diff --git a/gitrevise/merge.py b/gitrevise/merge.py
index 330e753..77405c6 100644
--- a/gitrevise/merge.py
+++ b/gitrevise/merge.py
@@ -375,7 +375,7 @@ def normalize_conflict(
         line = next(lines, None)
         if line is None:
             raise ConflictParseFailed("unexpected eof")
-        if line.startswith(b"<<<<<<<"):
+        if line.startswith(b"<<<<<<< "):
             # parse recursive conflicts, including their processed output in the current hunk
             conflict = normalize_conflict(lines, None)
             if cur_hunk is not None:
@@ -393,7 +393,7 @@ def normalize_conflict(
                     raise ConflictParseFailed("unexpected ======= conflict marker")
                 other_hunk = cur_hunk
             cur_hunk = b""
-        elif line.startswith(b">>>>>>>"):
+        elif line.startswith(b">>>>>>> "):
             # end of conflict. update hasher, and return a normalized conflict
             if cur_hunk is None or other_hunk is None:
                 raise ConflictParseFailed("unexpected >>>>>>> conflict marker")
@@ -426,7 +426,7 @@ def normalize_conflicted_file(body: bytes) -> Tuple[bytes, str]:
         line = next(lines, None)
         if line is None:
             return (normalized, hasher.hexdigest())
-        if line.startswith(b"<<<<<<<"):
+        if line.startswith(b"<<<<<<< "):
             normalized += normalize_conflict(lines, hasher)
         else:
             normalized += line
diff --git a/tests/test_rerere.py b/tests/test_rerere.py
index 582afed..c0453b4 100644
--- a/tests/test_rerere.py
+++ b/tests/test_rerere.py
@@ -235,7 +235,7 @@ def test_normalize_conflicted_file():
             c
             ==========
             d
-            >>>>>>>>>> longer conflict marker, to be trimmed
+            >>>>>>>>>> longer conflict marker, to be ignored
             """
         )
     ) == (
@@ -249,14 +249,14 @@ def test_normalize_conflicted_file():
 
             unrelated line
 
-            <<<<<<<
+            <<<<<<<<<< HEAD
             c
-            =======
+            ==========
             d
-            >>>>>>>
+            >>>>>>>>>> longer conflict marker, to be ignored
             """
         ),
-        "3d7cdc2948951408412cc64f3816558407f77e18",
+        "0630df854874fc5ffb92a197732cce0d8928e898",
     )
 
     # Discard original-text-marker from merge.conflictStyle diff3.
@@ -314,18 +314,18 @@ def test_normalize_conflicted_file():
         normalize_conflicted_file(
             dedent(
                 """\
-            <<<<<<<
+            <<<<<<< ours (outer)
             outer left
-            <<<<<<<<<<<
+            <<<<<<< ours (inner)
             inner left
-            |||||||||||
+            |||||||
             inner diff3 original section
-            ===========
+            =======
             inner right
-            >>>>>>>>>>>
+            >>>>>>> theirs (inner)
             =======
             outer right
-            >>>>>>>
+            >>>>>>> theirs (outer)
             """
             )
         )[0]