diff --git a/spec/unit/request_spec.lua b/spec/unit/request_spec.lua
index b3e7972..191ac58 100644
--- a/spec/unit/request_spec.lua
+++ b/spec/unit/request_spec.lua
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ describe('require', function()
 
   test('headers', function()
     local request = getInstance(
-      { 'GET /Makefile?a=b&c=d&e=1&e=2 HTTP/1.1', 'a: A', 'b: B', 'c: X', 'c: Y', '', 'C=3', '' }
+      { 'GET /Makefile?a=b&c=d&e=1&e=2 HTTP/1.1', 'a:A', 'b: \t  B \t  ', 'c: X', 'c: Y', '', 'C=3', '' }
     )
 
     assert.are.same(
diff --git a/src/pegasus/request.lua b/src/pegasus/request.lua
index 94622c1..2a0bf3a 100644
--- a/src/pegasus/request.lua
+++ b/src/pegasus/request.lua
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ Request.PATTERN_PROTOCOL = '(HTTP%/%d%.%d)'
 Request.PATTERN_REQUEST = (Request.PATTERN_METHOD ..
 Request.PATTERN_PATH ..Request.PATTERN_PROTOCOL)
 Request.PATTERN_QUERY_STRING = '([^=]*)=([^&]*)&?'
-Request.PATTERN_HEADER = '([%w-]+): ([%w %p]+=?)'
+Request.PATTERN_HEADER = '([%w-]+):[ \t]*([%w \t%p]*)'
 
 function Request:new(port, client, server)
   local obj = {}
@@ -151,6 +151,7 @@ function Request:headers()
 
     if key and value then
       key = key:lower()
+      value = value:gsub("%s+$", "") -- trim trailing whitespace
       local v = headers[key]
       if not v then
         headers[key] = value