diff --git a/app/models/saved_search.rb b/app/models/saved_search.rb
index eafa15e1e..7fab3f402 100644
--- a/app/models/saved_search.rb
+++ b/app/models/saved_search.rb
@@ -6,11 +6,16 @@ class SavedSearch < ActiveRecord::Base
   before_create :update_user_on_create
   after_destroy :update_user_on_destroy
   validates_uniqueness_of :tag_query, :scope => :user_id
+  before_validation :normalize
 
   def self.tagged(tags)
     where(:tag_query => tags).first
   end
 
+  def normalize
+    self.tag_query = Tag.scan_query(tag_query).join(" ")
+  end
+
   def validate_count
     if user.saved_searches.count + 1 > user.max_saved_searches
       self.errors[:user] << "can only have up to #{user.max_saved_searches} " + "saved search".pluralize(user.max_saved_searches)
diff --git a/test/unit/saved_search_test.rb b/test/unit/saved_search_test.rb
index 80a8c8ba9..64f3642f3 100644
--- a/test/unit/saved_search_test.rb
+++ b/test/unit/saved_search_test.rb
@@ -4,13 +4,17 @@ class SavedSearchTest < ActiveSupport::TestCase
   context "Creating a saved search" do
     setup do
       @user = FactoryGirl.create(:user)
-      @saved_search = @user.saved_searches.create(:tag_query => "xxx")
+      @saved_search = @user.saved_searches.create(:tag_query => " xxx ")
     end
 
     should "update the bitpref on the user" do
       @user.reload
       assert(@user.has_saved_searches?, "should have saved_searches bitpref set")
     end
+
+    should "normalize whitespace" do
+      assert_equal("xxx", @saved_search.tag_query)
+    end
   end
 
   context "Destroying a saved search" do