diff --git a/internal/nginx/configurator.go b/internal/nginx/configurator.go
index 813a5b1816..d425cb8a15 100644
--- a/internal/nginx/configurator.go
+++ b/internal/nginx/configurator.go
@@ -637,7 +637,7 @@ func getRewrites(ingEx *IngressEx) map[string]string {
 }
 
 func parseRewrites(service string) (serviceName string, rewrite string, err error) {
-	parts := strings.SplitN(service, " ", 2)
+	parts := strings.SplitN(strings.TrimSpace(service), " ", 2)
 
 	if len(parts) != 2 {
 		return "", "", fmt.Errorf("Invalid rewrite format: %s", service)
diff --git a/internal/nginx/configurator_test.go b/internal/nginx/configurator_test.go
index 2b1bffcb21..1b7b1e1e91 100644
--- a/internal/nginx/configurator_test.go
+++ b/internal/nginx/configurator_test.go
@@ -42,6 +42,19 @@ func TestParseRewrites(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestParseRewritesWithLeadingAndTrailingWhitespace(t *testing.T) {
+	serviceName := "coffee-svc"
+	serviceNamePart := "serviceName=" + serviceName
+	rewritePath := "/beans/"
+	rewritePathPart := "rewrite=" + rewritePath
+	rewriteService := "\t\n " + serviceNamePart + " " + rewritePathPart + " \t\n"
+
+	serviceNameActual, rewritePathActual, err := parseRewrites(rewriteService)
+	if serviceName != serviceNameActual || rewritePath != rewritePathActual || err != nil {
+		t.Errorf("parseRewrites(%s) should return %q, %q, nil; got %q, %q, %v", rewriteService, serviceName, rewritePath, serviceNameActual, rewritePathActual, err)
+	}
+}
+
 func TestParseRewritesInvalidFormat(t *testing.T) {
 	rewriteService := "serviceNamecoffee-svc rewrite=/"