diff --git a/mode/perl.py b/mode/perl.py
index ec1b921..d920298 100644
--- a/mode/perl.py
+++ b/mode/perl.py
@@ -266,7 +266,7 @@ PerlGrammar.rules = [
     PatternRule('perl.operator', r"\+=|-=|\*=|/=|//=|%=|&=\|\^=|>>=|<<=|\*\*=|\\"),
     PatternRule('perl.operator', r"\+\+|\+|<=>|<>|<<|<=|<|-|>>|>=|>|\*\*|\*|&&|&|\|\||\||/|\^|==|//|~|=~|!~|!=|%|!|\.\.|\.|x(?![a-zA-Z_])"),
     PatternRule('perl.noperator', "(?:xor|or|not|ne|lt|le|gt|ge|eq|cmp|and)(?![a-zA-Z_])"),
-    PatternRule('perl.function', word2 + r'(?= *[a-zA_Z0-9_$@%&*\\\'(){}\[\]\"])'),
+    PatternRule('perl.function', word2 + r'(?= +[a-zA_Z0-9_$@%&*\\\'(){}\[\]\"])'),
     PatternRule('perl.bareword', word2),
 
     spaces,