diff --git a/src/html.rs b/src/html.rs
index f495c185..d3ab29b7 100644
--- a/src/html.rs
+++ b/src/html.rs
@@ -29,7 +29,10 @@ fn node_text(handle: &Handle) -> String {
     let mut out = String::new();
     let mut last_space = false;
     collect_text(handle, &mut out, &mut last_space);
-    out.trim().to_string()
+    if last_space {
+        out.push(' ');
+    }
+    out.trim_start().to_string()
 }
 
 fn is_ignored_tag(tag: &str) -> bool {
@@ -178,11 +181,7 @@ fn table_lines_to_markdown(lines: &[String]) -> Vec<String> {
         .first()
         .map(|l| l.chars().take_while(|c| c.is_whitespace()).collect())
         .unwrap_or_default();
-    let html: String = lines
-        .iter()
-        .map(|l| l.trim_end())
-        .collect::<Vec<_>>()
-        .join("\n");
+    let html: String = lines.join("\n");
     let opts = ParseOpts::default();
     let dom: RcDom = parse_document(RcDom::default(), opts).one(html);
 
diff --git a/src/process.rs b/src/process.rs
index 81f6e6b7..24fd3135 100644
--- a/src/process.rs
+++ b/src/process.rs
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ fn handle_table_line(
 ) -> bool {
     if line.trim_start().starts_with('|') {
         *in_table = true;
-        buf.push(line.trim_end().to_string());
+        buf.push(line.to_string());
         return true;
     }
     if line.trim().is_empty() {
@@ -98,7 +98,7 @@ fn handle_table_line(
         return false;
     }
     if *in_table && (line.contains('|') || crate::table::SEP_RE.is_match(line.trim())) {
-        buf.push(line.trim_end().to_string());
+        buf.push(line.to_string());
         return true;
     }
     if *in_table {
@@ -112,7 +112,7 @@ fn handle_table_line(
             flush_buffer(buf, in_table, out);
             return false;
         }
-        buf.push(line.trim_end().to_string());
+        buf.push(line.to_string());
         return true;
     }
     false
diff --git a/src/reflow.rs b/src/reflow.rs
index b3b244ee..a67a9158 100644
--- a/src/reflow.rs
+++ b/src/reflow.rs
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ fn collect_cells(chunks: &[&str]) -> Vec<String> {
     for (idx, chunk) in chunks.iter().enumerate() {
         let mut ch = (*chunk).to_string();
         if idx != chunks.len() - 1 {
-            ch = ch.trim_end().to_string() + " |ROW_END|";
+            ch.push_str(" |ROW_END|");
         }
         cells.extend(split_cells(&ch));
     }
diff --git a/src/wrap.rs b/src/wrap.rs
index 48b21563..03b4d8a5 100644
--- a/src/wrap.rs
+++ b/src/wrap.rs
@@ -71,7 +71,6 @@ fn is_trailing_punct(c: char) -> bool {
 
 fn extend_punctuation(tokens: &[String], mut j: usize, width: &mut usize) -> usize {
     use unicode_width::UnicodeWidthStr;
-
     while j < tokens.len() && tokens[j].chars().all(is_trailing_punct) {
         *width += UnicodeWidthStr::width(tokens[j].as_str());
         j += 1;
@@ -79,9 +78,44 @@ fn extend_punctuation(tokens: &[String], mut j: usize, width: &mut usize) -> usi
     j
 }
 
-fn wrap_preserving_code(text: &str, width: usize) -> Vec<String> {
+#[inline]
+fn merge_code_span(tokens: &[String], i: usize, width: &mut usize) -> usize {
     use unicode_width::UnicodeWidthStr;
+    debug_assert!(
+        tokens[i] == "`",
+        "merge_code_span requires a single backtick opener"
+    );
+    let mut j = i + 1;
+    while j < tokens.len() && tokens[j] != "`" {
+        *width += UnicodeWidthStr::width(tokens[j].as_str());
+        j += 1;
+    }
+    if j < tokens.len() {
+        *width += UnicodeWidthStr::width(tokens[j].as_str());
+        j += 1;
+        j = extend_punctuation(tokens, j, width);
+    }
+    j
+}
+
+#[inline]
+fn flush_current(lines: &mut Vec<String>, current: &mut String) {
+    let cap = current.capacity();
+    lines.push(std::mem::take(current));
+    *current = String::with_capacity(cap);
+}
 
+fn flush_trailing_whitespace(lines: &mut Vec<String>, current: &mut String, token: &str) {
+    debug_assert!(
+        token.chars().all(char::is_whitespace),
+        "expected whitespace token"
+    );
+    current.push_str(token);
+    flush_current(lines, current);
+}
+
+fn wrap_preserving_code(text: &str, width: usize) -> Vec<String> {
+    use unicode_width::UnicodeWidthStr;
     let mut lines = Vec::new();
     let mut current = String::new();
     let mut current_width = 0;
@@ -91,11 +125,13 @@ fn wrap_preserving_code(text: &str, width: usize) -> Vec<String> {
     while i < tokens.len() {
         let mut j = i + 1;
         let mut group_width = UnicodeWidthStr::width(tokens[i].as_str());
+        if tokens[i] == "`" {
+            j = merge_code_span(&tokens, i, &mut group_width);
+        }
 
         if tokens[i].contains("](") && tokens[i].ends_with(')') {
             j = extend_punctuation(&tokens, j, &mut group_width);
         }
-
         if tokens[i].starts_with('`') && tokens[i].ends_with('`') {
             // Keep trailing punctuation glued to inline code spans.
             j = extend_punctuation(&tokens, j, &mut group_width);
@@ -115,7 +151,6 @@ fn wrap_preserving_code(text: &str, width: usize) -> Vec<String> {
             i += 1;
             continue;
         }
-
         if current_width + group_width <= width {
             for tok in &tokens[i..j] {
                 current.push_str(tok);
@@ -132,6 +167,7 @@ fn wrap_preserving_code(text: &str, width: usize) -> Vec<String> {
             let pos = last_split.unwrap();
             let line = current[..pos].to_string();
             let mut rest = current[pos..].trim_start().to_string();
+            // Mid-wrap lines discard trailing spaces.
             let trimmed = line.trim_end();
             if !trimmed.is_empty() {
                 lines.push(trimmed.to_string());
@@ -147,6 +183,7 @@ fn wrap_preserving_code(text: &str, width: usize) -> Vec<String> {
                 None
             };
             if current_width > width {
+                // Mid-wrap overflow flush trims trailing spaces.
                 lines.push(current.trim_end().to_string());
                 current.clear();
                 current_width = 0;
@@ -155,12 +192,20 @@ fn wrap_preserving_code(text: &str, width: usize) -> Vec<String> {
             i = j;
             continue;
         }
-
-        let trimmed = current.trim_end();
-        if !trimmed.is_empty() {
-            lines.push(trimmed.to_string());
+        if tokens[i].chars().all(char::is_whitespace) && j == tokens.len() {
+            // Preserve trailing spaces that forced a flush.
+            if !current.is_empty() {
+                flush_trailing_whitespace(&mut lines, &mut current, &tokens[i]);
+            }
+            current_width = 0;
+            last_split = None;
+            i = j;
+            continue;
+        }
+        if !current.is_empty() {
+            // Reuse allocation to avoid repeated growth on long wraps.
+            flush_current(&mut lines, &mut current);
         }
-        current.clear();
         current_width = 0;
         last_split = None;
 
@@ -218,7 +263,6 @@ fn append_wrapped_with_prefix(
     repeat_prefix: bool,
 ) {
     use unicode_width::UnicodeWidthStr;
-
     let prefix_width = UnicodeWidthStr::width(prefix);
     let available = width.saturating_sub(prefix_width).max(1);
     let indent_str: String = prefix.chars().take_while(|c| c.is_whitespace()).collect();
diff --git a/src/wrap/tests.rs b/src/wrap/tests.rs
index 8c10c636..9c9ed54e 100644
--- a/src/wrap/tests.rs
+++ b/src/wrap/tests.rs
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 use rstest::rstest;
 
 use super::super::*;
+use super::wrap_preserving_code;
 
 #[test]
 fn wrap_text_preserves_hyphenated_words() {
@@ -113,23 +114,31 @@ fn wrap_text_preserves_links() {
 }
 
 #[rstest]
-#[case("ends with space  ", 80, &["ends with space  "])]
-#[case("four spaces    ", 80, &["four spaces    "])]
-#[case("    ", 80, &["    "])]
-#[case("word1 word2  ", 8, &["word1", "word2  "])]
-fn wrap_preserving_code_keeps_trailing_spaces(
+#[case("trail  ", 80, &["trail  "])]
+#[case("`code span`  ", 12, &["`code span`  "])]
+#[case("foo  ", 3, &["foo  "])]
+#[case("x  ", 1, &["x  "])]
+fn preserves_trailing_spaces(#[case] input: &str, #[case] width: usize, #[case] expected: &[&str]) {
+    let out = wrap_preserving_code(input, width);
+    assert_eq!(
+        out,
+        expected.iter().map(|&s| s.to_string()).collect::<Vec<_>>()
+    );
+}
+
+#[rstest]
+#[case("aaaaaaaaaaaa", 5, &["aaaaaaaaaaaa"])] // forced flush without split
+#[case("abcde", 3, &["abcde"])]
+#[case("`codespan`", 6, &["`codespan`"])]
+fn no_split_forced_flush_no_trim(
     #[case] input: &str,
     #[case] width: usize,
     #[case] expected: &[&str],
 ) {
-    // The final flush must not trim trailing spaces, even after wrapping.
-    let lines = super::wrap_preserving_code(input, width);
+    let out = wrap_preserving_code(input, width);
     assert_eq!(
-        lines,
-        expected
-            .iter()
-            .map(ToString::to_string)
-            .collect::<Vec<String>>()
+        out,
+        expected.iter().map(|&s| s.to_string()).collect::<Vec<_>>()
     );
 }
 
diff --git a/tests/table/convert_html.rs b/tests/table/convert_html.rs
index 1ace15a5..21f57e24 100644
--- a/tests/table/convert_html.rs
+++ b/tests/table/convert_html.rs
@@ -62,3 +62,18 @@ fn test_convert_html_table_bold_header() {
     let expected: Vec<String> = include_lines!("data/bold_header_expected.txt");
     assert_eq!(convert_html_tables(&input), expected);
 }
+#[test]
+fn preserves_trailing_spaces_in_cells() {
+    let input = lines_vec![
+        "<table>",
+        "<tr><th>H</th></tr>",
+        "<tr><td>cell </td></tr>",
+        "</table>",
+    ];
+    let expected = lines_vec![
+        "| H |",
+        "| --- |",
+        "| cell  |",
+    ];
+    assert_eq!(convert_html_tables(&input), expected);
+}