diff --git a/src/pkg/html/parse.go b/src/pkg/html/parse.go
index 9b7e934ac3..b74831b34e 100644
--- a/src/pkg/html/parse.go
+++ b/src/pkg/html/parse.go
@@ -319,9 +319,17 @@ func (p *parser) resetInsertionMode() {
 	p.im = inBodyIM
 }
 
+const whitespace = " \t\r\n\f"
+
 // Section 11.2.5.4.1.
 func initialIM(p *parser) bool {
 	switch p.tok.Type {
+	case TextToken:
+		p.tok.Data = strings.TrimLeft(p.tok.Data, whitespace)
+		if len(p.tok.Data) == 0 {
+			// It was all whitespace, so ignore it.
+			return true
+		}
 	case CommentToken:
 		p.doc.Add(&Node{
 			Type: CommentNode,
@@ -345,6 +353,12 @@ func initialIM(p *parser) bool {
 // Section 11.2.5.4.2.
 func beforeHTMLIM(p *parser) bool {
 	switch p.tok.Type {
+	case TextToken:
+		p.tok.Data = strings.TrimLeft(p.tok.Data, whitespace)
+		if len(p.tok.Data) == 0 {
+			// It was all whitespace, so ignore it.
+			return true
+		}
 	case StartTagToken:
 		if p.tok.Data == "html" {
 			p.addElement(p.tok.Data, p.tok.Attr)
@@ -383,7 +397,11 @@ func beforeHeadIM(p *parser) bool {
 	case ErrorToken:
 		implied = true
 	case TextToken:
-		// TODO: distinguish whitespace text from others.
+		p.tok.Data = strings.TrimLeft(p.tok.Data, whitespace)
+		if len(p.tok.Data) == 0 {
+			// It was all whitespace, so ignore it.
+			return true
+		}
 		implied = true
 	case StartTagToken:
 		switch p.tok.Data {
@@ -417,8 +435,6 @@ func beforeHeadIM(p *parser) bool {
 	return !implied
 }
 
-const whitespace = " \t\r\n\f"
-
 // Section 11.2.5.4.4.
 func inHeadIM(p *parser) bool {
 	var (
diff --git a/src/pkg/html/parse_test.go b/src/pkg/html/parse_test.go
index 48918947fc..808300a289 100644
--- a/src/pkg/html/parse_test.go
+++ b/src/pkg/html/parse_test.go
@@ -134,7 +134,7 @@ func TestParser(t *testing.T) {
 	}{
 		// TODO(nigeltao): Process all the test cases from all the .dat files.
 		{"tests1.dat", -1},
-		{"tests2.dat", 47},
+		{"tests2.dat", 50},
 		{"tests3.dat", 0},
 	}
 	for _, tf := range testFiles {