diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/lib/utils/text_markdown.js b/app/assets/javascripts/lib/utils/text_markdown.js
index a5e2ee463a9d1ce070c7057a7a42e115e41f9604..52fa90c77917c272d275d1de72e8c40d5c282834 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/lib/utils/text_markdown.js
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/lib/utils/text_markdown.js
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ const LINK_TAG_PATTERN = '[{text}](url)';
 // a bullet point character (*+-) and an optional checkbox ([ ] [x])
 // OR a number with a . after it and an optional checkbox ([ ] [x])
 // followed by one or more whitespace characters
-const LIST_LINE_HEAD_PATTERN = /^(?<indent>\s*)(?<leader>((?<isUl>[*+-])|(?<isOl>\d+\.))( \[([xX ])\])?\s)(?<content>.)?/;
+const LIST_LINE_HEAD_PATTERN = /^(?<indent>\s*)(?<leader>((?<isUl>[*+-])|(?<isOl>\d+\.))( \[([xX\s])\])?\s)(?<content>.)?/;
 
 // detect a horizontal rule that might be mistaken for a list item (not full pattern for an <hr>)
 const HR_PATTERN = /^((\s{0,3}-+\s*-+\s*-+\s*[\s-]*)|(\s{0,3}\*+\s*\*+\s*\*+\s*[\s*]*))$/;
diff --git a/app/models/concerns/taskable.rb b/app/models/concerns/taskable.rb
index e41a0ca28f928e3c5432afedb3f0c91e8909e3e4..904c96b11b310cb174e94cad774884db00dfd4d6 100644
--- a/app/models/concerns/taskable.rb
+++ b/app/models/concerns/taskable.rb
@@ -11,14 +11,16 @@
 module Taskable
   COMPLETED          = 'completed'
   INCOMPLETE         = 'incomplete'
-  COMPLETE_PATTERN   = /(\[[xX]\])/.freeze
-  INCOMPLETE_PATTERN = /(\[\s\])/.freeze
+  COMPLETE_PATTERN   = /\[[xX]\]/.freeze
+  INCOMPLETE_PATTERN = /\[[[:space:]]\]/.freeze
   ITEM_PATTERN       = %r{
     ^
     (?:(?:>\s{0,4})*)             # optional blockquote characters
     ((?:\s*(?:[-+*]|(?:\d+\.)))+) # list prefix (one or more) required - task item has to be always in a list
     \s+                           # whitespace prefix has to be always presented for a list item
-    (\[\s\]|\[[xX]\])             # checkbox
+    (                             # checkbox
+      #{COMPLETE_PATTERN}|#{INCOMPLETE_PATTERN}
+    )
     (\s.+)                        # followed by whitespace and some text.
   }x.freeze
 
diff --git a/spec/frontend/lib/utils/text_markdown_spec.js b/spec/frontend/lib/utils/text_markdown_spec.js
index 9949327d28adb26516b6233dba1c2363e577ea6a..103305f079780df4da0ffeeb3f627126510b67a4 100644
--- a/spec/frontend/lib/utils/text_markdown_spec.js
+++ b/spec/frontend/lib/utils/text_markdown_spec.js
@@ -183,6 +183,7 @@ describe('init markdown', () => {
           ${'- [ ] item'}                | ${'- [ ] item\n- [ ] '}
           ${'- [x] item'}                | ${'- [x] item\n- [ ] '}
           ${'- [X] item'}                | ${'- [X] item\n- [ ] '}
+          ${'- [ ] nbsp (U+00A0)'}       | ${'- [ ] nbsp (U+00A0)\n- [ ] '}
           ${'- item\n  - second'}        | ${'- item\n  - second\n  - '}
           ${'- - -'}                     | ${'- - -'}
           ${'- --'}                      | ${'- --'}
diff --git a/spec/models/concerns/taskable_spec.rb b/spec/models/concerns/taskable_spec.rb
index 6b41174a046179a99bb68bd7e07521ebbcef0fd6..140f6cda51cc028483a98ee55fade94535a8cfd6 100644
--- a/spec/models/concerns/taskable_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/models/concerns/taskable_spec.rb
@@ -13,6 +13,10 @@
         - [x] Second item
         * [x] First item
         * [ ] Second item
+        + [ ] No-break space (U+00A0)
+        + [ ] Figure space (U+2007)
+        + [ ] Narrow no-break space (U+202F)
+        + [ ] Thin space (U+2009)
       MARKDOWN
     end
 
@@ -21,7 +25,11 @@
         TaskList::Item.new('- [ ]', 'First item'),
         TaskList::Item.new('- [x]', 'Second item'),
         TaskList::Item.new('* [x]', 'First item'),
-        TaskList::Item.new('* [ ]', 'Second item')
+        TaskList::Item.new('* [ ]', 'Second item'),
+        TaskList::Item.new('+ [ ]', 'No-break space (U+00A0)'),
+        TaskList::Item.new('+ [ ]', 'Figure space (U+2007)'),
+        TaskList::Item.new('+ [ ]', 'Narrow no-break space (U+202F)'),
+        TaskList::Item.new('+ [ ]', 'Thin space (U+2009)')
       ]
     end
 
diff --git a/spec/services/task_list_toggle_service_spec.rb b/spec/services/task_list_toggle_service_spec.rb
index 81f80ee926a4b3018c0df237d243a13ea1b3ac20..f889f29821307813e66215b436492c67dbb42609 100644
--- a/spec/services/task_list_toggle_service_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/services/task_list_toggle_service_spec.rb
@@ -16,6 +16,8 @@
       - [ ] loose list
 
         with an embedded paragraph
+
+      + [ ] No-break space (U+00A0)
     EOT
   end
 
@@ -40,12 +42,17 @@
           </ul>
         </li>
       </ol>
-      <ul data-sourcepos="9:1-11:28" class="task-list" dir="auto">
-        <li data-sourcepos="9:1-11:28" class="task-list-item">
+      <ul data-sourcepos="9:1-12:0" class="task-list" dir="auto">
+        <li data-sourcepos="9:1-12:0" class="task-list-item">
           <p data-sourcepos="9:3-9:16"><input type="checkbox" class="task-list-item-checkbox" disabled=""> loose list</p>
           <p data-sourcepos="11:3-11:28">with an embedded paragraph</p>
         </li>
       </ul>
+      <ul data-sourcepos="13:1-13:21" class="task-list" dir="auto">
+        <li data-sourcepos="13:1-13:21" class="task-list-item">
+          <input type="checkbox" class="task-list-item-checkbox" disabled=""> No-break space (U+00A0)
+        </li>
+      </ul>
     EOT
   end
 
@@ -79,6 +86,16 @@
     expect(toggler.updated_markdown_html).to include('disabled checked> loose list')
   end
 
+  it 'checks task with no-break space' do
+    toggler = described_class.new(markdown, markdown_html,
+                                  toggle_as_checked: true,
+                                  line_source: '+ [ ] No-break space (U+00A0)', line_number: 13)
+
+    expect(toggler.execute).to be_truthy
+    expect(toggler.updated_markdown.lines[12]).to eq "+ [x] No-break space (U+00A0)"
+    expect(toggler.updated_markdown_html).to include('disabled checked> No-break space (U+00A0)')
+  end
+
   it 'returns false if line_source does not match the text' do
     toggler = described_class.new(markdown, markdown_html,
                                   toggle_as_checked: false,