diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 0a887de..13f0da5 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -21,6 +21,26 @@ Or in init.vim:
     nmap q :lua vim.g.quickcomment_togglecommentline()<CR>
     vmap q :luado vim.g.quickcomment_togglecommentline(linenr)<CR>
 
+## Whitespace before comment string
+
+If `b:quickcomment_whitespaceprefix` or `g:quickcomment_whitespaceprefix` is set
+to true, then quickcomment will uncomment comments with leading whitespace.
+
+In `init.vim` this option can be set globally with:
+
+    let g:quickcomment_whitespaceprefix = 1
+
+or locally with:
+
+    let b:quickcomment_whitespaceprefix = 1
+
+Or in `init.lua` set this option with:
+
+    vim.g.quickcomment_whitespaceprefix = true
+    vim.b.quickcomment_whitespaceprefix = true
+
+The `b` (local) variant holds precendence over the `g` (global) variant.
+
 ## Overrides
 
 Say you want to use `// ` to comment lines in C files instead of `/* ... */`.  
diff --git a/plugin/quickcomment.lua b/plugin/quickcomment.lua
index fea1ffb..24cddf7 100644
--- a/plugin/quickcomment.lua
+++ b/plugin/quickcomment.lua
@@ -88,15 +88,25 @@ vim.g.quickcomment_togglecommentlines = function (line_start, line_end)
         pe_comment_string = pe_comment_string .. vim.g.quickcomment_escapepercent(comment_string:sub(sub_end + 1))
     end
 
+    local escaped_string_prefix = ''
+    if vim.b.quickcomment_whitespaceprefix ~= nil then
+        if vim.b.quickcomment_whitespaceprefix then
+            escaped_string_prefix = '%s*'
+        end
+    elseif vim.g.quickcomment_whitespaceprefix ~= nil
+            and vim.g.quickcomment_whitespaceprefix then
+        escaped_string_prefix = '%s*'
+    end
+
     -- get lines to comment/uncomment
     local lines = vim.api.nvim_buf_get_lines(0, line_start, line_end, false)
     for i, line in ipairs(lines) do
-        if line:find('^' .. escaped_string) == nil then
+        if line:find('^' .. escaped_string_prefix .. escaped_string) == nil then
             -- not commented, comment line
             lines[i] = pe_comment_string:format(line)
         else
             -- commented, uncomment line
-            local match_cap = line:gmatch(escaped_string)
+            local match_cap = line:gmatch(escaped_string_prefix .. escaped_string)
             local captured = match_cap()
             if captured ~= nil then
                 lines[i] = captured