diff --git a/src/formats/docx/content.rs b/src/formats/docx/content.rs
index c53c1ecf..44906f25 100644
--- a/src/formats/docx/content.rs
+++ b/src/formats/docx/content.rs
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ use crate::shared::delta::rebase_emphasis;
 use crate::shared::fields::{FieldFrame, field_result};
 use crate::shared::header::resolve_header_rows;
 use crate::shared::list::{ListEntry, ListKey, flush_list};
-use crate::shared::text::{clean_text, is_xml_space};
+use crate::shared::text::clean_text;
 use std::cell::RefCell;
 use std::collections::HashMap;
 
@@ -475,20 +475,10 @@ impl<'a, 'b, 'e> InlineWalker<'a, 'b, 'e> {
             }
             match child.local.as_str() {
                 "t" => {
-                    // Open XML text-space contract: edge whitespace in w:t
-                    // is significant only under xml:space="preserve";
-                    // unmarked edges are discarded (Word never renders them).
-                    // Only XML whitespace counts: a no-break space is
-                    // character data, not whitespace the contract may drop.
-                    let preserved = child.attr_qualified(ns::XML, "space") == Some("preserve");
-                    let raw = child.text();
-                    // The contract applies to the XML text, before
-                    // normalization turns a no-break space into a space.
-                    let text = clean_text(if preserved {
-                        raw.as_ref()
-                    } else {
-                        raw.trim_matches(is_xml_space)
-                    });
+                    // Run edges carry the spacing between words in documents
+                    // that never mark xml:space, and XML leaves unmarked
+                    // whitespace to the application, so it is kept.
+                    let text = clean_text(child.text().as_ref());
                     if !text.is_empty() {
                         self.push(Inline::Text { text, style });
                     }
diff --git a/src/formats/docx/mod.rs b/src/formats/docx/mod.rs
index 21dfef57..eee5317e 100644
--- a/src/formats/docx/mod.rs
+++ b/src/formats/docx/mod.rs
@@ -248,36 +248,19 @@ mod tests {
     }
 
     #[test]
-    fn unpreserved_edge_whitespace_is_discarded() {
-        // M3: w:t edge whitespace is significant only under
-        // xml:space="preserve".
+    fn unmarked_run_edge_whitespace_is_kept() {
+        // Converters that never write xml:space carry inter-word spacing on
+        // run edges; dropping it glues the words together.
         let document = format!(
             r#"<w:document {W}><w:body><w:p>
-            <w:r><w:t>lead</w:t></w:r>
-            <w:r><w:t>   discarded   </w:t></w:r>
-            <w:r><w:t xml:space="preserve"> kept </w:t></w:r>
-            <w:r><w:t>tail</w:t></w:r>
+            <w:r><w:t>This</w:t></w:r>
+            <w:r><w:t> by-law</w:t></w:r>
+            <w:r><w:t> grants</w:t></w:r>
             </w:p></w:body></w:document>"#
         );
         let doc = parse(&docx_parts(&[("word/document.xml", &document)])).unwrap();
         let Some(Block::Paragraph(inlines)) = doc.blocks.first() else { panic!() };
-        assert_eq!(crate::model::inlines_to_plain_text(inlines), "leaddiscarded kept tail");
-    }
-
-    #[test]
-    fn unpreserved_no_break_space_is_kept() {
-        // The xml:space contract governs XML whitespace; a no-break space is
-        // character data, so it survives an unmarked edge.
-        let nbsp = '\u{a0}';
-        let document = format!(
-            r#"<w:document {W}><w:body><w:p>
-            <w:r><w:t>before{nbsp}</w:t></w:r>
-            <w:r><w:t>after</w:t></w:r>
-            </w:p></w:body></w:document>"#
-        );
-        let doc = parse(&docx_parts(&[("word/document.xml", &document)])).unwrap();
-        let Some(Block::Paragraph(inlines)) = doc.blocks.first() else { panic!() };
-        assert_eq!(crate::model::inlines_to_plain_text(inlines), "before after");
+        assert_eq!(crate::model::inlines_to_plain_text(inlines), "This by-law grants");
     }
 
     #[test]
diff --git a/src/shared/text.rs b/src/shared/text.rs
index f5bd0daa..aa151948 100644
--- a/src/shared/text.rs
+++ b/src/shared/text.rs
@@ -26,13 +26,6 @@ pub fn clean_text(text: &str) -> String {
     out
 }
 
-/// XML whitespace, the S production of XML 1.0: the only characters an
-/// `xml:space` contract governs. Everything else, a no-break space included,
-/// is character data.
-pub fn is_xml_space(c: char) -> bool {
-    matches!(c, ' ' | '\t' | '\r' | '\n')
-}
-
 /// Collapse whitespace runs to single spaces.
 pub fn collapse_ws(text: &str) -> String {
     let mut out = String::with_capacity(text.len());