diff --git a/scour/scour.py b/scour/scour.py
index 9d19906..d0b69c1 100644
--- a/scour/scour.py
+++ b/scour/scour.py
@@ -3390,7 +3390,9 @@ def properlySizeDoc(docElement, options):
     # else we have a statically sized image and we should try to remedy that
 
     # parse viewBox attribute
-    vbSep = RE_COMMA_WSP.split(docElement.getAttribute('viewBox'))
+    viewBox = docElement.getAttribute('viewBox')
+    lengths = RE_COMMA_WSP.split(viewBox)
+    vbSep = [length for length in lengths if length.strip()]
     # if we have a valid viewBox we need to check it
     if len(vbSep) == 4:
         try:
@@ -3819,7 +3821,7 @@ def scourString(in_string, options=None, stats=None):
     viewBox = doc.documentElement.getAttribute('viewBox')
     if viewBox:
         lengths = RE_COMMA_WSP.split(viewBox)
-        lengths = [scourUnitlessLength(length) for length in lengths]
+        lengths = [scourUnitlessLength(length) for length in lengths if length.strip()]
         doc.documentElement.setAttribute('viewBox', ' '.join(lengths))
 
     # more length scouring in this function
diff --git a/test_scour.py b/test_scour.py
index 549333f..dff1331 100755
--- a/test_scour.py
+++ b/test_scour.py
@@ -2786,6 +2786,13 @@ class ViewBox(unittest.TestCase):
         self.assertEqual(width, '', "width not removed with '--enable-viewboxing'.")
         self.assertEqual(height, '', "height not removed with '--enable-viewboxing'.")
 
+    def test_viewbox_remove_width_and_height_ws(self):
+        doc = scourXmlFile('unittests/viewbox-remove-ws.svg', parse_args(['--enable-viewboxing']))
+        width = doc.documentElement.getAttribute('width')
+        height = doc.documentElement.getAttribute('height')
+        self.assertEqual(width, '', "width not removed with '--enable-viewboxing'.")
+        self.assertEqual(height, '', "height not removed with '--enable-viewboxing'.")
+
 
 # TODO: write tests for --keep-editor-data
 
diff --git a/unittests/viewbox-remove-ws.svg b/unittests/viewbox-remove-ws.svg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3cd23c8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/unittests/viewbox-remove-ws.svg
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
+<svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="123.456" height="654.321" viewBox=" 0 0 123.456 654.321 ">
+</svg>