diff --git a/django/templatetags/future.py b/django/templatetags/future.py
index 14c1ad31ad..9fb2d1138f 100644
--- a/django/templatetags/future.py
+++ b/django/templatetags/future.py
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ def ssi(parser, token):
 
         {% ssi "/home/html/ljworld.com/includes/right_generic.html" parsed %}
     """
-    bits = token.contents.split()
+    bits = token.split_contents()
     parsed = False
     if len(bits) not in (2, 3):
         raise TemplateSyntaxError("'ssi' tag takes one argument: the path to"
diff --git a/tests/regressiontests/templates/templates/ssi include with spaces.html b/tests/regressiontests/templates/templates/ssi include with spaces.html
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..1c85648861
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/regressiontests/templates/templates/ssi include with spaces.html	
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+This is for testing an ssi include with spaces in its name. {{ test }}
diff --git a/tests/regressiontests/templates/tests.py b/tests/regressiontests/templates/tests.py
index 1d1efe52c7..8c722b8bae 100644
--- a/tests/regressiontests/templates/tests.py
+++ b/tests/regressiontests/templates/tests.py
@@ -508,7 +508,8 @@ class Templates(unittest.TestCase):
     def get_template_tests(self):
         # SYNTAX --
         # 'template_name': ('template contents', 'context dict', 'expected string output' or Exception class)
-        return {
+        basedir = os.path.dirname(os.path.abspath(__file__))
+        tests = {
             ### BASIC SYNTAX ################################################
 
             # Plain text should go through the template parser untouched
@@ -1350,27 +1351,34 @@ class Templates(unittest.TestCase):
             ### SSI TAG ########################################################
 
             # Test normal behavior
-            'old-ssi01': ('{%% ssi %s %%}' % os.path.join(os.path.dirname(os.path.abspath(__file__)), 'templates', 'ssi_include.html'), {}, 'This is for testing an ssi include. {{ test }}\n'),
-            'old-ssi02': ('{%% ssi %s %%}' % os.path.join(os.path.dirname(os.path.abspath(__file__)), 'not_here'), {}, ''),
+            'old-ssi01': ('{%% ssi %s %%}' % os.path.join(basedir, 'templates', 'ssi_include.html'), {}, 'This is for testing an ssi include. {{ test }}\n'),
+            'old-ssi02': ('{%% ssi %s %%}' % os.path.join(basedir, 'not_here'), {}, ''),
 
             # Test parsed output
-            'old-ssi06': ('{%% ssi %s parsed %%}' % os.path.join(os.path.dirname(os.path.abspath(__file__)), 'templates', 'ssi_include.html'), {'test': 'Look ma! It parsed!'}, 'This is for testing an ssi include. Look ma! It parsed!\n'),
-            'old-ssi07': ('{%% ssi %s parsed %%}' % os.path.join(os.path.dirname(os.path.abspath(__file__)), 'not_here'), {'test': 'Look ma! It parsed!'}, ''),
+            'old-ssi06': ('{%% ssi %s parsed %%}' % os.path.join(basedir, 'templates', 'ssi_include.html'), {'test': 'Look ma! It parsed!'}, 'This is for testing an ssi include. Look ma! It parsed!\n'),
+            'old-ssi07': ('{%% ssi %s parsed %%}' % os.path.join(basedir, 'not_here'), {'test': 'Look ma! It parsed!'}, ''),
+
+            # Test space in file name
+            'old-ssi08': ('{%% ssi %s %%}' % os.path.join(basedir, 'templates', 'ssi include with spaces.html'), {}, template.TemplateSyntaxError),
+            'old-ssi09': ('{%% ssi %s parsed %%}' % os.path.join(basedir, 'templates', 'ssi include with spaces.html'), {'test': 'Look ma! It parsed!'}, template.TemplateSyntaxError),
 
             # Future compatibility
             # Test normal behavior
-            'ssi01': ('{%% load ssi from future %%}{%% ssi "%s" %%}' % os.path.join(os.path.dirname(os.path.abspath(__file__)), 'templates', 'ssi_include.html'), {}, 'This is for testing an ssi include. {{ test }}\n'),
-            'ssi02': ('{%% load ssi from future %%}{%% ssi "%s" %%}' % os.path.join(os.path.dirname(os.path.abspath(__file__)), 'not_here'), {}, ''),
-            'ssi03': ("{%% load ssi from future %%}{%% ssi '%s' %%}" % os.path.join(os.path.dirname(os.path.abspath(__file__)), 'not_here'), {}, ''),
+            'ssi01': ('{%% load ssi from future %%}{%% ssi "%s" %%}' % os.path.join(basedir, 'templates', 'ssi_include.html'), {}, 'This is for testing an ssi include. {{ test }}\n'),
+            'ssi02': ('{%% load ssi from future %%}{%% ssi "%s" %%}' % os.path.join(basedir, 'not_here'), {}, ''),
+            'ssi03': ("{%% load ssi from future %%}{%% ssi '%s' %%}" % os.path.join(basedir, 'not_here'), {}, ''),
 
             # Test passing as a variable
-            'ssi04': ('{% load ssi from future %}{% ssi ssi_file %}', {'ssi_file': os.path.join(os.path.dirname(os.path.abspath(__file__)), 'templates', 'ssi_include.html')}, 'This is for testing an ssi include. {{ test }}\n'),
+            'ssi04': ('{% load ssi from future %}{% ssi ssi_file %}', {'ssi_file': os.path.join(basedir, 'templates', 'ssi_include.html')}, 'This is for testing an ssi include. {{ test }}\n'),
             'ssi05': ('{% load ssi from future %}{% ssi ssi_file %}', {'ssi_file': 'no_file'}, ''),
 
             # Test parsed output
-            'ssi06': ('{%% load ssi from future %%}{%% ssi "%s" parsed %%}' % os.path.join(os.path.dirname(os.path.abspath(__file__)), 'templates', 'ssi_include.html'), {'test': 'Look ma! It parsed!'}, 'This is for testing an ssi include. Look ma! It parsed!\n'),
-            'ssi07': ('{%% load ssi from future %%}{%% ssi "%s" parsed %%}' % os.path.join(os.path.dirname(os.path.abspath(__file__)), 'not_here'), {'test': 'Look ma! It parsed!'}, ''),
+            'ssi06': ('{%% load ssi from future %%}{%% ssi "%s" parsed %%}' % os.path.join(basedir, 'templates', 'ssi_include.html'), {'test': 'Look ma! It parsed!'}, 'This is for testing an ssi include. Look ma! It parsed!\n'),
+            'ssi07': ('{%% load ssi from future %%}{%% ssi "%s" parsed %%}' % os.path.join(basedir, 'not_here'), {'test': 'Look ma! It parsed!'}, ''),
 
+            # Test space in file name
+            'ssi08': ('{%% load ssi from future %%}{%% ssi "%s" %%}' % os.path.join(basedir, 'templates', 'ssi include with spaces.html'), {}, 'This is for testing an ssi include with spaces in its name. {{ test }}\n'),
+            'ssi09': ('{%% load ssi from future %%}{%% ssi "%s" parsed %%}' % os.path.join(basedir, 'templates', 'ssi include with spaces.html'), {'test': 'Look ma! It parsed!'}, 'This is for testing an ssi include with spaces in its name. Look ma! It parsed!\n'),
 
             ### TEMPLATETAG TAG #######################################################
             'templatetag01': ('{% templatetag openblock %}', {}, '{%'),
@@ -1612,6 +1620,16 @@ class Templates(unittest.TestCase):
             'static-statictag01': ('{% load static %}{% static "admin/base.css" %}', {}, urljoin(settings.STATIC_URL, 'admin/base.css')),
             'static-statictag02': ('{% load static %}{% static base_css %}', {'base_css': 'admin/base.css'}, urljoin(settings.STATIC_URL, 'admin/base.css')),
         }
+        # Until Django 1.5, the ssi tag takes an unquoted constant in argument,
+        # and there's no way to escape spaces. As a consequence it's impossible
+        # to include a file if its absolute path contains a space, as
+        # demonstrated by tests old-ssi08 and old-ssi09.
+        # If the patch to the Django chekout contains a space, the following
+        # tests will raise an exception too.
+        if ' ' in basedir:
+            for test_name in 'old-ssi01', 'old-ssi02', 'old-ssi06', 'old-ssi07':
+                tests[test_name] = tests[test_name][:-1] + (template.TemplateSyntaxError,)
+        return tests
 
 class TemplateTagLoading(unittest.TestCase):