diff --git a/src/plugins/debugger/debuggerplugin.cpp b/src/plugins/debugger/debuggerplugin.cpp
index aff64de8f8d..cf4a40de9a6 100644
--- a/src/plugins/debugger/debuggerplugin.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/debugger/debuggerplugin.cpp
@@ -919,6 +919,7 @@ public slots:
             exp = removeObviousSideEffects(exp);
         else
             exp = fixCppExpression(exp);
+        exp = exp.trimmed();
         if (exp.isEmpty())
             return;
         currentEngine()->watchHandler()->watchVariable(exp);
diff --git a/src/plugins/debugger/watchhandler.cpp b/src/plugins/debugger/watchhandler.cpp
index 687d26ef3a9..015f6a2ea74 100644
--- a/src/plugins/debugger/watchhandler.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/debugger/watchhandler.cpp
@@ -856,7 +856,7 @@ bool WatchModel::setData(const QModelIndex &idx, const QVariant &value, int role
         case Qt::EditRole:
             switch (idx.column()) {
             case 0: {
-                m_handler->watchExpression(value.toString());
+                m_handler->watchExpression(value.toString().trimmed());
                 break;
             }
             case 1: // Change value
@@ -1491,7 +1491,7 @@ void WatchHandler::loadSessionData()
     QVariant value = sessionValue("Watchers");
     m_model->m_watchRoot->removeChildren();
     foreach (const QString &exp, value.toStringList())
-        watchExpression(exp);
+        watchExpression(exp.trimmed());
 }
 
 WatchModelBase *WatchHandler::model() const
diff --git a/src/plugins/debugger/watchwindow.cpp b/src/plugins/debugger/watchwindow.cpp
index 6ff501c61e3..c82a3fa5b93 100644
--- a/src/plugins/debugger/watchwindow.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/debugger/watchwindow.cpp
@@ -1108,7 +1108,7 @@ void WatchTreeView::inputNewExpression()
         "\">documentation</a>."));
     dlg.setHistoryCompleter(QLatin1String("WatchItems"));
     if (dlg.exec() == QDialog::Accepted) {
-        QString exp = dlg.text();
+        const QString exp = dlg.text().trimmed();
         if (!exp.isEmpty())
             watchExpression(exp, exp);
     }