL%
 {
     notmuch_config_values_t *values;
diff --git a/util/string-util.c b/util/string-util.c
index 9c46a81a..03d7648d 100644
--- a/util/string-util.c
+++ b/util/string-util.c
@@ -42,13 +42,15 @@ const char *
 strsplit_len (const char *s, char delim, size_t *len)
 {
     bool escaping = false;
-    size_t count = 0;
+    size_t count = 0, last_nonspace = 0;
 
-    /* Skip initial unescaped delimiters */
-    while (*s && *s == delim)
+    /* Skip initial unescaped delimiters and whitespace */
+    while (*s && (*s == delim || isspace (*s)))
 	s++;
 
     while (s[count] && (escaping || s[count] != delim)) {
+	if (! isspace (s[count]))
+	    last_nonspace = count;
 	escaping = (s[count] == '\\');
 	count++;
     }
@@ -56,7 +58,7 @@ strsplit_len (const char *s, char delim, size_t *len)
     if (count == 0)
 	return NULL;
 
-    *len = count;
+    *len = last_nonspace + 1;
     return s;
 }