diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index fda0e0a..464f8ed 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -106,9 +106,8 @@ order; the first one found wins:
 
 1. `--mnemonic-command <command>`: a shell command, run with `sh -c`, whose
    standard output is the mnemonic. Example:
-   `--mnemonic-command 'secret get foo'`. Whitespace around the output is
-   dropped. If the command exits with a non-zero status, the tool prints its
-   standard error and exits with status 1.
+   `--mnemonic-command 'secret get foo'`. If the command exits with a non-zero
+   status, the tool prints its standard error and exits with status 1.
 2. Environment variable `KEYFUNC_MNEMONIC_COMMAND`: the same, as a shell command
    held in the environment.
 3. Environment variable `KEYFUNC_MNEMONIC`: the mnemonic itself.
@@ -116,7 +115,9 @@ order; the first one found wins:
 
 If none of these is available and standard input is not a terminal, the tool
 refuses and exits with status 1. A mnemonic that fails the BIP-39 checksum is
-refused with a message saying so.
+refused with a message saying so. Keys are derived from the mnemonic's words
+joined by single spaces, whatever whitespace is around or between them, so one
+word per line, tabs or extra spaces give the same keys.
 
 `KEYFUNC_MNEMONIC` and `KEYFUNC_MNEMONIC_COMMAND` are removed from the
 environment before the system `ssh` (`keyfunc ssh to`) and `sftp`
diff --git a/internal/cli/cli_test.go b/internal/cli/cli_test.go
index 2f46688..f4146bc 100644
--- a/internal/cli/cli_test.go
+++ b/internal/cli/cli_test.go
@@ -47,6 +47,25 @@ func TestTheReadmeTestVectors(t *testing.T) {
 	)
 }
 
+func TestTheSpacingBetweenTheWordsDoesNotChangeTheKeys(t *testing.T) {
+	words := strings.Fields(example())
+
+	for name, spaced := range map[string]string{
+		"one word per line": strings.Join(words, "\n"),
+		"double spaces":     strings.Join(words, "  "),
+		"tabs":              strings.Join(words, "\t"),
+	} {
+		t.Run(name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			t.Setenv(mnemonic.Variable, spaced)
+
+			require.Equal(t,
+				vectorZero+" keyfunc/ssh/0",
+				strings.TrimSpace(run(t, "ssh", "pub", "-n", "0")),
+			)
+		})
+	}
+}
+
 func TestTheCommentCanBeChosen(t *testing.T) {
 	t.Setenv(mnemonic.Variable, example())
 
diff --git a/internal/mnemonic/mnemonic.go b/internal/mnemonic/mnemonic.go
index 85b34c0..fdce914 100644
--- a/internal/mnemonic/mnemonic.go
+++ b/internal/mnemonic/mnemonic.go
@@ -104,10 +104,11 @@ func ask() (string, error) {
 	return checked(string(typed))
 }
 
-// checked drops the surrounding whitespace and refuses a mnemonic that
-// does not pass the BIP-39 checksum.
+// checked joins the words with single spaces, whatever whitespace
+// separated them, since the seed is computed over the string itself,
+// and refuses a mnemonic that does not pass the BIP-39 checksum.
 func checked(words string) (string, error) {
-	words = strings.TrimSpace(words)
+	words = strings.Join(strings.Fields(words), " ")
 
 	if !bip39.IsMnemonicValid(words) {
 		return "", ErrChecksum