diff --git a/compiler/test/ast/TestProg8Parser.kt b/compiler/test/ast/TestProg8Parser.kt
index 495724ef7..6ab778b44 100644
--- a/compiler/test/ast/TestProg8Parser.kt
+++ b/compiler/test/ast/TestProg8Parser.kt
@@ -884,7 +884,7 @@ class TestProg8Parser: FunSpec( {
             main {
                 sub start() {
                     str string = "hello"
-                    ubyte[] array = [1,2,3,4]
+                    ubyte[  ] array = [1,2,3,4]
                     
                     bool bb
                     ubyte cc
@@ -915,7 +915,7 @@ class TestProg8Parser: FunSpec( {
             main {
                 sub start() {
                     bool @shared cc
-                    ubyte[] array = [1,2,3]
+                    ubyte [  ] array = [1,2,3]
                     cc = 99 in 12345
                     cc = 9999 in array
                 }
diff --git a/compilerAst/src/prog8/ast/antlr/Antlr2Kotlin.kt b/compilerAst/src/prog8/ast/antlr/Antlr2Kotlin.kt
index 1081e7fd7..4dea07851 100644
--- a/compilerAst/src/prog8/ast/antlr/Antlr2Kotlin.kt
+++ b/compilerAst/src/prog8/ast/antlr/Antlr2Kotlin.kt
@@ -503,8 +503,16 @@ private fun ExpressionContext.toAst(insideParentheses: Boolean=false) : Expressi
     if(scoped_identifier()!=null)
         return scoped_identifier().toAst()
 
-    if(bop!=null)
-        return BinaryExpression(left.toAst(), bop.text.trim(), right.toAst(), toPosition(), insideParentheses=insideParentheses)
+    if(bop!=null) {
+        val operator = bop.text.trim().replace("\\s+".toRegex(), " ")
+        return BinaryExpression(
+            left.toAst(),
+            operator,
+            right.toAst(),
+            toPosition(),
+            insideParentheses = insideParentheses
+        )
+    }
 
     if(prefix!=null)
         return PrefixExpression(prefix.text, expression(0).toAst(), toPosition())
diff --git a/docs/source/todo.rst b/docs/source/todo.rst
index 348d77eef..0f3d45291 100644
--- a/docs/source/todo.rst
+++ b/docs/source/todo.rst
@@ -1,10 +1,9 @@
 TODO
 ====
 
-fix the  ubyte[<space>] parser error.
+word starw;   for starw in 50 downto 0        -> compiler error word loop variable can only loop over bytes or words
 
-word starw
-for starw in 50 downto 0        -> compiler error word loop variable can only loop over bytes or words
+chess prg got bigger again. why?
 
 Regenerate skeleton doc files.
 
diff --git a/examples/test.p8 b/examples/test.p8
index ff728e2be..06cc5485b 100644
--- a/examples/test.p8
+++ b/examples/test.p8
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ main {
 
         ubyte[] stuff1=[1,2,3]
         ubyte [] stuff2=[1,2,3]
-        ubyte[ ] stuff3=[1,2,3]     ; TODO fix parse error
+        ubyte[ ] stuff3=[1,2,3]
         stuff1[1]++
         stuff2[1]++
         stuff3[1]++
diff --git a/parser/antlr/Prog8ANTLR.g4 b/parser/antlr/Prog8ANTLR.g4
index 6ba39f703..841cd4b50 100644
--- a/parser/antlr/Prog8ANTLR.g4
+++ b/parser/antlr/Prog8ANTLR.g4
@@ -63,9 +63,9 @@ SHARED : '@shared' ;
 
 SPLIT: '@split' ;
 
-ARRAYSIG :
-    '[]'
-    ;
+ARRAYSIG : '[' [ \t]* ']' ;
+
+NOT_IN: 'not' [ \t]+ 'in' [ \t] ;
 
 
 // A module (file) consists of zero or more directives or blocks, in any order.
@@ -184,7 +184,7 @@ expression :
 	| left = expression EOL? bop = ('==' | '!=') EOL? right = expression
 	| rangefrom = expression rto = ('to'|'downto') rangeto = expression ('step' rangestep = expression)?	// can't create separate rule due to mutual left-recursion
 	| left = expression EOL? bop = 'in' EOL? right = expression
-	| left = expression EOL? bop = ('not in ' | 'not in\t' | 'not in\n' | 'not in\r') EOL? right = expression
+	| left = expression EOL? bop = NOT_IN EOL? right = expression
 	| prefix = 'not' expression
 	| left = expression EOL? bop = 'and' EOL? right = expression
 	| left = expression EOL? bop = 'or' EOL? right = expression