diff --git a/src/backend/utils/adt/formatting.c b/src/backend/utils/adt/formatting.c
index 27aea9cbbc..2099ad0c30 100644
--- a/src/backend/utils/adt/formatting.c
+++ b/src/backend/utils/adt/formatting.c
@@ -2839,16 +2839,22 @@ DCH_from_char(FormatNode *node, char *in, TmFromChar *out)
 	{
 		if (n->type != NODE_TYPE_ACTION)
 		{
+			/*
+			 * Separator, so consume one character from input string.  Notice
+			 * we don't insist that the consumed character match the format's
+			 * character.
+			 */
 			s++;
-			/* Ignore spaces when not in FX (fixed width) mode */
-			if (isspace((unsigned char) n->character) && !fx_mode)
-			{
-				while (*s != '\0' && isspace((unsigned char) *s))
-					s++;
-			}
 			continue;
 		}
 
+		/* Ignore spaces before fields when not in FX (fixed width) mode */
+		if (!fx_mode && n->key->id != DCH_FX)
+		{
+			while (*s != '\0' && isspace((unsigned char) *s))
+				s++;
+		}
+
 		from_char_set_mode(out, n->key->date_mode);
 
 		switch (n->key->id)
diff --git a/src/test/regress/expected/horology.out b/src/test/regress/expected/horology.out
index 87a695144e..1fe02be093 100644
--- a/src/test/regress/expected/horology.out
+++ b/src/test/regress/expected/horology.out
@@ -2906,6 +2906,81 @@ SELECT to_timestamp('  20050302', 'YYYYMMDD');
  Wed Mar 02 00:00:00 2005 PST
 (1 row)
 
+--
+-- Check handling of multiple spaces in format and/or input
+--
+SELECT to_timestamp('2011-12-18 23:38:15', 'YYYY-MM-DD  HH24:MI:SS');
+         to_timestamp         
+------------------------------
+ Sun Dec 18 03:38:15 2011 PST
+(1 row)
+
+SELECT to_timestamp('2011-12-18  23:38:15', 'YYYY-MM-DD  HH24:MI:SS');
+         to_timestamp         
+------------------------------
+ Sun Dec 18 23:38:15 2011 PST
+(1 row)
+
+SELECT to_timestamp('2011-12-18   23:38:15', 'YYYY-MM-DD  HH24:MI:SS');
+         to_timestamp         
+------------------------------
+ Sun Dec 18 23:38:15 2011 PST
+(1 row)
+
+SELECT to_timestamp('2011-12-18  23:38:15', 'YYYY-MM-DD HH24:MI:SS');
+         to_timestamp         
+------------------------------
+ Sun Dec 18 23:38:15 2011 PST
+(1 row)
+
+SELECT to_timestamp('2011-12-18  23:38:15', 'YYYY-MM-DD  HH24:MI:SS');
+         to_timestamp         
+------------------------------
+ Sun Dec 18 23:38:15 2011 PST
+(1 row)
+
+SELECT to_timestamp('2011-12-18  23:38:15', 'YYYY-MM-DD   HH24:MI:SS');
+         to_timestamp         
+------------------------------
+ Sun Dec 18 03:38:15 2011 PST
+(1 row)
+
+SELECT to_date('2011 12  18', 'YYYY MM DD');
+  to_date   
+------------
+ 12-18-2011
+(1 row)
+
+SELECT to_date('2011 12  18', 'YYYY MM  DD');
+  to_date   
+------------
+ 12-18-2011
+(1 row)
+
+SELECT to_date('2011 12  18', 'YYYY MM   DD');
+  to_date   
+------------
+ 12-08-2011
+(1 row)
+
+SELECT to_date('2011 12 18', 'YYYY  MM DD');
+  to_date   
+------------
+ 02-18-2011
+(1 row)
+
+SELECT to_date('2011  12 18', 'YYYY  MM DD');
+  to_date   
+------------
+ 12-18-2011
+(1 row)
+
+SELECT to_date('2011   12 18', 'YYYY  MM DD');
+  to_date   
+------------
+ 12-18-2011
+(1 row)
+
 --
 -- Check errors for some incorrect usages of to_timestamp()
 --
diff --git a/src/test/regress/sql/horology.sql b/src/test/regress/sql/horology.sql
index fe9a520cb9..c81437ba35 100644
--- a/src/test/regress/sql/horology.sql
+++ b/src/test/regress/sql/horology.sql
@@ -440,6 +440,26 @@ SELECT to_timestamp(' 2005 03 02', 'YYYYMMDD');
 
 SELECT to_timestamp('  20050302', 'YYYYMMDD');
 
+--
+-- Check handling of multiple spaces in format and/or input
+--
+
+SELECT to_timestamp('2011-12-18 23:38:15', 'YYYY-MM-DD  HH24:MI:SS');
+SELECT to_timestamp('2011-12-18  23:38:15', 'YYYY-MM-DD  HH24:MI:SS');
+SELECT to_timestamp('2011-12-18   23:38:15', 'YYYY-MM-DD  HH24:MI:SS');
+
+SELECT to_timestamp('2011-12-18  23:38:15', 'YYYY-MM-DD HH24:MI:SS');
+SELECT to_timestamp('2011-12-18  23:38:15', 'YYYY-MM-DD  HH24:MI:SS');
+SELECT to_timestamp('2011-12-18  23:38:15', 'YYYY-MM-DD   HH24:MI:SS');
+
+SELECT to_date('2011 12  18', 'YYYY MM DD');
+SELECT to_date('2011 12  18', 'YYYY MM  DD');
+SELECT to_date('2011 12  18', 'YYYY MM   DD');
+
+SELECT to_date('2011 12 18', 'YYYY  MM DD');
+SELECT to_date('2011  12 18', 'YYYY  MM DD');
+SELECT to_date('2011   12 18', 'YYYY  MM DD');
+
 --
 -- Check errors for some incorrect usages of to_timestamp()
 --