diff --git a/wp-admin/includes/user.php b/wp-admin/includes/user.php
index 6b7cd1afc3..0bce403029 100644
--- a/wp-admin/includes/user.php
+++ b/wp-admin/includes/user.php
@@ -149,7 +149,7 @@ function edit_user( $user_id = 0 ) {
 	}
 
 	/* Check for "\" in password */
-	if( strpos( " ".$pass1, "\\" ) )
+	if ( false !== strpos( stripslashes($pass1), "\\" ) )
 		$errors->add( 'pass', __( '<strong>ERROR</strong>: Passwords may not contain the character "\\".' ), array( 'form-field' => 'pass1' ) );
 
 	/* checking the password has been typed twice the same */