diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 2b6c73e..af3bb2b 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -179,6 +179,7 @@ if(RAPIDCSV_BUILD_TESTS)
   add_unit_test(test093)
   add_unit_test(test094)
   add_unit_test(test095)
+  add_unit_test(test096)
 
   # perf tests
   add_perf_test(ptest001)
diff --git a/src/rapidcsv.h b/src/rapidcsv.h
index cc603af..ee21404 100644
--- a/src/rapidcsv.h
+++ b/src/rapidcsv.h
@@ -2,9 +2,9 @@
  * rapidcsv.h
  *
  * URL:      https://github.com/d99kris/rapidcsv
- * Version:  8.80
+ * Version:  8.81
  *
- * Copyright (C) 2017-2023 Kristofer Berggren
+ * Copyright (C) 2017-2024 Kristofer Berggren
  * All rights reserved.
  *
  * rapidcsv is distributed under the BSD 3-Clause license, see LICENSE for details.
@@ -1588,6 +1588,15 @@ namespace rapidcsv
             {
               quoted = !quoted;
             }
+            else if (mSeparatorParams.mTrim)
+            {
+              // allow whitespace before first mQuoteChar
+              const auto firstQuote = std::find(cell.begin(), cell.end(), mSeparatorParams.mQuoteChar);
+              if (std::all_of(cell.begin(), firstQuote, [](int ch) { return isspace(ch); }))
+              {
+                quoted = !quoted;
+              }
+            }
             cell += buffer[i];
           }
           else if (buffer[i] == mSeparatorParams.mSeparator)
diff --git a/tests/test096.cpp b/tests/test096.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c0ad399
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test096.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,39 @@
+// test096.cpp - read trimmed quoted cell values
+
+#include <rapidcsv.h>
+#include "unittest.h"
+
+int main()
+{
+  int rv = 0;
+
+  std::string csv =
+    "-, A,B , C \n"
+    " \"1\",\"3,\" , \"9,\" , \"81,\"\n"
+    "\"2\" ,\"4\"  , \"16\", \"256\"  \n"
+  ;
+
+  std::string path = unittest::TempPath();
+  unittest::WriteFile(path, csv);
+
+  try
+  {
+    rapidcsv::Document doc(path, rapidcsv::LabelParams(0, 0), rapidcsv::SeparatorParams(',', true));
+    unittest::ExpectEqual(std::string, doc.GetCell<std::string>("A", "1"), "3,");
+    unittest::ExpectEqual(std::string, doc.GetCell<std::string>("B", "1"), "9,");
+    unittest::ExpectEqual(std::string, doc.GetCell<std::string>("C", "1"), "81,");
+
+    unittest::ExpectEqual(std::string, doc.GetCell<std::string>("A", "2"), "4");
+    unittest::ExpectEqual(std::string, doc.GetCell<std::string>("B", "2"), "16");
+    unittest::ExpectEqual(std::string, doc.GetCell<std::string>("C", "2"), "256");
+  }
+  catch (const std::exception& ex)
+  {
+    std::cout << ex.what() << std::endl;
+    rv = 1;
+  }
+
+  unittest::DeleteFile(path);
+
+  return rv;
+}