diff --git a/src/converter.js b/src/converter.js
index 19cdb13..06550fa 100644
--- a/src/converter.js
+++ b/src/converter.js
@@ -393,7 +393,7 @@ showdown.Converter = function (converterOptions) {
       for (var n = 0; n < node.childNodes.length; ++n) {
         var child = node.childNodes[n];
         if (child.nodeType === 3) {
-          if (!/\S/.test(child.nodeValue)) {
+          if (!/\S/.test(child.nodeValue) && !/^[ ]+$/.test(child.nodeValue)) {
             node.removeChild(child);
             --n;
           } else {
diff --git a/test/functional/makehtml/cases/issues/#697.space-between-inline-elements.html b/test/functional/makehtml/cases/issues/#697.space-between-inline-elements.html
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f2e6833
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/functional/makehtml/cases/issues/#697.space-between-inline-elements.html
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+<p><em>one</em> <em>two</em> <em>three</em></p>
diff --git a/test/functional/makehtml/cases/issues/#697.space-between-inline-elements.md b/test/functional/makehtml/cases/issues/#697.space-between-inline-elements.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..878c4dc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/functional/makehtml/cases/issues/#697.space-between-inline-elements.md
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+*one* *two* *three*