diff --git a/src/items/date.rs b/src/items/date.rs
index 97cfdef..1f1389f 100644
--- a/src/items/date.rs
+++ b/src/items/date.rs
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@
 //! > ‘September’.
 
 use winnow::{
-    ascii::{alpha1, multispace1},
+    ascii::alpha1,
     combinator::{alt, eof, opt, preceded, terminated},
     error::ErrMode,
     stream::AsChar,
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ use winnow::{
 };
 
 use super::{
-    primitive::{ctx_err, dec_uint, s},
+    primitive::{ctx_err, dec_uint, multispace1, s},
     year::{year_from_str, year_str},
 };
 
diff --git a/src/items/mod.rs b/src/items/mod.rs
index d89e23f..6870a6b 100644
--- a/src/items/mod.rs
+++ b/src/items/mod.rs
@@ -391,6 +391,12 @@ mod tests {
         assert!(result.is_ok());
     }
 
+    #[test]
+    fn whitespace_only() {
+        let result = parse(&mut "\x0B \x0C");
+        assert!(result.is_ok());
+    }
+
     #[test]
     fn invalid() {
         let result = parse(&mut "2025-05-19 2024-05-20 06:14:49");
diff --git a/src/items/primitive.rs b/src/items/primitive.rs
index ba7d32e..42042a8 100644
--- a/src/items/primitive.rs
+++ b/src/items/primitive.rs
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
 use std::str::FromStr;
 
 use winnow::{
-    ascii::{digit1, multispace0, Uint},
+    ascii::{digit1, Uint},
     combinator::{alt, delimited, not, opt, peek, preceded, repeat, separated},
     error::{ContextError, ParserError, StrContext, StrContextValue},
     stream::AsChar,
@@ -26,6 +26,23 @@ where
     preceded(space, p)
 }
 
+/// Same as winnow's `multispace0`, but also accepting `\v` and `\f`, like
+/// the whitespace GNU `date` accepts between tokens
+fn multispace0<'a, E>(input: &mut &'a str) -> winnow::Result<&'a str, E>
+where
+    E: ParserError<&'a str>,
+{
+    take_while(0.., (' ', '\t', '\n', '\x0B', '\x0C', '\r')).parse_next(input)
+}
+
+/// Same as [`multispace0`], but requiring at least one character
+pub(super) fn multispace1<'a, E>(input: &mut &'a str) -> winnow::Result<&'a str, E>
+where
+    E: ParserError<&'a str>,
+{
+    take_while(1.., (' ', '\t', '\n', '\x0B', '\x0C', '\r')).parse_next(input)
+}
+
 /// Parse the space in-between tokens
 ///
 /// You probably want to use the [`s`] combinator instead.
diff --git a/tests/date.rs b/tests/date.rs
index 1428adb..af83322 100644
--- a/tests/date.rs
+++ b/tests/date.rs
@@ -75,6 +75,18 @@ fn test_absolute_date_numeric(#[case] input: &str, #[case] expected: &str) {
     check_absolute(input, expected);
 }
 
+// Any run of ASCII whitespace may separate items, like in GNU date. The
+// expected values were verified with GNU date (`date -d 'input'`).
+#[rstest]
+#[case::vertical_tab_between_date_and_year("Jan 23\x0B2026 1:00AM", "2026-01-23 01:00:00+00:00")]
+#[case::form_feed_between_date_and_year("Jan 23\x0C2026 1:00AM", "2026-01-23 01:00:00+00:00")]
+#[case::vertical_tab_after_comma("Jan 23,\x0B2026", "2026-01-23 00:00:00+00:00")]
+#[case::vertical_tab_before_time("14 nov 2026\x0B1:00AM", "2026-11-14 01:00:00+00:00")]
+#[case::vertical_tab_as_iso_separator("2026-01-23\x0B01:00:00", "2026-01-23 01:00:00+00:00")]
+fn test_whitespace_between_items(#[case] input: &str, #[case] expected: &str) {
+    check_absolute(input, expected);
+}
+
 #[rstest]
 #[case::us_style("11/14", 2022, "2022-11-14 00:00:00+00:00")]
 #[case::alphabetical_full_month_in_front("november 14", 2022, "2022-11-14 00:00:00+00:00")]