diff --git a/check-status b/check-status
index 477e577..55bbd61 100644
--- a/check-status
+++ b/check-status
@@ -216,9 +216,9 @@ PROTOCOLS=$(printf "\\|%s" "${!HANDLERS[@]}")
 PROTOCOLS=${PROTOCOLS:2}
 
 check(){
+	# NOTE: we are preserving whitespace here...
 	local comment=`sed \
 			-e 's/^\(.*\)\('"$PROTOCOLS"'\):\/\/.*$/\1/' \
-			-e 's/^\s*//;s/\s*$//' \
 		<<<$1`
 	local target=`sed \
 			-e 's/^.*\s*\(\('"$PROTOCOLS"'\):\/\/\)/\1/' \
@@ -249,7 +249,7 @@ for site in ${SITES[@]} ; do
 	IFS=$'\n' \
 		res=($(check "$site"))
 
-	comment=${res[0]/COMMENT=/}
+	comment="${res[0]/COMMENT=/}"
 	site=${res[1]/URL=/}
 	res=${res[2]/RESPONSE=/}
 
diff --git a/update-status b/update-status
index 8c3a4a2..ec6d5fd 100644
--- a/update-status
+++ b/update-status
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ cp -f "$CONFIG" "$CONFIG".bak
 		./check-status "$line" \
 			| tee -a $TEXT_STATUS \
 			| sed \
-			-e 's/^\(.*\)\(ERROR.*$\)/\1**\2**/' \
+				-e 's/^\(.*\)\(ERROR.*$\)/\1**\2**/' \
 				-e 's/^/#/'
 	done
 	echo "#_(checked on: ${DATE})_"