diff --git a/src/core.js b/src/core.js
index 44e622717..e957e4ee1 100644
--- a/src/core.js
+++ b/src/core.js
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ var
 	// A simple way to check for HTML strings
 	// Prioritize #id over <tag> to avoid XSS via location.hash (#9521)
 	// Strict HTML recognition (#11290: must start with <)
-	rquickExpr = /^(?:(<[\w\W]+>)[^>]*|#([\w-]*))$/,
+	rquickExpr = /^(?:\s*(<[\w\W]+>)[^>]*|#([\w-]*))$/,
 
 	// Match a standalone tag
 	rsingleTag = /^<(\w+)\s*\/?>(?:<\/\1>|)$/,
diff --git a/test/unit/core.js b/test/unit/core.js
index 0969c933e..20e1178d2 100644
--- a/test/unit/core.js
+++ b/test/unit/core.js
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ test("jQuery()", function() {
 		div = jQuery("<div/><hr/><code/><b/>"),
 		exec = false,
 		lng = "",
-		expected = 20,
+		expected = 22,
 		attrObj = {
 			"text": "test",
 			"class": "test2",
@@ -108,6 +108,12 @@ test("jQuery()", function() {
 
 	equal( jQuery(document.body).get(0), jQuery("body").get(0), "Test passing an html node to the factory" );
 
+	elem = jQuery("  <em>hello</em>")[0];
+	equal( elem.nodeName.toLowerCase(), "em", "leading space" );
+
+	elem = jQuery("\n\n<em>world</em>")[0];
+	equal( elem.nodeName.toLowerCase(), "em", "leading newlines" );
+
 	elem = jQuery("<div/>", attrObj );
 
 	if ( jQuery.fn.width ) {
diff --git a/test/unit/selector.js b/test/unit/selector.js
index 440e7167b..7939ea350 100644
--- a/test/unit/selector.js
+++ b/test/unit/selector.js
@@ -73,18 +73,6 @@ test("disconnected nodes - jQuery only", function() {
 	equal( $opt.is(":selected"), true, "selected option" );
 });
 
-test("jQuery only - broken", 1, function() {
-	raises(function() {
-		// Setting context to null here somehow avoids QUnit's window.error handling
-		// making the e & e.message correct
-		// For whatever reason, without this,
-		// Sizzle.error will be called but no error will be seen in oldIE
-		jQuery.call( null, " <div/> " );
-	}, function( e ) {
-		return (/syntax.err/i).test( e.message );
-	}, "leading space invalid: $(' <div/> ')" );
-});
-
 testIframe("selector/html5_selector", "attributes - jQuery.attr", function( jQuery, window, document ) {
 	expect( 35 );