diff --git a/java/src/com/android/inputmethod/latin/LatinIME.java b/java/src/com/android/inputmethod/latin/LatinIME.java
index 5cc9f5199..b4d36a64c 100644
--- a/java/src/com/android/inputmethod/latin/LatinIME.java
+++ b/java/src/com/android/inputmethod/latin/LatinIME.java
@@ -1429,8 +1429,12 @@ public final class LatinIME extends InputMethodService implements KeyboardAction
             mSpaceState = SPACE_STATE_PHANTOM;
         } else {
             final int codePointBeforeCursor = mConnection.getCodePointBeforeCursor();
+            // TODO: reverse this logic. We should have the means to determine whether a character
+            // should usually be followed by a space, and it should be more readable.
             if (Constants.NOT_A_CODE != codePointBeforeCursor
-                    && !Character.isWhitespace(codePointBeforeCursor)) {
+                    && !Character.isWhitespace(codePointBeforeCursor)
+                    && !mCurrentSettings.isPhantomSpacePromotingSymbol(codePointBeforeCursor)
+                    && !mCurrentSettings.isWeakSpaceStripper(codePointBeforeCursor)) {
                 mSpaceState = SPACE_STATE_PHANTOM;
             }
         }
diff --git a/java/src/com/android/inputmethod/latin/SettingsValues.java b/java/src/com/android/inputmethod/latin/SettingsValues.java
index 1c5864bce..2a778aa0d 100644
--- a/java/src/com/android/inputmethod/latin/SettingsValues.java
+++ b/java/src/com/android/inputmethod/latin/SettingsValues.java
@@ -254,11 +254,13 @@ public final class SettingsValues {
         return mSymbolsExcludedFromWordSeparators.contains(String.valueOf((char)code));
     }
 
+    // TODO: use "Phantom" instead of "Weak" in this method name
     public boolean isWeakSpaceStripper(final int code) {
         // TODO: this does not work if the code does not fit in a char
         return mWeakSpaceStrippers.contains(String.valueOf((char)code));
     }
 
+    // TODO: use "Phantom" instead of "Weak" in this method name
     public boolean isWeakSpaceSwapper(final int code) {
         // TODO: this does not work if the code does not fit in a char
         return mWeakSpaceSwappers.contains(String.valueOf((char)code));