diff --git a/src/wp-admin/js/editor.js b/src/wp-admin/js/editor.js
index 14a09c44ef..0712ebc1ae 100644
--- a/src/wp-admin/js/editor.js
+++ b/src/wp-admin/js/editor.js
@@ -249,8 +249,8 @@ window.switchEditors = {
 		pee = pee.replace( new RegExp( '(<(?:' + blocklist + ')(?: [^>]*)?>)', 'gi' ), '\n$1' );
 		pee = pee.replace( new RegExp( '(</(?:' + blocklist + ')>)', 'gi' ), '$1\n\n' );
 		pee = pee.replace( /<hr( [^>]*)?>/gi, '<hr$1>\n\n' ); // hr is self closing block element
-		pee = pee.replace( /\s<option/gi, '<option' ); // No <p> or <br> around <option>
-		pee = pee.replace( /<\/option>\s/gi, '</option>' );
+		pee = pee.replace( /\s*<option/gi, '<option' ); // No <p> or <br> around <option>
+		pee = pee.replace( /<\/option>\s*/gi, '</option>' );
 		pee = pee.replace( /\r\n|\r/g, '\n' );
 		pee = pee.replace( /\n\s*\n+/g, '\n\n' );
 		pee = pee.replace( /([\s\S]+?)\n\n/g, '<p>$1</p>\n' );
diff --git a/src/wp-includes/formatting.php b/src/wp-includes/formatting.php
index 0f3f93ad23..416d301dd9 100644
--- a/src/wp-includes/formatting.php
+++ b/src/wp-includes/formatting.php
@@ -394,8 +394,8 @@ function wpautop($pee, $br = true) {
 
 	if ( strpos( $pee, '<option' ) !== false ) {
 		// no P/BR around option
-		$pee = preg_replace( '|\s<option|', '<option', $pee );
-		$pee = preg_replace( '|</option>\s|', '</option>', $pee );
+		$pee = preg_replace( '|\s*<option|', '<option', $pee );
+		$pee = preg_replace( '|</option>\s*|', '</option>', $pee );
 	}
 
 	if ( strpos( $pee, '</object>' ) !== false ) {