diff --git a/src/Lexer.cpp b/src/Lexer.cpp
index 2e0f32b80..bc68eb0e1 100644
--- a/src/Lexer.cpp
+++ b/src/Lexer.cpp
@@ -509,22 +509,27 @@ std::string Lexer::ucFirst (const std::string& input)
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 std::string Lexer::trimLeft (const std::string& in, const std::string& t /*= " "*/)
 {
-  std::string out = in;
-  return out.erase (0, in.find_first_not_of (t));
+  std::string::size_type ws = in.find_first_not_of (t);
+  if (ws > 0)
+  {
+    std::string out {in};
+    return out.erase (0, ws);
+  }
+
+  return in;
 }
 
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 std::string Lexer::trimRight (const std::string& in, const std::string& t /*= " "*/)
 {
-  std::string out = in;
-  return out.erase (out.find_last_not_of (t) + 1);
+  std::string out {in};
+  return out.erase (in.find_last_not_of (t) + 1);
 }
 
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 std::string Lexer::trim (const std::string& in, const std::string& t /*= " "*/)
 {
-  std::string out = in;
-  return trimLeft (trimRight (out, t), t);
+  return trimLeft (trimRight (in, t), t);
 }
 
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////