diff --git a/internal/dmapi/dmmap/dmmdata/parse.go b/internal/dmapi/dmmap/dmmdata/parse.go
index 4e47dc37..98a00c77 100644
--- a/internal/dmapi/dmmap/dmmdata/parse.go
+++ b/internal/dmapi/dmmap/dmmdata/parse.go
@@ -110,8 +110,7 @@ func parse(file namedReader) (*DmmData, error) {
 					} else {
 						currDatum = append(currDatum, c)
 					}
-				}
-				if inVarDataBlock { // retain any whitespace in the data block
+				} else if inVarDataBlock { // retain any whitespace in the data block
 					currDatum = append(currDatum, c)
 				}
 				continue
diff --git a/internal/dmapi/dmmap/dmmdata/parse_test.go b/internal/dmapi/dmmap/dmmdata/parse_test.go
index 5112d69f..1a8a4a85 100644
--- a/internal/dmapi/dmmap/dmmdata/parse_test.go
+++ b/internal/dmapi/dmmap/dmmdata/parse_test.go
@@ -215,7 +215,7 @@ no_ws=1;
 } 	, 	/obj/foo2 	, 	
  	/obj/foo1 	{no_ws=1} 	,
 	/obj/foo3{
-		liz =   	list("a" 	= 2, "c" = 		3)  	
+		liz =   	list("a"   = 2, "c" =   3, "long bit of text    " = "other long bit      of text")  	
 	}) 	
 
 // Comment line that shouldn't flag TGM format
@@ -248,7 +248,7 @@ no_ws=1;
 
 	assert.Equal("/obj/foo3", prefabs[3].Path())
 	assert.ElementsMatch(prefabs[3].Vars().Iterate(), []string{"liz"})
-	assert.Equal("list(\"a\" 	= 2, \"c\" = 		3)", prefabs[3].Vars().ValueV("liz", ""))
+	assert.Equal("list(\"a\"   = 2, \"c\" =   3, \"long bit of text    \" = \"other long bit      of text\")", prefabs[3].Vars().ValueV("liz", ""))
 }
 
 // Table-based test to check failure edge cases.