diff --git a/eslint/.eslintrc.js b/eslint/.eslintrc.js
index 14ec75d44..6dece5935 100644
--- a/eslint/.eslintrc.js
+++ b/eslint/.eslintrc.js
@@ -138,6 +138,9 @@ module.exports = {
     // disallow assignment within variable declaration, see https://github.com/phetsims/chipper/issues/794
     'no-multi-assign-on-declaration': 2,
 
+    // get rid of extra spaces within lines of code
+    'no-multi-spaces': [ 'error', { ignoreEOLComments: true } ],
+
     // permit only one var declaration per line, see #390
     'one-var': [
       2,
diff --git a/eslint/format_eslintrc.js b/eslint/format_eslintrc.js
index e18d103cd..6afdd4add 100644
--- a/eslint/format_eslintrc.js
+++ b/eslint/format_eslintrc.js
@@ -259,10 +259,6 @@ module.exports = {
     // https://eslint.org/docs/rules/no-unneeded-ternary
     'no-unneeded-ternary': [ 'error', { defaultAssignment: false } ],
 
-    // get rid of extra spaces within lines of code
-    // https://eslint.org/docs/rules/no-multi-spaces
-    'no-multi-spaces': 'error',
-
     // enforce "same line" or "multiple line" on object properties.
     // https://eslint.org/docs/rules/object-property-newline
     // 'object-property-newline': [ 'error', {