diff --git a/hledger-lib/Hledger/Read/JournalReader.hs b/hledger-lib/Hledger/Read/JournalReader.hs
index 70a15115a..43a4dc786 100644
--- a/hledger-lib/Hledger/Read/JournalReader.hs
+++ b/hledger-lib/Hledger/Read/JournalReader.hs
@@ -327,6 +327,7 @@ transaction = do
   sourcepos <- getPosition
   date <- datep <?> "transaction"
   edate <- optionMaybe (secondarydatep date) <?> "secondary date"
+  lookAhead (spacenonewline <|> newline) <?> "whitespace or newline"
   status <- status <?> "cleared flag"
   code <- codep <?> "transaction code"
   description <- descriptionp >>= return . strip
@@ -492,7 +493,7 @@ secondarydatep primarydate = do
   return edate
 
 status :: GenParser Char JournalContext Bool
-status = try (do { many spacenonewline; (char '*' <|> char '!') <?> "status"; return True } ) <|> return False
+status = try (do { many1 spacenonewline; (char '*' <|> char '!') <?> "status"; return True } ) <|> return False
 
 codep :: GenParser Char JournalContext String
 codep = try (do { many1 spacenonewline; char '(' <?> "codep"; code <- anyChar `manyTill` char ')'; return code } ) <|> return ""
diff --git a/tests/journal/dates.test b/tests/journal/dates.test
index eac3b6998..9ac82f9bf 100644
--- a/tests/journal/dates.test
+++ b/tests/journal/dates.test
@@ -35,3 +35,17 @@ hledgerdev -f- print
    b
 >>>2 /bad date/
 >>>= 1
+# 5. dates should be followed by whitespace or newline
+hledgerdev -f- print
+<<<
+2015/9/6:
+   a  0
+>>>2 /unexpected ":"/
+>>>= 1
+# 6.
+hledgerdev -f- print
+<<<
+2015/9/6=9/6* x
+   a  0
+>>>2 /unexpected "*"/
+>>>= 1