diff --git a/src/dom/index.ts b/src/dom/index.ts
index be0fdb261..ea6ee83fb 100644
--- a/src/dom/index.ts
+++ b/src/dom/index.ts
@@ -106,7 +106,13 @@ function hideOriginalFootnote([reference, body]: RefBody): RefBody {
 function unmountRecursive(element: HTMLElement) {
   const parent = element.parentElement
   unmount(element)
-  if (parent && !parent.innerHTML.trim().replace('[]', '')) {
+  const html =
+    parent &&
+    parent.innerHTML
+      .replace('[]', '')
+      .replace(' ', ' ')
+      .trim()
+  if (parent && !html) {
     unmountRecursive(parent)
   }
 }
diff --git a/test/fixtures/backlink.html b/test/fixtures/backlink.html
index 5b9bb85d7..eeb9d8a65 100644
--- a/test/fixtures/backlink.html
+++ b/test/fixtures/backlink.html
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
   <p>
     This paragraph is footnoted.
     <sup id="fnref:1"><a href="#fn:1">[1]</a></sup>
+    <sup id="fnref:2"><a href="#fn:2">[2]</a></sup>
   </p>
   <aside class="footnotes">
     <hr />
@@ -11,6 +12,13 @@
         <hr />
         This footnote has a backlink wrapped in [] and an element.
       </li>
+      <li id="fn:2">
+        <p>
+          <sup>[<a href="#fnref:2">2</a>]&nbsp;</sup>
+          This footnote has a backlink wrapped in [] and an element with
+          whitespace.
+        </p>
+      </li>
     </ol>
   </aside>
 </article>
diff --git a/test/setup.test.ts b/test/setup.test.ts
index 686f13a86..55a34c588 100644
--- a/test/setup.test.ts
+++ b/test/setup.test.ts
@@ -57,6 +57,13 @@ test('strips backlink and its enclosing tags from the footnote body', () => {
   expect(getPopover('1').querySelector('sup')).toBeNull()
 })
 
+test('strips backlink and its enclosing tags when they contain whitespace', () => {
+  setDocumentBody('backlink.html')
+  littlefoot({ activateDelay: 1 })
+  fireEvent.click(getButton('2'))
+  expect(getPopover('2').querySelector('sup')).toBeNull()
+})
+
 test('preserves empty tags and square brackets elsewhere in the footnote body', () => {
   setDocumentBody('backlink.html')
   littlefoot({ activateDelay: 1 })
diff --git a/yarn.lock b/yarn.lock
index bfbd36c90..44e756538 100644
--- a/yarn.lock
+++ b/yarn.lock
@@ -3472,9 +3472,9 @@ ecc-jsbn@~0.1.1:
     safer-buffer "^2.1.0"
 
 electron-to-chromium@^1.3.191:
-  version "1.3.230"
-  resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/electron-to-chromium/-/electron-to-chromium-1.3.230.tgz#2d0618cb6f724391d5fd0926dde84d6c67cbcda9"
-  integrity sha512-r0RljY5DZi9RX4v8mjHxJkDWnQe+nsrkGlHtrDF2uvZcvAkw+iglvlQi1794gZhwRtJoDOomMJlDHL2LfXSCZA==
+  version "1.3.232"
+  resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/electron-to-chromium/-/electron-to-chromium-1.3.232.tgz#3d812f5082b26b852bd4e98818cd86f10b6ff128"
+  integrity sha512-11F8S49B+8AJy5V540BofxvJ1tWP4wZZ0sOre6KF32evS1YSHXiUB7+TQ/mjrfzg1lirnlA8XDdU8CDcJrBCbA==
 
 elegant-spinner@^1.0.1:
   version "1.0.1"
@@ -4760,9 +4760,9 @@ https-browserify@^1.0.0:
   integrity sha1-7AbBDgo0wPL68Zn3/X/Hj//QPHM=
 
 husky@^3.0.0:
-  version "3.0.3"
-  resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/husky/-/husky-3.0.3.tgz#6f3fb99f60ef72cdf34e5d78445c2f798c441b1d"
-  integrity sha512-DBBMPSiBYEMx7EVUTRE/ymXJa/lOL+WplcsV/lZu+/HHGt0gzD+5BIz9EJnCrWyUa7hkMuBh7/9OZ04qDkM+Nw==
+  version "3.0.4"
+  resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/husky/-/husky-3.0.4.tgz#10a48ac11ab50859b0939750fa0b4e07ad0bf669"
+  integrity sha512-7Rnt8aJfy+MlV28snmYK7O7vWwtOfeVxV6KhLpUFXlmx5ukQ1nQmNUB7QsAwSgdySB5X+bm7q7JIRgazqBUzKA==
   dependencies:
     chalk "^2.4.2"
     cosmiconfig "^5.2.1"
@@ -5965,9 +5965,9 @@ lines-and-columns@^1.1.6:
   integrity sha1-HADHQ7QzzQpOgHWPe2SldEDZ/wA=
 
 lint-staged@^9.0.0:
-  version "9.2.1"
-  resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/lint-staged/-/lint-staged-9.2.1.tgz#57fc5947611604d5a32e478734a13f3e4687f646"
-  integrity sha512-3lGgJfBddCy/WndKdNko+uJbwyYjBD1k+V+SA+phBYWzH265S95KQya/Wln/UL+hOjc7NcjtFYVCUWuAcqYHhg==
+  version "9.2.2"
+  resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/lint-staged/-/lint-staged-9.2.2.tgz#07828263197c5d8ef8f23f86960dccaecb6f9e0a"
+  integrity sha512-6VFRfqk8RgZmmd52bvCCEH7cBLfQ97ynZd/uATIGM/Rh4EluZbQdY/HXj9kcx7LhX2Zc4+m+4Z6zS74owovLyA==
   dependencies:
     chalk "^2.4.2"
     commander "^2.20.0"