diff --git a/include/stringop.h b/include/stringop.h
index a53468299..03387345c 100644
--- a/include/stringop.h
+++ b/include/stringop.h
@@ -2,8 +2,8 @@
 #define _SWAY_STRINGOP_H
 #include "list.h"
 
-char *strip_whitespace(char *str, int *trimmed_start);
-char *strip_comments(char *str);
+void strip_whitespace(char *str);
+void strip_comments(char *str);
 list_t *split_string(const char *str, const char *delims);
 void free_flat_list(list_t *list);
 char *code_strchr(const char *string, char delimiter);
diff --git a/sway/commands.c b/sway/commands.c
index 444e61597..642fa3cee 100644
--- a/sway/commands.c
+++ b/sway/commands.c
@@ -490,7 +490,7 @@ static char **split_directive(char *line, int *argc) {
 	if (!*line) return parts;
 
 	int in_string = 0, in_character = 0;
-	int i, j, _;
+	int i, j;
 	for (i = 0, j = 0; line[i]; ++i) {
 		if (line[i] == '\\') {
 			++i;
@@ -503,7 +503,7 @@ static char **split_directive(char *line, int *argc) {
 				char *item = malloc(i - j + 1);
 				strncpy(item, line + j, i - j);
 				item[i - j] = '\0';
-				item = strip_whitespace(item, &_);
+				strip_whitespace(item);
 				if (item[0] == '\0') {
 					free(item);
 				} else {
@@ -521,7 +521,7 @@ static char **split_directive(char *line, int *argc) {
 	char *item = malloc(i - j + 1);
 	strncpy(item, line + j, i - j);
 	item[i - j] = '\0';
-	item = strip_whitespace(item, &_);
+	strip_whitespace(item);
 	if (*argc == capacity) {
 		capacity++;
 		parts = realloc(parts, sizeof(char *) * capacity);
diff --git a/sway/config.c b/sway/config.c
index 44943769d..bde65614a 100644
--- a/sway/config.c
+++ b/sway/config.c
@@ -186,10 +186,9 @@ bool read_config(FILE *file, bool is_active) {
 	int temp_depth = 0; // Temporary: skip all config sections with depth
 
 	while (!feof(file)) {
-		int _;
 		char *line = read_line(file);
-		line = strip_comments(line);
-		line = strip_whitespace(line, &_);
+		strip_comments(line);
+		strip_whitespace(line);
 		if (!line[0]) {
 			goto _continue;
 		}
diff --git a/sway/stringop.c b/sway/stringop.c
index cbaa69b92..00cc32b8e 100644
--- a/sway/stringop.c
+++ b/sway/stringop.c
@@ -1,37 +1,38 @@
-#include "stringop.h"
 #include <stdlib.h>
 #include <stdio.h>
+#include <strings.h>
+#include <ctype.h>
+#include "stringop.h"
 #include "string.h"
 #include "list.h"
-#include <strings.h>
 
 /* Note: This returns 8 characters for trimmed_start per tab character. */
-char *strip_whitespace(char *_str, int *trimmed_start) {
-	*trimmed_start = 0;
-	if (*_str == '\0')
-		return _str;
-	char *strold = _str;
-	while (*_str == ' ' || *_str == '\t') {
-		if (*_str == '\t') {
-			*trimmed_start += 8;
-		} else {
-			*trimmed_start += 1;
+void strip_whitespace(char *str) {
+	int shift = 0;
+	int bpair = 1;
+	int in_str = 0, in_ch = 0;
+	while (*str) {
+		str[-shift] = str[0];
+		if (*str == '"' && !in_ch) {
+			in_str = !in_str;
+		} else if (*str == '\'' && !in_str) {
+			in_ch = !in_ch;
+		} else if (!in_ch && !in_str) {
+			if (isblank(*str)) {
+				if (bpair) {
+					++shift;
+				}
+				bpair=1;
+			} else {
+				bpair = 0;
+			}
 		}
-		_str++;
+		++str;
 	}
-	char *str = malloc(strlen(_str) + 1);
-	strcpy(str, _str);
-	free(strold);
-	int i;
-	for (i = 0; str[i] != '\0'; ++i);
-	do {
-		i--;
-	} while (i >= 0 && (str[i] == ' ' || str[i] == '\t'));
-	str[i + 1] = '\0';
-	return str;
+	str[-shift-bpair] = 0;
 }
 
-char *strip_comments(char *str) {
+void strip_comments(char *str) {
 	int in_string = 0, in_character = 0;
 	int i = 0;
 	while (str[i] != '\0') {
@@ -47,7 +48,6 @@ char *strip_comments(char *str) {
 		}
 		++i;
 	}
-	return str;
 }
 
 list_t *split_string(const char *str, const char *delims) {