diff --git a/Ledger/Parse.hs b/Ledger/Parse.hs
index 7a422750e..fe059a407 100644
--- a/Ledger/Parse.hs
+++ b/Ledger/Parse.hs
@@ -314,6 +314,7 @@ ledgerTransaction :: GenParser Char LedgerFileCtx LedgerTransaction
 ledgerTransaction = do
   date <- ledgerdate <?> "transaction"
   edate <- ledgereffectivedate
+  many1 spacenonewline
   status <- ledgerstatus
   code <- ledgercode
   description <- liftM rstrip (many1 (noneOf ";\n") <?> "description")
diff --git a/tests/extra-date-slash.test b/tests/extra-date-slash.test
index 80fde3b29..69be6b5ba 100644
--- a/tests/extra-date-slash.test
+++ b/tests/extra-date-slash.test
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-# extra slash before [ silently breaks effective date (0.6.1)
+# an extra slash before [ silently disables the effective date in 0.6.1
 -f - print --effective -p 2009/1/2
 <<<
 2009/1/1/[=2009/1/2] x
@@ -6,3 +6,4 @@
     b
 
 >>>2 /unexpected/
+>>>= 1