diff --git a/src/components/main/layout/box_.rs b/src/components/main/layout/box_.rs
index d4f16e1e37a..3350e3050f8 100644
--- a/src/components/main/layout/box_.rs
+++ b/src/components/main/layout/box_.rs
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ use servo_util::geometry::Au;
 use servo_util::geometry;
 use servo_util::range::*;
 use servo_util::namespace;
+use servo_util::str::is_whitespace_not_nbsp;
 
 use std::cast;
 use std::cell::RefCell;
@@ -1428,7 +1429,7 @@ impl Box {
     /// Returns true if this box is an unscanned text box that consists entirely of whitespace.
     pub fn is_whitespace_only(&self) -> bool {
         match self.specific {
-            UnscannedTextBox(ref text_box_info) => text_box_info.text.is_whitespace(),
+            UnscannedTextBox(ref text_box_info) => is_whitespace_not_nbsp(text_box_info.text),
             _ => false,
         }
     }
diff --git a/src/components/main/layout/construct.rs b/src/components/main/layout/construct.rs
index 98d33db8d26..4a2dc5a055d 100644
--- a/src/components/main/layout/construct.rs
+++ b/src/components/main/layout/construct.rs
@@ -43,6 +43,7 @@ use style::ComputedValues;
 use servo_util::namespace;
 use servo_util::url::parse_url;
 use servo_util::url::is_image_data;
+use servo_util::str::is_whitespace_not_nbsp;
 
 use extra::url::Url;
 use extra::arc::Arc;
@@ -724,10 +725,7 @@ impl<'ln> NodeUtils for ThreadSafeLayoutNode<'ln> {
         match self.type_id() {
             TextNodeTypeId => {
                 unsafe {
-                    if !self.with_text(|text| text.characterdata
-                                                  .data
-                                                  .chars()
-                                                  .all(|c| c.is_whitespace())) {
+                    if !self.with_text(|text| is_whitespace_not_nbsp(text.characterdata.data)) {
                         return false
                     }
 
diff --git a/src/components/util/str.rs b/src/components/util/str.rs
index 13272d8ec42..0b9bd74f074 100644
--- a/src/components/util/str.rs
+++ b/src/components/util/str.rs
@@ -19,3 +19,6 @@ pub fn null_str_as_empty_ref<'a>(s: &'a Option<DOMString>) -> &'a str {
     }
 }
 
+pub fn is_whitespace_not_nbsp(s: &str) -> bool {
+    s.chars().all(|c| c.is_whitespace() && c != '\xa0')
+}