diff --git a/application/LinkDB.php b/application/LinkDB.php
index e9d216ea..d80434bf 100644
--- a/application/LinkDB.php
+++ b/application/LinkDB.php
@@ -291,7 +291,7 @@ private function _readDB()
 
             // Remove private tags if the user is not logged in.
             if (! $this->_loggedIn) {
-                $link['tags'] = preg_replace('/(^|\s*)\.[^($| )]+\s*$/', '', $link['tags']);
+                $link['tags'] = preg_replace('/(^|\s+)\.[^($|\s)]+\s*/', ' ', $link['tags']);
             }
 
             // Do not use the redirector for internal links (Shaarli note URL starting with a '?').
diff --git a/tests/LinkDBTest.php b/tests/LinkDBTest.php
index e413928a..31306069 100644
--- a/tests/LinkDBTest.php
+++ b/tests/LinkDBTest.php
@@ -317,6 +317,10 @@ public function testAllTags()
                 '-exclude' => 1,
                 '.hidden' => 1,
                 'hashtag' => 2,
+                'tag1' => 1,
+                'tag2' => 1,
+                'tag3' => 1,
+                'tag4' => 1,
             ),
             self::$privateLinkDB->allTags()
         );
@@ -429,30 +433,4 @@ public function testFilterHashInValid()
     {
         self::$publicLinkDB->filterHash('');
     }
-
-    /**
-     * test whitespace handling in tags.
-     * split on whitespace runs and don't allow empty tags.
-     */
-    public function testReadTagsWithWhitespace()
-    {
-        // test load contains "tags": " tag1  tag2   tag3  tag4   "
-        $ds  = '<?php /* ';
-        $ds .= 'fY5BDoMwDAS/gvwB4hRKMY9BEaASNQKUuL1U/L22D721Odheez';
-        $ds .= 'baQEjvQtgSeIdX12I/onfyYAjU6e1GkOL2mAMvMPxAC8mWIydD';
-        $ds .= 'enHsU0jrXlj1heCZk5k7gpX5oLr+ErUdkGBeypTjwXHfdOUItD';
-        $ds .= 'XycbgXHb24KxFYafWVtYvVRoQiQhw5vixrJDdY/LyENP5PcJ4f */ ?>';
-        file_put_contents(self::$testDatastore, $ds);
-        self::$publicLinkDB = new LinkDB(self::$testDatastore, false, false);
-
-        $this->assertEquals(
-            array(
-                'tag1' => 1,
-                'tag2' => 1,
-                'tag3' => 1,
-                'tag4' => 1
-            ),
-            self::$publicLinkDB->allTags()
-        );
-    }
 }
diff --git a/tests/utils/ReferenceLinkDB.php b/tests/utils/ReferenceLinkDB.php
index fe16baac..fcc7a4f9 100644
--- a/tests/utils/ReferenceLinkDB.php
+++ b/tests/utils/ReferenceLinkDB.php
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ function __construct()
             '',
             1,
             '20121206_182539',
-            'dev cartoon'
+            'dev cartoon tag1  tag2   tag3  tag4   '
         );
     }