diff --git a/src/dialog_translation.cpp b/src/dialog_translation.cpp
index c5fb4ffb8..c953b6874 100644
--- a/src/dialog_translation.cpp
+++ b/src/dialog_translation.cpp
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@
 #include "format.h"
 #include "help_button.h"
 #include "libresrc/libresrc.h"
+#include "options.h"
 #include "persist_location.h"
 #include "project.h"
 #include "subs_edit_ctrl.h"
@@ -57,7 +58,8 @@ static void add_hotkey(wxSizer *sizer, wxWindow *parent, const char *command, wx
 
 // Skip over override blocks, comments, and whitespace between blocks
 static bool bad_block(std::unique_ptr<AssDialogueBlock> &block) {
-	return block->GetType() != AssBlockType::PLAIN || boost::all(block->GetText(), boost::is_space());
+	bool is_whitespace = boost::all(block->GetText(), boost::is_space());
+	return block->GetType() != AssBlockType::PLAIN || (is_whitespace && OPT_GET("Tool/Translation Assistant/Skip Whitespace")->GetBool());
 }
 
 DialogTranslation::DialogTranslation(agi::Context *c)
diff --git a/src/libresrc/default_config.json b/src/libresrc/default_config.json
index 593d4524e..0134efb94 100644
--- a/src/libresrc/default_config.json
+++ b/src/libresrc/default_config.json
@@ -559,7 +559,8 @@
 				"X" : -1,
 				"Y" : -1
 			},
-			"Maximized" : false
+			"Maximized" : false,
+			"Skip Whitespace" : true
 		},
 		"Visual" : {
 			"Autohide": false
diff --git a/src/libresrc/osx/default_config.json b/src/libresrc/osx/default_config.json
index fc3dd4daf..c230c7460 100644
--- a/src/libresrc/osx/default_config.json
+++ b/src/libresrc/osx/default_config.json
@@ -559,7 +559,8 @@
 				"X" : -1,
 				"Y" : -1
 			},
-			"Maximized" : false
+			"Maximized" : false,
+			"Skip Whitespace" : true
 		},
 		"Visual" : {
 			"Autohide": false
diff --git a/src/preferences.cpp b/src/preferences.cpp
index c835bad13..1986a6132 100644
--- a/src/preferences.cpp
+++ b/src/preferences.cpp
@@ -225,6 +225,9 @@ void Interface(wxTreebook *book, Preferences *parent) {
 	p->OptionAdd(grid, _("Hide overrides symbol"), "Subtitle/Grid/Hide Overrides Char");
 	p->OptionFont(grid, "Subtitle/Grid/");
 
+	auto tl_assistant = p->PageSizer(_("Translation Assistant"));
+	p->OptionAdd(tl_assistant, _("Skip over whitespace"), "Tool/Translation Assistant/Skip Whitespace");
+
 	p->SetSizerAndFit(p->sizer);
 }