diff --git a/tests/Makefile.am b/tests/Makefile.am
index ebc86819d..3945a5da8 100644
--- a/tests/Makefile.am
+++ b/tests/Makefile.am
@@ -201,6 +201,7 @@ TESTS +=  \
 	fac_invld2.sh \
 	fac_invld3.sh \
 	fac_invld4_rfc5424.sh \
+	rfc5424parser-sp_at_msg_start.sh \
 	compresssp.sh \
 	compresssp-stringtpl.sh \
 	rawmsg-after-pri.sh \
@@ -1537,6 +1538,7 @@ EXTRA_DIST= \
 	timestamp-subseconds.sh \
 	rsf_getenv.sh \
 	diskq-rfc5424.sh \
+	rfc5424parser-sp_at_msg_start.sh \
 	diskqueue-full.sh \
 	diskqueue.sh \
 	diskqueue-non-unique-prefix.sh \
diff --git a/tests/diag.sh b/tests/diag.sh
index 478e807b5..981efe270 100755
--- a/tests/diag.sh
+++ b/tests/diag.sh
@@ -539,15 +539,18 @@ startup_vgthread() {
 # inject messages via our inject interface (imdiag)
 # $1 is start message number, env var NUMMESSAGES is number of messages to inject
 injectmsg() {
+	if [ "$3" != "" ] ; then
+		printf 'error: injectmsg only has two arguments, extra arg is %s\n' "$3"
+	fi
 	msgs=${2:-$NUMMESSAGES}
 	echo injecting $msgs messages
-	echo injectmsg ${1:-0} $msgs $3 $4 | $TESTTOOL_DIR/diagtalker -p$IMDIAG_PORT || error_exit  $?
+	echo injectmsg "${1:-0}" "$msgs" | $TESTTOOL_DIR/diagtalker -p$IMDIAG_PORT || error_exit  $?
 }
 
 # inject messages in INSTANCE 2 via our inject interface (imdiag)
 injectmsg2() {
 	echo injecting $2 messages
-	echo injectmsg $1 $2 $3 $4 | $TESTTOOL_DIR/diagtalker -p$IMDIAG_PORT2 || error_exit  $?
+	echo injectmsg "$1" "$2" $3 $4 | $TESTTOOL_DIR/diagtalker -p$IMDIAG_PORT2 || error_exit  $?
 	# TODO: some return state checking? (does it really make sense here?)
 }
 
diff --git a/tests/omrabbitmq_error_server0.sh b/tests/omrabbitmq_error_server0.sh
index a2a35aa26..951f56b64 100755
--- a/tests/omrabbitmq_error_server0.sh
+++ b/tests/omrabbitmq_error_server0.sh
@@ -36,16 +36,7 @@ startup
 injectmsg litteral "<167>Mar  1 01:00:00 172.20.245.8 tag msgrmq"
 shutdown_when_empty
 wait_shutdown
-export EXPECTED=$(printf 'Exchange:in, routing-key:tag.local4.debug, content-type:plain/text, facility:local4, severity:debug, hostname:172.20.245.8, fromhost:127.0.0.1, delivery-mode:transient, expiration:5000, timestamp:OK, app-id:tag, msg:<167>Mar  1 01:00:00 172.20.245.8 tag msgrmq')
-echo $EXPECTED | cmp - $RSYSLOG_DYNNAME.amqp.log
-if [ ! $? -eq 0 ]; then
-  echo "Expected:"
-  echo $EXPECTED
-  echo "invalid response generated, $RSYSLOG_DYNNAME.amqp.log is:"
-  cat $RSYSLOG_DYNNAME.amqp.log
-  echo "Rsyslog internal output log:"
-  cat $RSYSLOG_OUT_LOG
-  error_exit  1
-fi;
+export EXPECTED='Exchange:in, routing-key:tag.local4.debug, content-type:plain/text, facility:local4, severity:debug, hostname:172.20.245.8, fromhost:127.0.0.1, delivery-mode:transient, expiration:5000, timestamp:OK, app-id:tag, msg:<167>Mar  1 01:00:00 172.20.245.8 tag msgrmq'
+cmp_exact $RSYSLOG_DYNNAME.amqp.log
 content_check "exchange declare failed PRECONDITION_FAILED"
 exit_test
diff --git a/tests/omrabbitmq_error_server1.sh b/tests/omrabbitmq_error_server1.sh
index c232a4ea3..4c77f51a5 100755
--- a/tests/omrabbitmq_error_server1.sh
+++ b/tests/omrabbitmq_error_server1.sh
@@ -36,16 +36,7 @@ startup
 injectmsg litteral "<167>Mar  1 01:00:00 172.20.245.8 tag msgrmq"
 shutdown_when_empty
 wait_shutdown
-expected=$(printf 'Exchange:in, routing-key:tag.local4.debug, content-type:plain/text, facility:local4, severity:debug, hostname:172.20.245.8, fromhost:127.0.0.1, delivery-mode:transient, expiration:5000, timestamp:OK, app-id:tag, msg:<167>Mar  1 01:00:00 172.20.245.8 tag msgrmq')
-echo ${expected} | cmp - $RSYSLOG_DYNNAME.amqp.log
-if [ ! $? -eq 0 ]; then
-  echo "Expected:"
-  echo ${expected}
-  echo "invalid response generated, $RSYSLOG_DYNNAME.amqp.log is:"
-  cat $RSYSLOG_DYNNAME.amqp.log
-  echo "Rsyslog internal output log:"
-  cat $RSYSLOG_OUT_LOG
-  error_exit  1
-fi;
+export EXPECTED='Exchange:in, routing-key:tag.local4.debug, content-type:plain/text, facility:local4, severity:debug, hostname:172.20.245.8, fromhost:127.0.0.1, delivery-mode:transient, expiration:5000, timestamp:OK, app-id:tag, msg:<167>Mar  1 01:00:00 172.20.245.8 tag msgrmq'
+cmp_exact $RSYSLOG_DYNNAME.amqp.log
 content_check "disconnected while exchange declare"
 exit_test
diff --git a/tests/omrabbitmq_error_server2.sh b/tests/omrabbitmq_error_server2.sh
index 6c5b1cc6e..7873f8d74 100755
--- a/tests/omrabbitmq_error_server2.sh
+++ b/tests/omrabbitmq_error_server2.sh
@@ -36,16 +36,7 @@ startup
 injectmsg litteral "<167>Mar  1 01:00:00 172.20.245.8 tag msgrmq"
 shutdown_when_empty
 wait_shutdown
-expected=$(printf 'Exchange:in, routing-key:tag.local4.debug, content-type:plain/text, facility:local4, severity:debug, hostname:172.20.245.8, fromhost:127.0.0.1, delivery-mode:transient, expiration:5000, timestamp:OK, app-id:tag, msg:<167>Mar  1 01:00:00 172.20.245.8 tag msgrmq')
-echo ${expected} | cmp - $RSYSLOG_DYNNAME.amqp.log
-if [ ! $? -eq 0 ]; then
-  echo "Expected:"
-  echo ${expected}
-  echo "invalid response generated, $RSYSLOG_DYNNAME.amqp.log is:"
-  cat $RSYSLOG_DYNNAME.amqp.log
-  echo "Rsyslog internal output log:"
-  cat $RSYSLOG_OUT_LOG
-  error_exit  1
-fi;
+export EXPECTED='Exchange:in, routing-key:tag.local4.debug, content-type:plain/text, facility:local4, severity:debug, hostname:172.20.245.8, fromhost:127.0.0.1, delivery-mode:transient, expiration:5000, timestamp:OK, app-id:tag, msg:<167>Mar  1 01:00:00 172.20.245.8 tag msgrmq'
+cmp_exact $RSYSLOG_DYNNAME.amqp.log
 content_check "Connection closed : reconnect"
 exit_test
diff --git a/tests/omrabbitmq_error_server3.sh b/tests/omrabbitmq_error_server3.sh
index b2fdfffdd..5ce40e89c 100755
--- a/tests/omrabbitmq_error_server3.sh
+++ b/tests/omrabbitmq_error_server3.sh
@@ -35,16 +35,7 @@ startup
 injectmsg litteral "<167>Mar  1 01:00:00 172.20.245.8 tag msgrmq"
 shutdown_when_empty
 wait_shutdown
-expected=$(printf 'Exchange:in, routing-key:tag.local4.debug, content-type:plain/text, facility:local4, severity:debug, hostname:172.20.245.8, fromhost:127.0.0.1, delivery-mode:transient, expiration:5000, timestamp:OK, app-id:tag, msg:<167>Mar  1 01:00:00 172.20.245.8 tag msgrmq')
-echo ${expected} | cmp - $RSYSLOG_DYNNAME.amqp.log
-if [ ! $? -eq 0 ]; then
-  echo "Expected:"
-  echo ${expected}
-  echo "invalid response generated, $RSYSLOG_DYNNAME.amqp.log is:"
-  cat $RSYSLOG_DYNNAME.amqp.log
-  echo "Rsyslog internal output log:"
-  cat $RSYSLOG_OUT_LOG
-  error_exit  1
-fi;
+export EXPECTED='Exchange:in, routing-key:tag.local4.debug, content-type:plain/text, facility:local4, severity:debug, hostname:172.20.245.8, fromhost:127.0.0.1, delivery-mode:transient, expiration:5000, timestamp:OK, app-id:tag, msg:<167>Mar  1 01:00:00 172.20.245.8 tag msgrmq'
+cmp_exact $RSYSLOG_DYNNAME.amqp.log
 content_check "Connection closed : reconnect"
 exit_test
diff --git a/tests/omrabbitmq_raw.sh b/tests/omrabbitmq_raw.sh
index 51d85ddea..ac09bcb0b 100755
--- a/tests/omrabbitmq_raw.sh
+++ b/tests/omrabbitmq_raw.sh
@@ -34,16 +34,7 @@ startup
 injectmsg litteral "<167>Mar  1 01:00:00 172.20.245.8 tag msgrmq"
 shutdown_when_empty
 wait_shutdown
-expected=$(printf 'Exchange:in, routing-key:tag.local4.debug, content-type:plain/text, facility:local4, severity:debug, hostname:172.20.245.8, fromhost:127.0.0.1, delivery-mode:transient, expiration:5000, timestamp:OK, app-id:tag, msg:<167>Mar  1 01:00:00 172.20.245.8 tag msgrmq')
-echo ${expected} | cmp - $RSYSLOG_DYNNAME.amqp.log
-if [ ! $? -eq 0 ]; then
-  echo "Expected:"
-  echo ${expected}
-  echo "invalid response generated, $RSYSLOG_DYNNAME.amqp.log is:"
-  cat $RSYSLOG_DYNNAME.amqp.log
-  echo "Rsyslog internal output log:"
-  cat $RSYSLOG_OUT_LOG
-  error_exit  1
-fi;
+export EXPECTED='Exchange:in, routing-key:tag.local4.debug, content-type:plain/text, facility:local4, severity:debug, hostname:172.20.245.8, fromhost:127.0.0.1, delivery-mode:transient, expiration:5000, timestamp:OK, app-id:tag, msg:<167>Mar  1 01:00:00 172.20.245.8 tag msgrmq'
+cmp_exact $RSYSLOG_DYNNAME.amqp.log
 content_check "server localhost port"
 exit_test
diff --git a/tests/rfc5424parser-sp_at_msg_start.sh b/tests/rfc5424parser-sp_at_msg_start.sh
new file mode 100755
index 000000000..4df41be23
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/rfc5424parser-sp_at_msg_start.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+# checks that in RFC5424 mode SP at beginning of MSG part is properly handled
+# This file is part of the rsyslog project, released  under ASL 2.0
+# rgerhards, 2019-05-17
+. ${srcdir:=.}/diag.sh init
+generate_conf
+add_conf '
+template(name="outfmt" type="string" string="%msg%--END\n")
+
+if $syslogtag == "tag" then
+	action(type="omfile" template="outfmt" file="'$RSYSLOG_OUT_LOG'")
+'
+startup
+injectmsg litteral '<13>1 2019-05-15T11:21:57+03:00 domain.tld tag - - - nosd-nosp'
+injectmsg litteral '<13>1 2019-05-15T11:21:57+03:00 domain.tld tag - - [abc@123 a="b"] sd-nosp'
+injectmsg litteral '<13>1 2019-05-15T11:21:57+03:00 domain.tld tag - - -  nosd-sp'
+injectmsg litteral '<13>1 2019-05-15T11:21:57+03:00 domain.tld tag - - [abc@123 a="b"]  sd-sp'
+shutdown_when_empty
+wait_shutdown
+export EXPECTED='nosd-nosp--END
+sd-nosp--END
+ nosd-sp--END
+ sd-sp--END'
+cmp_exact
+exit_test