diff --git a/src/node_dotenv.cc b/src/node_dotenv.cc
index cd761aab70cd52..9e0205b4e6249f 100644
--- a/src/node_dotenv.cc
+++ b/src/node_dotenv.cc
@@ -129,6 +129,7 @@ void Dotenv::ParseContent(const std::string_view input) {
     key = content.substr(0, equal);
     content.remove_prefix(equal + 1);
     key = trim_spaces(key);
+    content = trim_spaces(content);
 
     if (key.empty()) {
       break;
diff --git a/test/fixtures/dotenv/valid.env b/test/fixtures/dotenv/valid.env
index 963c4c848a4225..120488d57917e0 100644
--- a/test/fixtures/dotenv/valid.env
+++ b/test/fixtures/dotenv/valid.env
@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@ RETAIN_INNER_QUOTES={"foo": "bar"}
 RETAIN_INNER_QUOTES_AS_STRING='{"foo": "bar"}'
 RETAIN_INNER_QUOTES_AS_BACKTICKS=`{"foo": "bar's"}`
 TRIM_SPACE_FROM_UNQUOTED=    some spaced out string
+SPACE_BEFORE_DOUBLE_QUOTES=   "space before double quotes"
 EMAIL=therealnerdybeast@example.tld
     SPACED_KEY = parsed
 EDGE_CASE_INLINE_COMMENTS="VALUE1" # or "VALUE2" or "VALUE3"
diff --git a/test/parallel/test-dotenv.js b/test/parallel/test-dotenv.js
index 88afd58b5d766e..3c81bf98782a97 100644
--- a/test/parallel/test-dotenv.js
+++ b/test/parallel/test-dotenv.js
@@ -80,3 +80,5 @@ assert.strictEqual(process.env.DONT_EXPAND_UNQUOTED, 'dontexpand\\nnewlines');
 assert.strictEqual(process.env.DONT_EXPAND_SQUOTED, 'dontexpand\\nnewlines');
 // Ignore export before key
 assert.strictEqual(process.env.EXPORT_EXAMPLE, 'ignore export');
+// Ignore spaces before double quotes to avoid quoted strings as value
+assert.strictEqual(process.env.SPACE_BEFORE_DOUBLE_QUOTES, 'space before double quotes');