diff --git a/Lib/imaplib.py b/Lib/imaplib.py
index 2c3925958d011b..9dc1228ae59ffe 100644
--- a/Lib/imaplib.py
+++ b/Lib/imaplib.py
@@ -127,7 +127,7 @@
 Untagged_response = re.compile(br'\* (?P<type>[A-Z-]+)( (?P<data>.*))?')
 # Untagged_status is no longer used; kept for backward compatibility
 Untagged_status = re.compile(
-    br'\* (?P<data>\d+) (?P<type>[A-Z-]+)( (?P<data2>.*))?', re.ASCII)
+    br'\*[ ]{1,2}(?P<data>\d+) (?P<type>[A-Z-]+)( (?P<data2>.*))?', re.ASCII)
 # We compile these in _mode_xxx.
 _Literal = br'.*{(?P<size>\d+)}$'
 _Untagged_status = br'\* (?P<data>\d+) (?P<type>[A-Z-]+)( (?P<data2>.*))?'
diff --git a/Misc/NEWS.d/next/Library/2019-06-26-06-12-08.bpo-37407.Qc1pW1.rst b/Misc/NEWS.d/next/Library/2019-06-26-06-12-08.bpo-37407.Qc1pW1.rst
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000000..3a8af6aa37b9ad
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Misc/NEWS.d/next/Library/2019-06-26-06-12-08.bpo-37407.Qc1pW1.rst
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+Allow one or two whitespaces after * in IMAP response.  
+Patch by Edward Smith.