diff --git a/client/mysqltest.cc b/client/mysqltest.cc
index 9fc692d0d04..b2fcb8fe39e 100644
--- a/client/mysqltest.cc
+++ b/client/mysqltest.cc
@@ -5434,7 +5434,9 @@ void do_block(enum block_cmd cmd, struct st_command* command)
   if (*expr_start == '!')
   {
     not_expr= TRUE;
-    expr_start++; /* Step past the '!' */
+    expr_start++; /* Step past the '!', then any whitespace */
+    while (*expr_start && my_isspace(charset_info, *expr_start))
+      expr_start++;
   }
   /* Find ending ')' */
   expr_end= strrchr(expr_start, ')');
diff --git a/mysql-test/r/mysqltest.result b/mysql-test/r/mysqltest.result
index f22a18057c3..013728ebd01 100644
--- a/mysql-test/r/mysqltest.result
+++ b/mysql-test/r/mysqltest.result
@@ -402,7 +402,9 @@ true-inner
 true-inner again
 true-outer
 Counter is greater than 0, (counter=10)
+Counter should still be 10, is 10
 Counter is not 0, (counter=0)
+Not space var works
 Counter is true, (counter=alpha)
 Beta is true
 while with string, only once
diff --git a/mysql-test/t/mysqltest.test b/mysql-test/t/mysqltest.test
index 59ff70e1591..fe04b8c19e0 100644
--- a/mysql-test/t/mysqltest.test
+++ b/mysql-test/t/mysqltest.test
@@ -1138,6 +1138,11 @@ if (!$counter)
 {
   echo Counter is not 0, (counter=10);
 }
+if (! $counter)
+{
+  let $counter=5;
+}
+echo Counter should still be 10, is $counter;
 let $counter=0;
 if($counter)
 {
@@ -1147,6 +1152,10 @@ if (!$counter)
 {
   echo Counter is not 0, (counter=0);
 }
+if (! $counter)
+{
+  echo Not space var works;
+}
 
 # ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 # Test if with some non-numerics