diff --git a/lisp/org-footnote.el b/lisp/org-footnote.el
index 69f9eec9d..ec4287e11 100644
--- a/lisp/org-footnote.el
+++ b/lisp/org-footnote.el
@@ -544,7 +544,7 @@ value if point was successfully moved."
       (user-error "Definition is outside narrowed part of buffer")))
     (org-mark-ring-push)
     (goto-char def-start)
-    (looking-at (format "\\[fn:%s[]:] ?" (regexp-quote label)))
+    (looking-at (format "\\[fn:%s[]:]" (regexp-quote label)))
     (goto-char (match-end 0))
     (org-show-context 'link-search)
     (when (derived-mode-p 'org-mode)
diff --git a/testing/lisp/test-org-footnote.el b/testing/lisp/test-org-footnote.el
index 6ff8fea7d..99e4ca902 100644
--- a/testing/lisp/test-org-footnote.el
+++ b/testing/lisp/test-org-footnote.el
@@ -231,7 +231,7 @@
   ;; anonymous footnotes.
   (should
    (equal
-    "Definition."
+    " Definition."
     (org-test-with-temp-text "Some text\n[fn:1] Definition."
       (org-footnote-goto-definition "1")
       (buffer-substring (point) (point-max)))))