diff --git a/src/injected/cssSelectorEngine.ts b/src/injected/cssSelectorEngine.ts
index de173bfcf1..2dd27eba98 100644
--- a/src/injected/cssSelectorEngine.ts
+++ b/src/injected/cssSelectorEngine.ts
@@ -221,7 +221,6 @@ function split(selector: string): string[][] {
   let quote: string | undefined;
   let insideAttr = false;
   let start = 0;
-  let space: 'none' | 'before' | 'after' = 'none';
   const result: string[][] = [];
   let current: string[] = [];
   const appendToCurrent = () => {
@@ -234,24 +233,23 @@ function split(selector: string): string[][] {
     result.push(current);
     current = [];
   };
+  const isCombinator = (char: string) => {
+    return char === '>' || char === '+' || char === '~';
+  };
+  const peekForward = () => {
+    return selector.substring(index).trim()[0];
+  };
+  const peekBackward = () => {
+    const s = selector.substring(0, index).trim();
+    return s[s.length - 1];
+  };
   while (index < selector.length) {
     const c = selector[index];
-    if (!quote && !insideAttr && c === ' ') {
-      if (space === 'none' || space === 'before')
-        space = 'before';
+    if (!quote && !insideAttr && c === ' ' && !isCombinator(peekForward()) && !isCombinator(peekBackward())) {
+      appendToCurrent();
+      start = index;
       index++;
     } else {
-      if (space === 'before') {
-        if (c === '>' || c === '+' || c === '~') {
-          space = 'after';
-        } else {
-          appendToCurrent();
-          start = index;
-          space = 'none';
-        }
-      } else {
-        space = 'none';
-      }
       if (c === '\\' && index + 1 < selector.length) {
         index += 2;
       } else if (c === quote) {
diff --git a/test/queryselector.spec.js b/test/queryselector.spec.js
index f73dedddf2..3fd646de25 100644
--- a/test/queryselector.spec.js
+++ b/test/queryselector.spec.js
@@ -662,6 +662,24 @@ describe('css selector', () => {
     expect(await root3.$(`css:light=[attr*="value"]`)).toBe(null);
   });
 
+  it('should work with > combinator and spaces', async({page, server}) => {
+    await page.setContent(`<div foo="bar" bar="baz"><span></span></div>`);
+    expect(await page.$eval(`div[foo="bar"] > span`, e => e.outerHTML)).toBe(`<span></span>`);
+    expect(await page.$eval(`div[foo="bar"]> span`, e => e.outerHTML)).toBe(`<span></span>`);
+    expect(await page.$eval(`div[foo="bar"] >span`, e => e.outerHTML)).toBe(`<span></span>`);
+    expect(await page.$eval(`div[foo="bar"]>span`, e => e.outerHTML)).toBe(`<span></span>`);
+    expect(await page.$eval(`div[foo="bar"]   >    span`, e => e.outerHTML)).toBe(`<span></span>`);
+    expect(await page.$eval(`div[foo="bar"]>    span`, e => e.outerHTML)).toBe(`<span></span>`);
+    expect(await page.$eval(`div[foo="bar"]     >span`, e => e.outerHTML)).toBe(`<span></span>`);
+    expect(await page.$eval(`div[foo="bar"][bar="baz"] > span`, e => e.outerHTML)).toBe(`<span></span>`);
+    expect(await page.$eval(`div[foo="bar"][bar="baz"]> span`, e => e.outerHTML)).toBe(`<span></span>`);
+    expect(await page.$eval(`div[foo="bar"][bar="baz"] >span`, e => e.outerHTML)).toBe(`<span></span>`);
+    expect(await page.$eval(`div[foo="bar"][bar="baz"]>span`, e => e.outerHTML)).toBe(`<span></span>`);
+    expect(await page.$eval(`div[foo="bar"][bar="baz"]   >    span`, e => e.outerHTML)).toBe(`<span></span>`);
+    expect(await page.$eval(`div[foo="bar"][bar="baz"]>    span`, e => e.outerHTML)).toBe(`<span></span>`);
+    expect(await page.$eval(`div[foo="bar"][bar="baz"]     >span`, e => e.outerHTML)).toBe(`<span></span>`);
+  });
+
   it('should work with comma separated list', async({page, server}) => {
     await page.goto(server.PREFIX + '/deep-shadow.html');
     expect(await page.$$eval(`css=span,section #root1`, els => els.length)).toBe(5);