diff --git a/root/static/scripts/common/i18n/expand2.js b/root/static/scripts/common/i18n/expand2.js
index d1c56217bdb..ca8f39ed5c4 100644
--- a/root/static/scripts/common/i18n/expand2.js
+++ b/root/static/scripts/common/i18n/expand2.js
@@ -206,7 +206,7 @@ export const createTextContentParser = <T, V>(
   return mapValue(text);
 };
 
-const varSubst = /^\{([0-9A-z_]+)\}/;
+const varSubst = /^\{([0-9A-z_ ]+)\}/;
 export const createVarSubstParser = <T, V>(
   argFilter: (V) => T,
 ): Parser<T | string | NO_MATCH, V> => saveMatch(
@@ -225,7 +225,7 @@ export const createVarSubstParser = <T, V>(
 export const parseStringVarSubst: Parser<string | NO_MATCH, mixed> =
   createVarSubstParser<string, mixed>(getString);
 
-const condSubstStart = /^\{([0-9A-z_]+):/;
+const condSubstStart = /^\{([0-9A-z_ ]+):/;
 const verticalPipe = /^\|/;
 export const substEnd: RegExp = /^}/;
 export const createCondSubstParser = <T, V: Expand2ReactInput>(
diff --git a/root/static/scripts/common/i18n/expand2react.js b/root/static/scripts/common/i18n/expand2react.js
index cbaa1f01966..fa541130d9a 100644
--- a/root/static/scripts/common/i18n/expand2react.js
+++ b/root/static/scripts/common/i18n/expand2react.js
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ type Output = Expand2ReactOutput;
 const textContent = /^[^<>{}]+/;
 const condSubstThenTextContent = /^[^<>{}|]+/;
 const percentSign = /(%)/;
-const linkSubstStart = /^\{([0-9A-z_]+)\|/;
+const linkSubstStart = /^\{([0-9A-z_ ]+)\|/;
 const htmlTagStart = /^<(?=[a-z])/;
 const htmlTagName = /^(a|abbr|br|code|em|h1|h2|h3|h4|h5|h6|hr|li|ol|p|span|strong|ul)(?=[\s\/>])/;
 const htmlTagEnd = /^>/;
diff --git a/root/static/scripts/tests/i18n/expand2.js b/root/static/scripts/tests/i18n/expand2.js
index 16b6b846cc8..3f689e98d14 100644
--- a/root/static/scripts/tests/i18n/expand2.js
+++ b/root/static/scripts/tests/i18n/expand2.js
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ import expand2text, {
 } from '../../common/i18n/expand2text.js';
 
 test('expand2', function (t) {
-  t.plan(69);
+  t.plan(70);
 
   let error = '';
   const consoleError = console.error;
@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@ test('expand2', function (t) {
   );
   expandText('An {apple_fruit}', null, 'An {apple_fruit}');
   expandText('An {apple_fruit}', {apple_fruit: 'apple'}, 'An apple');
+  expandText('An {apple fruit}', {'apple fruit': 'apple'}, 'An apple');
   expandText('A {number}', {number: 1}, 'A 1');
   expandHtml('{null} value', {null: null}, ' value');
   t.equal(error, '');
diff --git a/t/lib/t/MusicBrainz/Server/Translation.pm b/t/lib/t/MusicBrainz/Server/Translation.pm
index 5950c67970c..ba4ac4830a1 100644
--- a/t/lib/t/MusicBrainz/Server/Translation.pm
+++ b/t/lib/t/MusicBrainz/Server/Translation.pm
@@ -12,9 +12,15 @@ test 'Check _expand_link' => sub {
     is(MusicBrainz::Server::Translation->instance->expand('An {apple_fruit}',
                                                   apple_fruit => 'apple'),
         'An apple', 'Simple replacement');
+    is(MusicBrainz::Server::Translation->instance->expand('An {apple fruit}',
+                                                  'apple fruit' => 'apple'),
+        'An apple', 'Simple replacement with spaces in key');
     is(MusicBrainz::Server::Translation->instance->expand('An {apple_fruit|Apple}',
                                                   apple_fruit => 'http://www.apple.com'),
         'An <a href="http://www.apple.com">Apple</a>', 'Replacement with links');
+    is(MusicBrainz::Server::Translation->instance->expand('An {apple fruit|Apple}',
+                                                  'apple fruit' => 'http://www.apple.com'),
+        'An <a href="http://www.apple.com">Apple</a>', 'Replacement with links and spaces in key');
     is(MusicBrainz::Server::Translation->instance->expand('A {apple_fruit|apple}',
                                                   apple_fruit => 'http://www.apple.com', apple => 'pear'),
         'A <a href="http://www.apple.com">pear</a>', 'Replacement with link description evaluation');