diff --git a/src/compiler/code_generator.ts b/src/compiler/code_generator.ts
index 76c37fca..a40b3a02 100644
--- a/src/compiler/code_generator.ts
+++ b/src/compiler/code_generator.ts
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ import {
 import { OwlError } from "../runtime/error_handling";
 
 type BlockType = "block" | "text" | "multi" | "list" | "html" | "comment";
+const whitespaceRE = /\s+/g;
 
 export interface Config {
   translateFn?: (s: string) => string;
@@ -166,6 +167,7 @@ interface Context {
   nameSpace?: string;
   tModelSelectedExpr?: string;
   ctxVar?: string;
+  inPreTag?: boolean;
 }
 
 function createContext(parentCtx: Context, params?: Partial<Context>): Context {
@@ -534,6 +536,9 @@ export class CodeGenerator {
       const match = translationRE.exec(value) as any;
       value = match[1] + this.translateFn(match[2]) + match[3];
     }
+    if (!ctx.inPreTag) {
+      value = value.replace(whitespaceRE, " ");
+    }
 
     if (!block || forceNewBlock) {
       block = this.createBlock(block, "text", ctx);
@@ -746,6 +751,7 @@ export class CodeGenerator {
           tKeyExpr: ctx.tKeyExpr,
           nameSpace,
           tModelSelectedExpr,
+          inPreTag: ctx.inPreTag || ast.tag === "pre",
         });
         this.compileAST(child, subCtx);
       }
diff --git a/src/compiler/parser.ts b/src/compiler/parser.ts
index 0bf572d9..42a89f13 100644
--- a/src/compiler/parser.ts
+++ b/src/compiler/parser.ts
@@ -261,16 +261,12 @@ function parseTNode(node: Element, ctx: ParsingContext): AST | null {
 // Text and Comment Nodes
 // -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 const lineBreakRE = /[\r\n]/;
-const whitespaceRE = /\s+/g;
 
 function parseTextCommentNode(node: Node, ctx: ParsingContext): AST | null {
   if (node.nodeType === Node.TEXT_NODE) {
     let value = node.textContent || "";
-    if (!ctx.inPreTag) {
-      if (lineBreakRE.test(value) && !value.trim()) {
-        return null;
-      }
-      value = value.replace(whitespaceRE, " ");
+    if (!ctx.inPreTag && lineBreakRE.test(value) && !value.trim()) {
+      return null;
     }
 
     return { type: ASTType.Text, value };
diff --git a/tests/compiler/__snapshots__/translation.test.ts.snap b/tests/compiler/__snapshots__/translation.test.ts.snap
index 877a307b..f40bedda 100644
--- a/tests/compiler/__snapshots__/translation.test.ts.snap
+++ b/tests/compiler/__snapshots__/translation.test.ts.snap
@@ -64,3 +64,16 @@ exports[`translation support translation is done on the trimmed text, with extra
   }
 }"
 `;
+
+exports[`translation support translation works, even if initial string has inner consecutive white space 1`] = `
+"function anonymous(app, bdom, helpers
+) {
+  let { text, createBlock, list, multi, html, toggler, comment } = bdom;
+  
+  let block1 = createBlock(\`<div>un mot</div>\`);
+  
+  return function template(ctx, node, key = \\"\\") {
+    return block1();
+  }
+}"
+`;
diff --git a/tests/compiler/parser.test.ts b/tests/compiler/parser.test.ts
index 52178251..cdbbcace 100644
--- a/tests/compiler/parser.test.ts
+++ b/tests/compiler/parser.test.ts
@@ -26,10 +26,10 @@ describe("qweb parser", () => {
     });
   });
 
-  test("white spaces are condensed into a single space", async () => {
+  test("white spaces are maintained", async () => {
     expect(parse("   ")).toEqual({
       type: ASTType.Text,
-      value: " ",
+      value: "   ",
     });
   });
 
diff --git a/tests/compiler/translation.test.ts b/tests/compiler/translation.test.ts
index 676a8d23..71dc6ba6 100644
--- a/tests/compiler/translation.test.ts
+++ b/tests/compiler/translation.test.ts
@@ -88,4 +88,16 @@ describe("translation support", () => {
     expect(fixture.innerHTML).toBe("<div> mot </div>");
     expect(translateFn).toHaveBeenCalledWith("word");
   });
+
+  test("translation works, even if initial string has inner consecutive white space", async () => {
+    class SomeComponent extends Component {
+      static template = xml`<div>some  word</div>`;
+    }
+
+    const translateFn = jest.fn((expr: string) => (expr === "some  word" ? "un mot" : expr));
+
+    await mount(SomeComponent, fixture, { translateFn });
+    expect(translateFn).toHaveBeenCalledWith("some  word");
+    expect(fixture.innerHTML).toBe("<div>un mot</div>");
+  });
 });