diff --git a/Cargo.lock b/Cargo.lock
index 5eeb855aacb87..b53d89ba88640 100644
--- a/Cargo.lock
+++ b/Cargo.lock
@@ -3703,6 +3703,7 @@ dependencies = [
  "rustc_fluent_macro",
  "rustc_hir",
  "rustc_index",
+ "rustc_lexer",
  "rustc_lint_defs",
  "rustc_macros",
  "rustc_serialize",
diff --git a/compiler/rustc_errors/Cargo.toml b/compiler/rustc_errors/Cargo.toml
index 06bae57638f3c..66b9adbead0b6 100644
--- a/compiler/rustc_errors/Cargo.toml
+++ b/compiler/rustc_errors/Cargo.toml
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ rustc_error_messages = { path = "../rustc_error_messages" }
 rustc_fluent_macro = { path = "../rustc_fluent_macro" }
 rustc_hir = { path = "../rustc_hir" }
 rustc_index = { path = "../rustc_index" }
+rustc_lexer = { path = "../rustc_lexer" }
 rustc_lint_defs = { path = "../rustc_lint_defs" }
 rustc_macros = { path = "../rustc_macros" }
 rustc_serialize = { path = "../rustc_serialize" }
diff --git a/compiler/rustc_errors/src/emitter.rs b/compiler/rustc_errors/src/emitter.rs
index ac2f91cdeb3fe..17908bca26afc 100644
--- a/compiler/rustc_errors/src/emitter.rs
+++ b/compiler/rustc_errors/src/emitter.rs
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ use derive_setters::Setters;
 use rustc_data_structures::fx::{FxHashMap, FxIndexMap, FxIndexSet};
 use rustc_data_structures::sync::{DynSend, IntoDynSyncSend, Lrc};
 use rustc_error_messages::{FluentArgs, SpanLabel};
+use rustc_lexer;
 use rustc_lint_defs::pluralize;
 use rustc_span::hygiene::{ExpnKind, MacroKind};
 use rustc_span::source_map::SourceMap;
@@ -1698,9 +1699,14 @@ impl HumanEmitter {
                     if let Some(source_string) =
                         line.line_index.checked_sub(1).and_then(|l| file.get_line(l))
                     {
+                        // Whitespace can only be removed (aka considered leading)
+                        // if the lexer considers it whitespace.
+                        // non-rustc_lexer::is_whitespace() chars are reported as an
+                        // error (ex. no-break-spaces \u{a0}), and thus can't be considered
+                        // for removal during error reporting.
                         let leading_whitespace = source_string
                             .chars()
-                            .take_while(|c| c.is_whitespace())
+                            .take_while(|c| rustc_lexer::is_whitespace(*c))
                             .map(|c| {
                                 match c {
                                     // Tabs are displayed as 4 spaces
@@ -1709,7 +1715,7 @@ impl HumanEmitter {
                                 }
                             })
                             .sum();
-                        if source_string.chars().any(|c| !c.is_whitespace()) {
+                        if source_string.chars().any(|c| !rustc_lexer::is_whitespace(c)) {
                             whitespace_margin = min(whitespace_margin, leading_whitespace);
                         }
                     }
diff --git a/tests/ui/errors/emitter-overflow-bad-whitespace.rs b/tests/ui/errors/emitter-overflow-bad-whitespace.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..d024d1f3921b2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/ui/errors/emitter-overflow-bad-whitespace.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+// Invalid whitespace (not listed here: https://doc.rust-lang.org/reference/whitespace.html
+// e.g. \u{a0}) before any other syntax on the line should not cause any integer overflow
+// in the emitter, even when the terminal width causes the line to be truncated.
+//
+// issue #132918
+
+//@ check-fail
+//@ needs-rustc-debug-assertions
+//@ compile-flags: --diagnostic-width=1
+                                         fn main() {              return;              }
+//~^ ERROR unknown start of token: \u{a0}
diff --git a/tests/ui/errors/emitter-overflow-bad-whitespace.stderr b/tests/ui/errors/emitter-overflow-bad-whitespace.stderr
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..8c0c097bcb9c4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/ui/errors/emitter-overflow-bad-whitespace.stderr
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+error: unknown start of token: \u{a0}
+  --> $DIR/emitter-overflow-bad-whitespace.rs:10:1
+   |
+LL |     ...
+   | ^
+   |
+help: Unicode character ' ' (No-Break Space) looks like ' ' (Space), but it is not
+   |
+LL |                                          fn main() {              return;              }
+   | +
+
+error: aborting due to 1 previous error
+