diff --git a/retroshare-gui/src/gui/gxsforums/CreateGxsForumMsg.cpp b/retroshare-gui/src/gui/gxsforums/CreateGxsForumMsg.cpp
index f73aeef91..23a0bca04 100644
--- a/retroshare-gui/src/gui/gxsforums/CreateGxsForumMsg.cpp
+++ b/retroshare-gui/src/gui/gxsforums/CreateGxsForumMsg.cpp
@@ -400,7 +400,13 @@ void CreateGxsForumMsg::smileyWidgetForums()
 
 void CreateGxsForumMsg::addSmileys()
 {
-	ui.forumMessage->textCursor().insertText(qobject_cast<QPushButton*>(sender())->toolTip().split("|").first());
+	QString smiley = qobject_cast<QPushButton*>(sender())->toolTip().split("|").first();
+	// add trailing space
+	smiley += QString(" ");
+	// add preceding space when needed (not at start of text or preceding space already exists)
+	if(!ui.forumMessage->textCursor().atStart() && ui.forumMessage->toPlainText()[ui.forumMessage->textCursor().position() - 1] != QChar(' '))
+		smiley = QString(" ") + smiley;
+	ui.forumMessage->textCursor().insertText(smiley);
 }
 
 void CreateGxsForumMsg::addFile()
diff --git a/retroshare-gui/src/gui/msgs/MessageComposer.cpp b/retroshare-gui/src/gui/msgs/MessageComposer.cpp
index ecd4327e6..a0b2c2e86 100644
--- a/retroshare-gui/src/gui/msgs/MessageComposer.cpp
+++ b/retroshare-gui/src/gui/msgs/MessageComposer.cpp
@@ -2200,7 +2200,13 @@ void MessageComposer::smileyWidget()
 
 void MessageComposer::addSmileys()
 {
-    ui.msgText->textCursor().insertText(qobject_cast<QPushButton*>(sender())->toolTip().split("|").first());
+	QString smiley = qobject_cast<QPushButton*>(sender())->toolTip().split("|").first();
+	// add trailing space
+	smiley += QString(" ");
+	// add preceding space when needed (not at start of text or preceding space already exists)
+	if(!ui.msgText->textCursor().atStart() && ui.msgText->toPlainText()[ui.msgText->textCursor().position() - 1] != QChar(' '))
+		smiley = QString(" ") + smiley;
+	ui.msgText->textCursor().insertText(smiley);
 }
 
 void MessageComposer::currentCharFormatChanged(const QTextCharFormat &format)