diff --git a/conversion/stringconversion.h b/conversion/stringconversion.h
index dbd6a48..d0ae62b 100644
--- a/conversion/stringconversion.h
+++ b/conversion/stringconversion.h
@@ -366,6 +366,8 @@ IntegralType stringToNumber(const StringType &string, typename StringType::value
 {
     auto i = string.begin();
     auto end = string.end();
+    for (; i != end && *i == ' '; ++i)
+        ;
     if (i == end) {
         return 0;
     }
@@ -440,6 +442,11 @@ IntegralType stringToNumber(const CharType *string, unsigned char base = 10)
     if (!*string) {
         return 0;
     }
+    for (; *string && *string == ' '; ++string)
+        ;
+    if (!*string) {
+        return 0;
+    }
     const bool negative = (*string == '-');
     if (negative) {
         ++string;
diff --git a/tests/conversiontests.cpp b/tests/conversiontests.cpp
index 248db68..bfd66b6 100644
--- a/tests/conversiontests.cpp
+++ b/tests/conversiontests.cpp
@@ -249,16 +249,18 @@ void ConversionTests::testStringConversions()
         }
     }
 
-    // stringToNumber() with leading zeroes and different types
-    int32 res = stringToNumber<int32, string>("01");
-    CPPUNIT_ASSERT_EQUAL(1, res);
-    res = stringToNumber<int32, wstring>(L"01");
-    CPPUNIT_ASSERT_EQUAL(1, res);
-    res = stringToNumber<int32, u16string>(u"01");
-    CPPUNIT_ASSERT_EQUAL(1, res);
+    // stringToNumber() with spaces at the beginning, leading zeroes and different types
+    CPPUNIT_ASSERT_EQUAL(1, stringToNumber<int32>("01"));
+    CPPUNIT_ASSERT_EQUAL(1, stringToNumber<int32>(L"01"s));
+    CPPUNIT_ASSERT_EQUAL(1, stringToNumber<int32>(u"01"s));
+    CPPUNIT_ASSERT_EQUAL(-23, stringToNumber<int32>(" - 023"s));
+    CPPUNIT_ASSERT_EQUAL(1u, stringToNumber<uint32>("01"));
+    CPPUNIT_ASSERT_EQUAL(1u, stringToNumber<uint32>(L"01"s));
+    CPPUNIT_ASSERT_EQUAL(1u, stringToNumber<uint32>(u"01"s));
+    CPPUNIT_ASSERT_EQUAL(23u, stringToNumber<uint32>("  023"s));
 
     // interpretIntegerAsString()
-    CPPUNIT_ASSERT(interpretIntegerAsString<uint32>(0x54455354) == "TEST");
+    CPPUNIT_ASSERT_EQUAL("TEST"s, interpretIntegerAsString<uint32>(0x54455354));
 
     // splitString() / joinStrings()
     string splitJoinTest = joinStrings(splitString<vector<string>>(",a,,ab,ABC,s"s, ","s, EmptyPartsTreat::Keep), " "s, false, "("s, ")"s);