diff --git a/app/services/process_references_service.rb b/app/services/process_references_service.rb
index f01848de2b..24f3def47c 100644
--- a/app/services/process_references_service.rb
+++ b/app/services/process_references_service.rb
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ class ProcessReferencesService < BaseService
   include Payloadable
 
   DOMAIN = ENV['WEB_DOMAIN'] || ENV.fetch('LOCAL_DOMAIN', nil)
-  REFURL_EXP = /(RT|QT|BT|RN|RE)((:|;)? +|:|;)(#{URI::DEFAULT_PARSER.make_regexp(%w(http https))})/
+  REFURL_EXP = /(RT|QT|BT|RN|RE)((:|;)?\s+|:|;)(#{URI::DEFAULT_PARSER.make_regexp(%w(http https))})/
 
   def call(status, reference_parameters, save_records: true, urls: nil)
     @status = status