diff --git a/detector.go b/detector.go
index b3853b8d..f8ae4dfd 100644
--- a/detector.go
+++ b/detector.go
@@ -33,15 +33,16 @@ func DetectFeedType(feed io.Reader) FeedType {
 	buffer := new(bytes.Buffer)
 	buffer.ReadFrom(feed)
 
-	// remove leading whitespace (if exists)
 	var firstChar byte
 	loop: for {
 		ch, err := buffer.ReadByte()
 		if err != nil {
 			return FeedTypeUnknown
 		}
+		// ignore leading whitespace & byte order marks
 		switch ch {
 		case ' ', '\r', '\n', '\t':
+		case 0xFE, 0xFF, 0x00, 0xEF, 0xBB, 0xBF:  // utf 8-16-32 bom
 		default:
 			firstChar = ch
 			buffer.UnreadByte()
diff --git a/detector_test.go b/detector_test.go
index f3eb059c..d438bf7a 100644
--- a/detector_test.go
+++ b/detector_test.go
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ func TestDetectFeedType(t *testing.T) {
 		{"atom03_feed.xml", gofeed.FeedTypeAtom},
 		{"atom10_feed.xml", gofeed.FeedTypeAtom},
 		{"rss_feed.xml", gofeed.FeedTypeRSS},
+		{"rss_feed_bom.xml", gofeed.FeedTypeRSS},
 		{"rss_feed_leading_spaces.xml", gofeed.FeedTypeRSS},
 		{"rdf_feed.xml", gofeed.FeedTypeRSS},
 		{"unknown_feed.xml", gofeed.FeedTypeUnknown},
diff --git a/parser_test.go b/parser_test.go
index b30959c6..287b82d1 100644
--- a/parser_test.go
+++ b/parser_test.go
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ func TestParser_Parse(t *testing.T) {
 		{"atom03_feed.xml", "atom", "Feed Title", false},
 		{"atom10_feed.xml", "atom", "Feed Title", false},
 		{"rss_feed.xml", "rss", "Feed Title", false},
+		{"rss_feed_bom.xml", "rss", "Feed Title", false},
 		{"rss_feed_leading_spaces.xml", "rss", "Feed Title", false},
 		{"rdf_feed.xml", "rss", "Feed Title", false},
 		{"sample.json", "json", "title", false},
@@ -68,6 +69,7 @@ func TestParser_ParseString(t *testing.T) {
 		{"atom03_feed.xml", "atom", "Feed Title", false},
 		{"atom10_feed.xml", "atom", "Feed Title", false},
 		{"rss_feed.xml", "rss", "Feed Title", false},
+		{"rss_feed_bom.xml", "rss", "Feed Title", false},
 		{"rss_feed_leading_spaces.xml", "rss", "Feed Title", false},
 		{"rdf_feed.xml", "rss", "Feed Title", false},
 		{"sample.json", "json", "title", false},
@@ -109,6 +111,7 @@ func TestParser_ParseURL_Success(t *testing.T) {
 		{"atom03_feed.xml", "atom", "Feed Title", false},
 		{"atom10_feed.xml", "atom", "Feed Title", false},
 		{"rss_feed.xml", "rss", "Feed Title", false},
+		{"rss_feed_bom.xml", "rss", "Feed Title", false},
 		{"rss_feed_leading_spaces.xml", "rss", "Feed Title", false},
 		{"rdf_feed.xml", "rss", "Feed Title", false},
 		{"sample.json", "json", "title", false},
diff --git a/testdata/parser/universal/rss_feed_bom.xml b/testdata/parser/universal/rss_feed_bom.xml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..243a1898
--- /dev/null
+++ b/testdata/parser/universal/rss_feed_bom.xml
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+<!--
+Description: rss feed with byte order mark
+-->
+<rss version="2.0">
+  <channel>
+    <title>Feed Title</title>
+  </channel>
+</rss>