diff --git a/src/lex.js b/src/lex.js
index 886e6f2f0c..af3e87cd69 100644
--- a/src/lex.js
+++ b/src/lex.js
@@ -435,6 +435,17 @@ Lexer.prototype = {
           body = body.substr(str.length + 1);
         }
 
+        // To handle rarer case when special word is separated from label by
+        // multiple spaces or tabs
+        var strIndex = body.indexOf(str);
+        if (!isSpecial && strIndex >= 0 && body.charAt(strIndex + str.length) === " ") {
+          var isAllWhitespace = body.substr(0, strIndex).trim().length === 0;
+          if (isAllWhitespace) {
+            isSpecial = true;
+            body = body.substr(str.length + strIndex);
+          }
+        }
+
         if (!isSpecial) {
           return;
         }
diff --git a/tests/unit/fixtures/inline-tabs-spaces.js b/tests/unit/fixtures/inline-tabs-spaces.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..c2f2f5dbb3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/unit/fixtures/inline-tabs-spaces.js
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+function a() {
+    //      jshint unused: true     
+    var x;
+}
+
+function b() {
+    /*      jshint  
+    unused: true
+    */
+    var y;
+}
+
+function c() {
+    /*      jshint      
+        unused: true
+    */
+    var z;
+}
diff --git a/tests/unit/parser.js b/tests/unit/parser.js
index e4ee8832e1..8ff6b284ca 100644
--- a/tests/unit/parser.js
+++ b/tests/unit/parser.js
@@ -377,6 +377,18 @@ exports["jshint option comments multi line/option, leading and trailing space"]
   test.done();
 };
 
+exports["jshint option inline comments, leading and trailing tabs and spaces"] = function (test) {
+  var src = fs.readFileSync(__dirname + "/fixtures/inline-tabs-spaces.js", "utf8");
+
+  TestRun(test)
+    .addError(3, 9, "'x' is defined but never used.")
+    .addError(10, 9, "'y' is defined but never used.")
+    .addError(17, 9, "'z' is defined but never used.")
+    .test(src);
+
+  test.done();
+};
+
 exports.shebang = function (test) {
   var code = [
     "#!test",