diff --git a/Lib/email/policy.py b/Lib/email/policy.py
index 611deb50bb5290..30e34ced6c1088 100644
--- a/Lib/email/policy.py
+++ b/Lib/email/policy.py
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@
     'HTTP',
     ]
 
-linesep_splitter = re.compile(r'\n|\r')
+linesep_splitter = re.compile(r'\n\s+|\r\s+')
 
 @_extend_docstrings
 class EmailPolicy(Policy):