diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -1,6 +1,11 @@
-## [*Unreleased*](https://github.com/pbrisbin/hs-shellwords/compare/v0.1.2.0...master)
+## [*Unreleased*](https://github.com/pbrisbin/hs-shellwords/compare/v0.1.2.1...master)
 
 None
+
+## [v0.1.2.1](https://github.com/pbrisbin/hs-shellwords/compare/v0.1.2.0...v0.1.2.1)
+
+- Strip surrounding whitespace before parsing
+- Fix mis-handling of escaped spaces in certain kinds of flags
 
 ## [v0.1.2.0](https://github.com/pbrisbin/hs-shellwords/compare/v0.1.1.0...v0.1.2.0)
 
diff --git a/shellwords.cabal b/shellwords.cabal
--- a/shellwords.cabal
+++ b/shellwords.cabal
@@ -2,10 +2,10 @@
 --
 -- see: https://github.com/sol/hpack
 --
--- hash: d41ef6dd8e4fd0597b45fbd58e4127227dd0c1501032d7f7d5de8213ca96223e
+-- hash: ecca1ea7b4034a8595c7854737989ba34a995bab6c9fe5cedfb23c9bcded7ed5
 
 name:           shellwords
-version:        0.1.2.0
+version:        0.1.2.1
 synopsis:       Parse strings into words, like a shell would
 description:    See https://github.com/pbrisbin/hs-shellwords#readme
 category:       Text
diff --git a/src/ShellWords.hs b/src/ShellWords.hs
--- a/src/ShellWords.hs
+++ b/src/ShellWords.hs
@@ -19,7 +19,9 @@
 type Parser = Parsec Void String
 
 parse :: String -> Either String [String]
-parse = first parseErrorPretty . Megaparsec.parse parser "<input>"
+parse = first parseErrorPretty . Megaparsec.parse parser "<input>" . strip
+  where
+    strip = let f = reverse . dropWhile isSpace in f . f
 
 -- | Parse and return @'Text'@ values
 parseText :: Text -> Either String [Text]
@@ -35,7 +37,7 @@
 quoted :: Parser String
 quoted = do
     q <- oneOf ['\'', '\"']
-    manyTill (try (escaped q) <|> anyToken) (char q)
+    manyTill (escaped q <|> anyToken) $ char q
 
 -- | A flag, with or without an argument
 shelloption :: Parser String
@@ -46,7 +48,7 @@
 flag =
     (<>)
         <$> (string "--" <|> string "-")
-        <*> (quoted <|> many (noneOf ['=', ' ']))
+        <*> (quoted <|> many (nonSpaceOr '='))
 
 -- | The argument to a flag like @=foo@, or @=\"baz bat\"@
 argument :: Parser String
@@ -54,7 +56,7 @@
 
 -- | A plain value, here till an (unescaped) space
 value :: Parser String
-value = many (try (escaped ' ') <|> nonSpace)
+value = many nonSpace
 
 escaped :: Char -> Parser Char
 escaped c = c <$ string ("\\" <> [c])
@@ -63,4 +65,12 @@
 anyToken = satisfy $ const True
 
 nonSpace :: Parser Char
-nonSpace = satisfy $ not . isSpace
+nonSpace = escaped ' ' <|> satisfy (not . isSpace)
+
+nonSpaceOr :: Char -> Parser Char
+nonSpaceOr c = escaped ' ' <|> escaped c <|> satisfy (not . isSpaceOrChar)
+  where
+    isSpaceOrChar c'
+        | isSpace c' = True
+        | c' == c = True
+        | otherwise = False
diff --git a/test/ShellWordsSpec.hs b/test/ShellWordsSpec.hs
--- a/test/ShellWordsSpec.hs
+++ b/test/ShellWordsSpec.hs
@@ -26,7 +26,22 @@
     , ("var \"--bar=\\'baz\\'\"", ["var", "--bar=\\'baz\\'"])
     , ("var \"--bar baz\"", ["var", "--bar baz"])
     , ("var --\"bar baz\"", ["var", "--bar baz"])
-    , ("var  --\"bar baz\"", ["var", "--bar baz"])
+    , ("var --\"bar baz\"", ["var", "--bar baz"])
+
+    -- Additional test cases for whitespace
+    , ("var --bar=baz ", ["var", "--bar=baz"])
+    , (" var --bar=baz ", ["var", "--bar=baz"])
+    , (" var   --bar=baz ", ["var", "--bar=baz"])
+
+    -- Additional test cases for escaped spaces
+    , ("var --bar\\ baz", ["var", "--bar baz"])
+    , ("var --bar=baz\\ bat", ["var", "--bar=baz bat"])
+    , ("var --bar baz\\ bat", ["var", "--bar", "baz bat"])
+
+    -- N.B. sh preserves escapes in quoted values, python-shellwords does not.
+    -- we behave like sh in this regard. See omitted cases below too.
+    , ("var --bar 'baz\\ bat'", ["var", "--bar", "baz\\ bat"])
+    , ("var  --bar \"baz\\ bat\"", ["var", "--bar", "baz\\ bat"])
     ]
 
     -- Omitted cases:
@@ -65,6 +80,15 @@
     for_ errorCases $ \input -> do
         it ("errors on |" <> input <> "|") $ do
             parse input `shouldSatisfy` isLeft
+
+    it "fixes #3" $ do
+        let input = "-LC:/Users/Vitor\\ Coimbra/AppData/Local/Programs/stack/x86_64-windows/msys2-20150512/mingw64/lib -ltag\n"
+            expected =
+                [ "-LC:/Users/Vitor Coimbra/AppData/Local/Programs/stack/x86_64-windows/msys2-20150512/mingw64/lib"
+                , "-ltag"
+                ]
+
+        parse input `shouldBe` Right expected
 
 isLeft :: Either a b -> Bool
 isLeft (Left _) = True