diff --git a/Changelog.txt b/Changelog.txt
index 825fa2855..67d3b481c 100644
--- a/Changelog.txt
+++ b/Changelog.txt
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
    * Update yt-dlp to 2023-11-16
 * FIXED:
    * Fix Whisper CPP cuBLAS new hash (DLL files now included)
+   * Fix minor space issue with "Fix italic tags" - thx Adam
 
 
 4.0.2 (19th November 2023)
diff --git a/src/Test/Logic/UtilitiesTest.cs b/src/Test/Logic/UtilitiesTest.cs
index b5948d6c5..db0df471a 100644
--- a/src/Test/Logic/UtilitiesTest.cs
+++ b/src/Test/Logic/UtilitiesTest.cs
@@ -463,6 +463,14 @@ namespace Test.Logic
             Assert.AreEqual("ADULT MARK: <i>New friends</i>", s2);
         }
 
+        [TestMethod]
+        public void FixInvalidItalicColonBracketItalic()
+        {
+            var s1 = "[König:]<i> Ich weiß, dass du dagegen</i>" + Environment.NewLine + "<i>bist.</i>";
+            var s2 = HtmlUtil.FixInvalidItalicTags(s1);
+            Assert.AreEqual("[König:] <i>Ich weiß, dass du dagegen</i>" + Environment.NewLine + "<i>bist.</i>", s2);
+        }
+
         [TestMethod]
         public void FixUnneededSpacesDoubleSpace1()
         {
diff --git a/src/libse/Common/HtmlUtil.cs b/src/libse/Common/HtmlUtil.cs
index 871de5819..7c4048024 100644
--- a/src/libse/Common/HtmlUtil.cs
+++ b/src/libse/Common/HtmlUtil.cs
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ using System.Collections.Generic;
 using System.Drawing;
 using System.Globalization;
 using System.Linq;
+using System.Runtime.InteropServices;
 using System.Text;
 using System.Text.RegularExpressions;
 
@@ -651,6 +652,11 @@ namespace Nikse.SubtitleEdit.Core.Common
                 text = text.Replace("<I/>", string.Empty);
             }
 
+            text = text.Replace("]<i> ", "] <i>");
+            text = text.Replace(")<i> ", ") <i>");
+            text = text.Replace("] </i>", "] </i>");
+            text = text.Replace(") </i>", ") </i>");
+
             text = text.Replace(beginTag + beginTag, beginTag);
             text = text.Replace(endTag + endTag, endTag);
 
@@ -852,14 +858,19 @@ namespace Nikse.SubtitleEdit.Core.Common
                         if (idx > 1)
                         {
                             var pre = text.Substring(0, idx + 1).TrimStart();
-                            text = text.Remove(0, idx + 1);
-                            text = FixInvalidItalicTags(text).Trim();
-                            if (text.StartsWith("<i> ", StringComparison.OrdinalIgnoreCase))
+                            var tempText = text.Remove(0, idx + 1); 
+                            
+                            if (!tempText.StartsWith(']') && !tempText.StartsWith(')'))
                             {
-                                text = Utilities.RemoveSpaceBeforeAfterTag(text, beginTag);
-                            }
+                                text = tempText;
+                                text = FixInvalidItalicTags(text).Trim();
+                                if (text.StartsWith("<i> ", StringComparison.OrdinalIgnoreCase))
+                                {
+                                    text = Utilities.RemoveSpaceBeforeAfterTag(text, beginTag);
+                                }
 
-                            text = pre + " " + text;
+                                text = pre + " " + text;
+                            }
                         }
                     }
                 }