diff --git a/obt/xml.c b/obt/xml.c
index fde3b76d..5b7e77b5 100644
--- a/obt/xml.c
+++ b/obt/xml.c
@@ -321,16 +321,22 @@ void obt_xml_tree_from_root(ObtXmlInst *i)
     obt_xml_tree(i, i->root->children);
 }
 
-gchar *obt_xml_node_string(xmlNodePtr node)
+gchar *obt_xml_node_string_unstripped(xmlNodePtr node)
 {
     xmlChar *c = xmlNodeGetContent(node);
     gchar *s;
-    if (c) g_strstrip((char*)c); /* strip leading/trailing whitespace */
     s = g_strdup(c ? (gchar*)c : "");
     xmlFree(c);
     return s;
 }
 
+gchar *obt_xml_node_string(xmlNodePtr node)
+{
+    gchar* result = obt_xml_node_string_unstripped(node);
+    g_strstrip(result); /* strip leading/trailing whitespace */
+    return result;
+}
+
 gint obt_xml_node_int(xmlNodePtr node)
 {
     xmlChar *c = xmlNodeGetContent(node);
@@ -413,13 +419,12 @@ gboolean obt_xml_attr_int(xmlNodePtr node, const gchar *name, gint *value)
     return r;
 }
 
-gboolean obt_xml_attr_string(xmlNodePtr node, const gchar *name,
-                             gchar **value)
+gboolean obt_xml_attr_string_unstripped(xmlNodePtr node, const gchar *name,
+                                        gchar **value)
 {
     xmlChar *c = xmlGetProp(node, (const xmlChar*) name);
     gboolean r = FALSE;
     if (c) {
-        g_strstrip((char*)c); /* strip leading/trailing whitespace */
         *value = g_strdup((gchar*)c);
         r = TRUE;
     }
@@ -427,6 +432,15 @@ gboolean obt_xml_attr_string(xmlNodePtr node, const gchar *name,
     return r;
 }
 
+gboolean obt_xml_attr_string(xmlNodePtr node, const gchar *name,
+                             gchar **value)
+{
+    gboolean result = obt_xml_attr_string_unstripped(node, name, value);
+    if (result)
+        g_strstrip(*value); /* strip leading/trailing whitespace */
+    return result;
+}
+
 gboolean obt_xml_attr_contains(xmlNodePtr node, const gchar *name,
                                const gchar *val)
 {
diff --git a/obt/xml.h b/obt/xml.h
index 3884f36b..831aba63 100644
--- a/obt/xml.h
+++ b/obt/xml.h
@@ -72,12 +72,15 @@ void obt_xml_tree_from_root(ObtXmlInst *i);
 xmlNodePtr obt_xml_find_node   (xmlNodePtr node, const gchar *name);
 
 gboolean obt_xml_node_contains (xmlNodePtr node, const gchar *val);
+gchar   *obt_xml_node_string_unstripped(xmlNodePtr node);
 gchar   *obt_xml_node_string   (xmlNodePtr node);
 gint     obt_xml_node_int      (xmlNodePtr node);
 gboolean obt_xml_node_bool     (xmlNodePtr node);
 
 gboolean obt_xml_attr_contains (xmlNodePtr node, const gchar *name,
                                 const gchar *val);
+gboolean obt_xml_attr_string_unstripped(xmlNodePtr node, const gchar *name,
+                                        gchar **value);
 gboolean obt_xml_attr_string   (xmlNodePtr node, const gchar *name,
                                 gchar **value);
 gboolean obt_xml_attr_int      (xmlNodePtr node, const gchar *name,
diff --git a/openbox/menu.c b/openbox/menu.c
index 7d8f0ba2..eaf081d9 100644
--- a/openbox/menu.c
+++ b/openbox/menu.c
@@ -279,7 +279,7 @@ static void parse_menu_item(xmlNodePtr node,  gpointer data)
         /* Don't try to extract "icon" attribute if icons in user-defined
            menus are not enabled. */
 
-        if (obt_xml_attr_string(node, "label", &label)) {
+        if (obt_xml_attr_string_unstripped(node, "label", &label)) {
             xmlNodePtr c;
             GSList *acts = NULL;
 
@@ -314,7 +314,7 @@ static void parse_menu_separator(xmlNodePtr node, gpointer data)
     if (state->parent) {
         gchar *label;
 
-        if (!obt_xml_attr_string(node, "label", &label))
+        if (!obt_xml_attr_string_unstripped(node, "label", &label))
             label = NULL;
 
         menu_add_separator(state->parent, -1, label);
@@ -334,7 +334,7 @@ static void parse_menu(xmlNodePtr node, gpointer data)
         goto parse_menu_fail;
 
     if (!g_hash_table_lookup(menu_hash, name)) {
-        if (!obt_xml_attr_string(node, "label", &title))
+        if (!obt_xml_attr_string_unstripped(node, "label", &title))
             goto parse_menu_fail;
 
         if ((menu = menu_new(name, title, TRUE, NULL))) {