diff --git a/tools/bash/runfiles/runfiles.bash b/tools/bash/runfiles/runfiles.bash
index a574f4c750d76b..8e1f9441a11499 100644
--- a/tools/bash/runfiles/runfiles.bash
+++ b/tools/bash/runfiles/runfiles.bash
@@ -372,10 +372,10 @@ function runfiles_rlocation_checked() {
       local escaped=false
     fi
     # The extra space below is added because cut counts from 1.
-    local trim_length=$(echo -n "$search_prefix  " | wc -c)
+    local trim_length=$(echo -n "$search_prefix  " | wc -c | tr -d ' ')
     # Escape the search prefix for use in the grep regex below *after*
     # determining the trim length.
-    local result=$(__runfiles_maybe_grep -m1 "^$(echo -n "$search_prefix" | sed 's/[.[\*^$]/\\&/g') " "${RUNFILES_MANIFEST_FILE}" | cut -b ${trim_length}-)
+    local result=$(__runfiles_maybe_grep -m1 "^$(echo -n "$search_prefix" | sed 's/[.[\*^$]/\\&/g') " "${RUNFILES_MANIFEST_FILE}" | cut -b "${trim_length}-")
     if [[ -z "$result" ]]; then
       # If path references a runfile that lies under a directory that itself
       # is a runfile, then only the directory is listed in the manifest. Look