diff --git a/src/basic/engine/end_of_statement.s b/src/basic/engine/end_of_statement.s
index 197ada21..3e3ca00d 100644
--- a/src/basic/engine/end_of_statement.s
+++ b/src/basic/engine/end_of_statement.s
@@ -9,10 +9,7 @@
 
 end_of_statement:
 
-	jsr fetch_character
-
-	cmp #$20                           // check for space
-	beq end_of_statement
+	jsr fetch_character_skip_spaces
 
 	cmp #$3A                           // check for colon
 	beq_16 execute_statements
diff --git a/src/basic/engine/end_of_statement_check.s b/src/basic/engine/end_of_statement_check.s
index 8a4c7011..e8b3b6ea 100644
--- a/src/basic/engine/end_of_statement_check.s
+++ b/src/basic/engine/end_of_statement_check.s
@@ -9,6 +9,8 @@
 
 end_of_statement_check:
 
+	// XXX consider optimized version for 46K/56K memory models
+
 	ldy #$00
 
 #if CONFIG_MEMORY_MODEL_60K
diff --git a/src/basic/engine/execute_line_statements.s b/src/basic/engine/execute_line_statements.s
index e63e952c..c0da724a 100644
--- a/src/basic/engine/execute_line_statements.s
+++ b/src/basic/engine/execute_line_statements.s
@@ -16,9 +16,7 @@ execute_statements:
 
 	// Skip over any white spaces and colons (':')
 !:
-	jsr fetch_character
-	cmp #$20                           // space, can be skipped
-	beq !-
+	jsr fetch_character_skip_spaces
 	cmp #$3A                           // colon, can be skipped
 	beq !-
 	
diff --git a/src/basic/engine/fetch_character_skip_spaces.s b/src/basic/engine/fetch_character_skip_spaces.s
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..c17eeab7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/basic/engine/fetch_character_skip_spaces.s
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+// #LAYOUT# STD *       #TAKE
+// #LAYOUT# *   BASIC_0 #TAKE
+// #LAYOUT# *   *       #IGNORE
+
+//
+// Fetches a single character, but skips spaces
+//
+
+fetch_character_skip_spaces:
+
+	jsr fetch_character
+	cmp #$20
+	beq fetch_character_skip_spaces
+
+	rts
diff --git a/src/basic/engine/fetch_uint16.s b/src/basic/engine/fetch_uint16.s
index d6bd568a..5768588c 100644
--- a/src/basic/engine/fetch_uint16.s
+++ b/src/basic/engine/fetch_uint16.s
@@ -18,9 +18,7 @@ fetch_uint16:
 
 	// Fetch the first character (skip spaces), check if 0-9
 
-	jsr fetch_character
-	cmp #$20
-	beq fetch_uint16
+	jsr fetch_character_skip_spaces
 
 	jsr convert_PETSCII_to_digit
 	bcs fetch_uint16_rts
diff --git a/src/basic/engine/fetch_uint8.s b/src/basic/engine/fetch_uint8.s
index 2660ea0f..75d8c685 100644
--- a/src/basic/engine/fetch_uint8.s
+++ b/src/basic/engine/fetch_uint8.s
@@ -16,7 +16,6 @@ fetch_coma_uint8:
 
 fetch_uint8:
 
-	jsr injest_spaces
 	lda #IDX__EV2_0E                             // 'ILLEGAL QUANTITY ERROR'
 	jsr fetch_uint16
 	bcs !+
diff --git a/src/basic/engine/fetch_variable.s b/src/basic/engine/fetch_variable.s
index 9dc6438a..b6ba663b 100644
--- a/src/basic/engine/fetch_variable.s
+++ b/src/basic/engine/fetch_variable.s
@@ -11,11 +11,8 @@ fetch_variable:
 	sta VARNAM+1
 
 	// Fetch the first character
-!:
-	jsr fetch_character
-	cmp #$20                           // ignore all the spaces
-	beq !-
 
+	jsr fetch_character_skip_spaces
 	jsr is_AZ
 	bcs_16 do_SYNTAX_error
 
diff --git a/src/basic/engine/injest_assign.s b/src/basic/engine/injest_assign.s
index c07898a7..e9cc7330 100644
--- a/src/basic/engine/injest_assign.s
+++ b/src/basic/engine/injest_assign.s
@@ -9,11 +9,9 @@
 
 injest_assign:
 
-	jsr fetch_character
+	jsr fetch_character_skip_spaces
 	cmp #$B2                           // assign operator character
 	beq injest_assign_found
-	cmp #$20                           // space, can always be skipped
-	beq injest_assign
 	
 	// Not found
 	jsr unconsume_character
diff --git a/src/basic/engine/injest_spaces.s b/src/basic/engine/injest_spaces.s
deleted file mode 100644
index fb018def..00000000
--- a/src/basic/engine/injest_spaces.s
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,18 +0,0 @@
-// #LAYOUT# STD *       #TAKE
-// #LAYOUT# *   BASIC_0 #TAKE
-// #LAYOUT# *   *       #IGNORE
-
-//
-// Injests all spaces
-//
-
-// XXX get rid of this when proper number parsing is implemented
-
-
-injest_spaces:
-
-	jsr fetch_character
-	cmp #$20                           // space, can be skipped
-	beq injest_spaces
-	
-	jmp unconsume_character
diff --git a/src/basic/wedge/wedge_tape.s b/src/basic/wedge/wedge_tape.s
index 951ced7e..e90c6c4e 100644
--- a/src/basic/wedge/wedge_tape.s
+++ b/src/basic/wedge/wedge_tape.s
@@ -37,8 +37,7 @@ wedge_arrow_H:
 
 	// Make sure the syntax is correct
 
-	jsr injest_spaces
-	jsr fetch_character
+	jsr fetch_character_skip_spaces
 
 	cmp #$00
 	bne_16 do_SYNTAX_error
diff --git a/src/basic/wedge/wedge_tape_prepare_load.s b/src/basic/wedge/wedge_tape_prepare_load.s
index cac50b40..b31f0aa3 100644
--- a/src/basic/wedge/wedge_tape_prepare_load.s
+++ b/src/basic/wedge/wedge_tape_prepare_load.s
@@ -13,9 +13,8 @@ wedge_tape_prepare_load:
 
 	// Make sure the syntax is correct
 
-	jsr injest_spaces
-	jsr fetch_character
-	
+	jsr fetch_character_skip_spaces
+
 	cmp #$00
 	beq wedge_tape_prepare_load_no_filename      // branch if no file name given
 	cmp #$22