diff --git a/src/i18n.py b/src/i18n.py
index 36aace3cd..e2800334e 100644
--- a/src/i18n.py
+++ b/src/i18n.py
@@ -185,16 +185,17 @@ class _PluginInternationalization:
     
     def _unescape(self, string):
 	import supybot.utils as utils
-	return utils.str.normalizeWhitespace(str.replace(string, '\\n', '\n'))
+	string = str.replace(string, '\\n', '\n') # gettext escapes the \n
+	string = utils.str.normalizeWhitespace(string, removeNewline=False)
+	return string
     
     def __call__(self, untranslated):
 	"""Main function.
 
 	his is the function which is called when a plugin runs _()"""
-	import supybot.utils as utils
 	if untranslated.__class__ == internationalizedString:
 	    return untranslated._original
-	untranslated = utils.str.normalizeWhitespace(untranslated)
+	untranslated = self._unescape(untranslated)
 	if not 'conf' in globals():
 	    return untranslated
 	if self.currentLocaleName != conf.supybot.language():
diff --git a/src/utils/str.py b/src/utils/str.py
index 5eb8cb569..c624fe7bb 100644
--- a/src/utils/str.py
+++ b/src/utils/str.py
@@ -59,11 +59,14 @@ def rsplit(s, sep=None, maxsplit=-1):
     else:
         return s.rsplit(sep, maxsplit)
 
-def normalizeWhitespace(s):
+def normalizeWhitespace(s, removeNewline=True):
     """Normalizes the whitespace in a string; \s+ becomes one space."""
     beginning = s.startswith(' ')
     ending = s.endswith(' ')
-    s = ' '.join(s.split())
+    if removeNewline:
+        s = ' '.join(s.split())
+    else:
+        s = ' '.join(s.split(' '))
     if beginning:
         s = ' ' + s
     if ending: