diff --git a/src/main/java/org/jbake/app/Parser.java b/src/main/java/org/jbake/app/Parser.java
index 3840c82fc..e3f413915 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/jbake/app/Parser.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/jbake/app/Parser.java
@@ -151,10 +151,10 @@ private boolean hasHeader(List<String> contents) {
         	}
             header.add(line);
             if (line.contains("=")) {
-                if (line.startsWith("type=")) {
+                if (line.matches("^type\\s*=.*")) {
                     typeFound = true;
                 }
-                if (line.startsWith("status=")) {
+                if (line.matches("^status\\s*=.*")) {
                     statusFound = true;
                 }
             }
@@ -175,13 +175,9 @@ private boolean hasHeader(List<String> contents) {
             }
         }
 
-//        if (!headerValid || !statusFound || !typeFound) {
-//            return false;
-//        }
-//        return true;
         return headerValid && statusFound && typeFound;
     }
-
+    
     /**
      * Process the header of the file.
      *
@@ -193,7 +189,7 @@ private void processHeader(List<String> contents, final Map<String, Object> cont
             if (line.equals(END_OF_HEADER)) {
                 break;
             } else {
-                String[] parts = line.split("=",2);
+                String[] parts = line.split("\\s*=\\s*",2);
                 if (parts.length == 2) {
                     if (parts[0].equalsIgnoreCase("date")) {
                         DateFormat df = new SimpleDateFormat(config.getString(Keys.DATE_FORMAT));
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/jbake/app/ParserTest.java b/src/test/java/org/jbake/app/ParserTest.java
index a40d1f80f..0db13c74a 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/jbake/app/ParserTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/jbake/app/ParserTest.java
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@ public class ParserTest {
 	private File validAsciiDocFileWithBlankFirstLineInHeader;
 	private File validAsciiDocFileWithEmptyRandomLineInHeader;
 	private File validAsciiDocFileWithBlankRandomLineInHeader;
+	private File  validAsciiDocFileWithSpacesAroundEqualInHeader;
 	
 	private String validHeader = "title=This is a Title = This is a valid Title" + EOL 
 			+ "status=draft" + EOL 
@@ -54,6 +55,13 @@ public class ParserTest {
 	private String validHeaderWithBlankRandomLine = validHeader.substring(0, pos)
 			+ "   " + EOL + validHeader.substring(pos + 1);
 	
+	private String validHeaderWithSpacesAroundEqual = "title = This is a Title = This is a valid Title" + EOL 
+			+ "status    =draft" + EOL 
+			+ "type=    post"+ EOL 
+			+ "date    =  2013-09-02"+ EOL 
+			+ END_OF_HEADER;
+	
+	
 	@Before
 	public void createSampleFile() throws Exception {
 		rootPath = new File(this.getClass().getResource(".").getFile());
@@ -148,11 +156,18 @@ public void createSampleFile() throws Exception {
 		out.println("<p>This is a test with empty random line in header.</p>");
 		out.close();
 		
-		validAsciiDocFileWithBlankRandomLineInHeader = folder.newFile("validwithblankrandomlineinheader.ad");System.out.println("---#b> "+validHeaderWithBlankRandomLine.replaceAll(EOL, "EOL"));		
+		validAsciiDocFileWithBlankRandomLineInHeader = folder.newFile("validwithblankrandomlineinheader.ad");		
 		out = new PrintWriter(validAsciiDocFileWithBlankRandomLineInHeader);
 		out.println(validHeaderWithBlankRandomLine);
 		out.println("<p>This is a test with blank random line in header.</p>");
 		out.close();
+		
+		validAsciiDocFileWithSpacesAroundEqualInHeader = folder.newFile("validwithspacesaroundequalinheader.ad");		
+		out = new PrintWriter(validAsciiDocFileWithSpacesAroundEqualInHeader);
+		out.println(validHeaderWithSpacesAroundEqual);
+		out.println("<p>This is a test with spaces around equals in header.</p>");
+		out.close();
+		
 	}
 	
 	@Test
@@ -258,4 +273,10 @@ public void parseValidAsciiDocFileWithBlankRandomLineInHeader() {
 		Assert.assertNotNull(map);
 	}
 	
+	@Test
+	public void parseValidAsciiDocFileWithSpacesAroundEqualInHeader() {
+		Map<String, Object> map = parser.processFile(validAsciiDocFileWithSpacesAroundEqualInHeader);
+		Assert.assertNotNull(map);
+	}
+	
 }