diff --git a/pkg/parser/section_test.go b/pkg/parser/section_test.go
index 0453b9ac..35b4ea4d 100644
--- a/pkg/parser/section_test.go
+++ b/pkg/parser/section_test.go
@@ -30,14 +30,14 @@ var _ = Describe("sections", func() {
 				Expect(ParseDocument(source)).To(MatchDocument(expected))
 			})
 
-			It("header with many spaces around content", func() {
-				source := "= a header   "
+			It("header with trailing spaces", func() {
+				source := "= a header  "
 				expected := &types.Document{
 					Elements: []interface{}{
 						&types.DocumentHeader{
 							Title: []interface{}{
 								&types.StringElement{
-									Content: "a header   ",
+									Content: "a header",
 								},
 							},
 						},
@@ -46,6 +46,42 @@ var _ = Describe("sections", func() {
 				Expect(ParseDocument(source)).To(MatchDocument(expected))
 			})
 
+			It("section with trailing spaces", func() {
+				source := "== a section  "
+				expected := &types.Document{
+					Elements: []interface{}{
+						&types.Section{
+							Level: 1,
+							Attributes: types.Attributes{
+								types.AttrID: "_a_section",
+							},
+							Title: []interface{}{
+								&types.StringElement{
+									Content: "a section",
+								},
+							},
+						},
+					},
+					ElementReferences: types.ElementReferences{
+						"_a_section": []interface{}{
+							&types.StringElement{
+								Content: "a section",
+							},
+						},
+					},
+					TableOfContents: &types.TableOfContents{
+						MaxDepth: 2,
+						Sections: []*types.ToCSection{
+							{
+								ID:    "_a_section",
+								Level: 1,
+							},
+						},
+					},
+				}
+				Expect(ParseDocument(source)).To(MatchDocument(expected))
+			})
+
 			It("header and paragraph", func() {
 				source := `= a header
 
diff --git a/pkg/renderer/sgml/html5/cross_reference_test.go b/pkg/renderer/sgml/html5/cross_reference_test.go
index 858bd60a..fa1136b8 100644
--- a/pkg/renderer/sgml/html5/cross_reference_test.go
+++ b/pkg/renderer/sgml/html5/cross_reference_test.go
@@ -139,10 +139,10 @@ with some content linked to <<thewrongtitle>>!`
 			Expect(RenderHTML(source)).To(MatchHTML(expected))
 		})
 
-		It("natural ref to section with plaintext title", func() {
+		It("natural ref to section with plaintext title with trailing spaces", func() {
 			source := `see <<Section 1>>.
 
-== Section 1`
+== Section 1 ` // trailing spaces in the title
 			expected := `<div class="paragraph">
 <p>see <a href="#_section_1">Section 1</a>.</p>
 </div>
diff --git a/pkg/types/types.go b/pkg/types/types.go
index 933072d3..2eb621d4 100644
--- a/pkg/types/types.go
+++ b/pkg/types/types.go
@@ -298,7 +298,7 @@ func NewDocumentHeader(info interface{}, extraAttrs []interface{}) (*DocumentHea
 	header := &DocumentHeader{}
 	elements := make([]interface{}, 0, 2+len(extraAttrs)) // estimated max capacity
 	if info, ok := info.(*DocumentInformation); ok {
-		header.Title = info.Title
+		header.Title = TrimTrailingSpaces(info.Title)
 		if len(info.Authors) > 0 {
 			// header.Authors = info.Authors
 			elements = append(elements, &AttributeDeclaration{
@@ -2492,7 +2492,7 @@ func (s *Section) SetTitle(title []interface{}) {
 		})
 		title = title[:len(title)-1]
 	}
-	s.Title = title
+	s.Title = TrimTrailingSpaces(title)
 }
 
 // GetAttributes returns this section's attributes
diff --git a/pkg/types/types_utils.go b/pkg/types/types_utils.go
index a51e771c..04b63c01 100644
--- a/pkg/types/types_utils.go
+++ b/pkg/types/types_utils.go
@@ -162,15 +162,12 @@ func stringify(element interface{}) string {
 	}
 }
 
-// TrimLeft returns a slice of elements where the
-// `strings.TrimLeft` func was applied on the content of the first entry
-// if it is a `*StringElement`
-func TrimLeft(elements []interface{}, cutset string) []interface{} {
-	if len(elements) == 0 {
-		return elements
-	}
-	if first, ok := elements[0].(*StringElement); ok {
-		first.Content = strings.TrimLeft(first.Content, cutset)
+// TrimTrailingSpaces trims trailing spaces on the last element (if applicable)
+func TrimTrailingSpaces(elements []interface{}) []interface{} {
+	if len(elements) > 0 {
+		if s, ok := elements[len(elements)-1].(*StringElement); ok {
+			s.Content = strings.TrimRight(s.Content, " ")
+		}
 	}
 	return elements
 }
diff --git a/pkg/types/types_utils_test.go b/pkg/types/types_utils_test.go
index f5610d36..715145cf 100644
--- a/pkg/types/types_utils_test.go
+++ b/pkg/types/types_utils_test.go
@@ -31,57 +31,80 @@ var _ = Describe("convert to inline elements", func() {
 	})
 })
 
-// var _ = DescribeTable("TrimLeft",
+var _ = DescribeTable("TrimTrailingSpaces",
 
-// 	func(source, expected []interface{}) {
+	func(source, expected []interface{}) {
+		Expect(types.TrimTrailingSpaces(source)).To(Equal(expected))
+	},
+	Entry("empty slice",
+		[]interface{}{},
+		[]interface{}{}),
+
+	Entry("single element with trailing spaces",
+		[]interface{}{
+			&types.StringElement{
+				Content: "pasta ", // trailing spaces
+			},
+		},
+		[]interface{}{
+			&types.StringElement{
+				Content: "pasta", // timmed
+			},
+		}),
 
-// 	},
-// 	Entry("empty slice",
-// 		[]interface{}{},
-// 		[]interface{}{}),
+	Entry("multiple elements with trailing spaces",
+		[]interface{}{
+			&types.StringElement{
+				Content: "cookies",
+			},
+			&types.InlineLink{},
+			&types.StringElement{
+				Content: "pasta ", // trailing spaces
+			},
+		},
+		[]interface{}{
+			&types.StringElement{
+				Content: "cookies",
+			},
+			&types.InlineLink{},
+			&types.StringElement{
+				Content: "pasta", // timmed
+			},
+		}),
 
-// 	Entry("valid slice",
-// 		[]interface{}{
-// 			&types.StringElement{
-// 				Content: "  cookies",
-// 			},
-// 			&types.StringElement{
-// 				Content: "  pasta",
-// 			},
-// 		},
-// 		[]interface{}{
-// 			&types.StringElement{
-// 				Content: "cookies", // trimmed
-// 			},
-// 			&types.StringElement{
-// 				Content: "  pasta",
-// 			},
-// 		}),
+	Entry("multiple elements without trailing spaces",
+		[]interface{}{
+			&types.StringElement{
+				Content: "cookies",
+			},
+			&types.InlineLink{},
+			&types.StringElement{
+				Content: "pasta", // no trailing spaces
+			},
+		},
+		[]interface{}{&types.StringElement{
+			Content: "cookies",
+		},
+			&types.InlineLink{},
+			&types.StringElement{
+				Content: "pasta", // no change
+			},
+		}),
 
-// 	Entry("noop slice",
-// 		[]interface{}{
-// 			&types.SpecialCharacter{
-// 				Name: ">",
-// 			},
-// 			&types.StringElement{
-// 				Content: "  cookies",
-// 			},
-// 			&types.StringElement{
-// 				Content: "  pasta",
-// 			},
-// 		},
-// 		[]interface{}{
-// 			&types.SpecialCharacter{
-// 				Name: ">",
-// 			},
-// 			&types.StringElement{
-// 				Content: "  cookies", // not trimmed
-// 			},
-// 			&types.StringElement{
-// 				Content: "  pasta",
-// 			},
-// 		}),
-// )
+	Entry("noop",
+		[]interface{}{
+			&types.StringElement{
+				Content: "cookies",
+			},
+			&types.InlineLink{}, // not a StringElement
+		},
+		[]interface{}{
+			&types.StringElement{
+				Content: "cookies",
+			},
+			&types.InlineLink{},
+		}),
+)
 
 var _ = DescribeTable("split elements per line",
 	func(elements []interface{}, expected [][]interface{}) {