diff --git a/http_parser.c b/http_parser.c
index a131a38..a0049b6 100644
--- a/http_parser.c
+++ b/http_parser.c
@@ -280,6 +280,7 @@ enum state
 
   , s_header_field_start
   , s_header_field
+  , s_header_value_discard_ws
   , s_header_value_start
   , s_header_value
   , s_header_value_lws
@@ -1380,7 +1381,7 @@ size_t http_parser_execute (http_parser *parser,
         }
 
         if (ch == ':') {
-          parser->state = s_header_value_start;
+          parser->state = s_header_value_discard_ws;
           CALLBACK_DATA(header_field);
           break;
         }
@@ -1401,10 +1402,12 @@ size_t http_parser_execute (http_parser *parser,
         goto error;
       }
 
-      case s_header_value_start:
-      {
+      case s_header_value_discard_ws:
         if (ch == ' ' || ch == '\t') break;
+        /* FALLTHROUGH */
 
+      case s_header_value_start:
+      {
         MARK(header_value);
 
         parser->state = s_header_value;
@@ -1593,11 +1596,9 @@ size_t http_parser_execute (http_parser *parser,
         if (ch == ' ' || ch == '\t')
           parser->state = s_header_value_start;
         else
-        {
           parser->state = s_header_field_start;
-          goto reexecute_byte;
-        }
-        break;
+
+        goto reexecute_byte;
       }
 
       case s_headers_almost_done:
diff --git a/test.c b/test.c
index 9aaa5ad..fdeae86 100644
--- a/test.c
+++ b/test.c
@@ -619,7 +619,7 @@ const struct message requests[] =
   ,.request_path= "/"
   ,.request_url= "/"
   ,.num_headers= 2
-  ,.headers= { { "Line1", "abcdefghijklmno qrs" }
+  ,.headers= { { "Line1", "abc\tdef ghi\t\tjkl  mno \t \tqrs" }
              , { "Line2", "line2\t" }
              }
   ,.body= ""