diff --git a/packages/quill/src/modules/clipboard.ts b/packages/quill/src/modules/clipboard.ts
index e4c3f755b5..8e35efd5c4 100644
--- a/packages/quill/src/modules/clipboard.ts
+++ b/packages/quill/src/modules/clipboard.ts
@@ -624,6 +624,9 @@ function matchTable(
   return delta;
 }
 
+const NBSP = '\u00a0';
+const SPACE_EXCLUDE_NBSP = `[^\\S${NBSP}]`;
+
 function matchText(node: HTMLElement, delta: Delta, scroll: ScrollBlot) {
   // @ts-expect-error
   let text = node.data;
@@ -639,12 +642,8 @@ function matchText(node: HTMLElement, delta: Delta, scroll: ScrollBlot) {
     ) {
       return delta;
     }
-    const replacer = (collapse: unknown, match: string) => {
-      const replaced = match.replace(/[^\u00a0]/g, ''); // \u00a0 is nbsp;
-      return replaced.length < 1 && collapse ? ' ' : replaced;
-    };
     text = text.replace(/\r\n/g, ' ').replace(/\n/g, ' ');
-    text = text.replace(/\s\s+/g, replacer.bind(replacer, true)); // collapse whitespace
+    text = text.replace(new RegExp(`${SPACE_EXCLUDE_NBSP}{2,}`, 'g'), ' '); // collapse whitespace
     if (
       (node.previousSibling == null &&
         node.parentElement != null &&
@@ -652,7 +651,7 @@ function matchText(node: HTMLElement, delta: Delta, scroll: ScrollBlot) {
       (node.previousSibling instanceof Element &&
         isLine(node.previousSibling, scroll))
     ) {
-      text = text.replace(/^\s+/, replacer.bind(replacer, false));
+      text = text.replace(new RegExp(`^${SPACE_EXCLUDE_NBSP}+`), '');
     }
     if (
       (node.nextSibling == null &&
@@ -660,8 +659,9 @@ function matchText(node: HTMLElement, delta: Delta, scroll: ScrollBlot) {
         isLine(node.parentElement, scroll)) ||
       (node.nextSibling instanceof Element && isLine(node.nextSibling, scroll))
     ) {
-      text = text.replace(/\s+$/, replacer.bind(replacer, false));
+      text = text.replace(new RegExp(`${SPACE_EXCLUDE_NBSP}+$`), '');
     }
+    text = text.replaceAll(NBSP, ' ');
   }
   return delta.insert(text);
 }
diff --git a/packages/quill/test/unit/modules/clipboard.spec.ts b/packages/quill/test/unit/modules/clipboard.spec.ts
index 0ba7c159ed..69142690a2 100644
--- a/packages/quill/test/unit/modules/clipboard.spec.ts
+++ b/packages/quill/test/unit/modules/clipboard.spec.ts
@@ -244,6 +244,12 @@ describe('Clipboard', () => {
       expect(delta).toEqual(new Delta().insert('0\n1 2  3  4\n5 6  7 8'));
     });
 
+    test('multiple whitespaces', () => {
+      const html = '<div>1   2    3</div>';
+      const delta = createClipboard().convert({ html });
+      expect(delta).toEqual(new Delta().insert('1 2 3'));
+    });
+
     test('inline whitespace', () => {
       const html = '<p>0 <strong>1</strong> 2</p>';
       const delta = createClipboard().convert({ html });
@@ -256,19 +262,23 @@ describe('Clipboard', () => {
       const html = '<span>0&nbsp;<strong>1</strong>&nbsp;2</span>';
       const delta = createClipboard().convert({ html });
       expect(delta).toEqual(
-        new Delta()
-          .insert('0\u00a0')
-          .insert('1', { bold: true })
-          .insert('\u00a02'),
+        new Delta().insert('0 ').insert('1', { bold: true }).insert(' 2'),
       );
     });
 
     test('consecutive intentional whitespace', () => {
       const html = '<strong>&nbsp;&nbsp;1&nbsp;&nbsp;</strong>';
       const delta = createClipboard().convert({ html });
-      expect(delta).toEqual(
-        new Delta().insert('\u00a0\u00a01\u00a0\u00a0', { bold: true }),
-      );
+      expect(delta).toEqual(new Delta().insert('  1  ', { bold: true }));
+    });
+
+    test('intentional whitespace at line start/end', () => {
+      expect(
+        createClipboard().convert({ html: '<p>0 &nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp; 2</p>' }),
+      ).toEqual(new Delta().insert('0  \n  2'));
+      expect(
+        createClipboard().convert({ html: '<p>0&nbsp; </p><p> &nbsp;2</p>' }),
+      ).toEqual(new Delta().insert('0 \n 2'));
     });
 
     test('newlines between inline elements', () => {