diff --git a/src/utils/str.py b/src/utils/str.py
index 24aa61706..a961b8ff4 100644
--- a/src/utils/str.py
+++ b/src/utils/str.py
@@ -93,10 +93,11 @@ def normalizeWhitespace(s, removeNewline=True):
     """Normalizes the whitespace in a string; \s+ becomes one space."""
     if not s:
         return str(s) # not the same reference
-    starts_with_space = (s[0] in ' \n\t')
-    ends_with_space = (s[-1] in ' \n\t')
+    starts_with_space = (s[0] in ' \n\t\r')
+    ends_with_space = (s[-1] in ' \n\t\r')
     if removeNewline:
-        s = ' '.join(filter(bool, s.split('\n')))
+        newline_re = re.compile('[\r\n]+')
+        s = ' '.join(filter(bool, newline_re.split(s)))
     s = ' '.join(filter(bool, s.split('\t')))
     s = ' '.join(filter(bool, s.split(' ')))
     if starts_with_space:
diff --git a/test/test_utils.py b/test/test_utils.py
index ce0c92c1f..cfc106af3 100644
--- a/test/test_utils.py
+++ b/test/test_utils.py
@@ -369,6 +369,7 @@ class StrTest(SupyTestCase):
         self.assertEqual(f('foo   bar'), 'foo bar')
         self.assertEqual(f('foo\nbar'), 'foo bar')
         self.assertEqual(f('foo\tbar'), 'foo bar')
+        self.assertEqual(f('foo\rbar'), 'foo bar')
 
     def testNItems(self):
         nItems = utils.str.nItems