diff --git a/arch/s390/kernel/debug.c b/arch/s390/kernel/debug.c
index 071c81f..0168472 100644
--- a/arch/s390/kernel/debug.c
+++ b/arch/s390/kernel/debug.c
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@
 #include <linux/errno.h>
 #include <linux/slab.h>
 #include <linux/ctype.h>
+#include <linux/string.h>
 #include <linux/sysctl.h>
 #include <asm/uaccess.h>
 #include <linux/module.h>
@@ -1178,7 +1179,7 @@
 {
 	int rc;
 
-	for(; isspace(*buf); buf++);
+	buf = skip_spaces(buf);
 	rc = simple_strtoul(buf, &buf, 10);
 	if(*buf){
 		rc = -EINVAL;
diff --git a/arch/um/drivers/mconsole_kern.c b/arch/um/drivers/mconsole_kern.c
index f0fa47f..5106924 100644
--- a/arch/um/drivers/mconsole_kern.c
+++ b/arch/um/drivers/mconsole_kern.c
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 
 #include <linux/console.h>
 #include <linux/ctype.h>
+#include <linux/string.h>
 #include <linux/interrupt.h>
 #include <linux/list.h>
 #include <linux/mm.h>
@@ -131,7 +132,7 @@
 	char *ptr = req->request.data, *buf;
 
 	ptr += strlen("proc");
-	while (isspace(*ptr)) ptr++;
+	ptr = skip_spaces(ptr);
 
 	proc = get_fs_type("proc");
 	if (proc == NULL) {
@@ -212,8 +213,7 @@
 	char *ptr = req->request.data;
 
 	ptr += strlen("proc");
-	while (isspace(*ptr))
-		ptr++;
+	ptr = skip_spaces(ptr);
 	snprintf(path, sizeof(path), "/proc/%s", ptr);
 
 	fd = sys_open(path, 0, 0);
@@ -560,8 +560,7 @@
 	int err;
 
 	ptr += strlen("config");
-	while (isspace(*ptr))
-		ptr++;
+	ptr = skip_spaces(ptr);
 	dev = mconsole_find_dev(ptr);
 	if (dev == NULL) {
 		mconsole_reply(req, "Bad configuration option", 1, 0);
@@ -588,7 +587,7 @@
 	int err, start, end, n;
 
 	ptr += strlen("remove");
-	while (isspace(*ptr)) ptr++;
+	ptr = skip_spaces(ptr);
 	dev = mconsole_find_dev(ptr);
 	if (dev == NULL) {
 		mconsole_reply(req, "Bad remove option", 1, 0);
@@ -712,7 +711,7 @@
 	char *ptr = req->request.data;
 
 	ptr += strlen("sysrq");
-	while (isspace(*ptr)) ptr++;
+	ptr = skip_spaces(ptr);
 
 	/*
 	 * With 'b', the system will shut down without a chance to reply,
@@ -757,8 +756,7 @@
 	 */
 
 	ptr += strlen("stack");
-	while (isspace(*ptr))
-		ptr++;
+	ptr = skip_spaces(ptr);
 
 	/*
 	 * Should really check for multiple pids or reject bad args here
diff --git a/arch/x86/kernel/cpu/mtrr/if.c b/arch/x86/kernel/cpu/mtrr/if.c
index 3c1b12d..e006e56 100644
--- a/arch/x86/kernel/cpu/mtrr/if.c
+++ b/arch/x86/kernel/cpu/mtrr/if.c
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 #include <linux/proc_fs.h>
 #include <linux/module.h>
 #include <linux/ctype.h>
+#include <linux/string.h>
 #include <linux/init.h>
 
 #define LINE_SIZE 80
@@ -133,8 +134,7 @@
 		return -EINVAL;
 
 	base = simple_strtoull(line + 5, &ptr, 0);
-	while (isspace(*ptr))
-		ptr++;
+	ptr = skip_spaces(ptr);
 
 	if (strncmp(ptr, "size=", 5))
 		return -EINVAL;
@@ -142,14 +142,11 @@
 	size = simple_strtoull(ptr + 5, &ptr, 0);
 	if ((base & 0xfff) || (size & 0xfff))
 		return -EINVAL;
-	while (isspace(*ptr))
-		ptr++;
+	ptr = skip_spaces(ptr);
 
 	if (strncmp(ptr, "type=", 5))
 		return -EINVAL;
-	ptr += 5;
-	while (isspace(*ptr))
-		ptr++;
+	ptr = skip_spaces(ptr + 5);
 
 	for (i = 0; i < MTRR_NUM_TYPES; ++i) {
 		if (strcmp(ptr, mtrr_strings[i]))
diff --git a/drivers/leds/led-class.c b/drivers/leds/led-class.c
index f2cc13d..782f958 100644
--- a/drivers/leds/led-class.c
+++ b/drivers/leds/led-class.c
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@
 	unsigned long state = simple_strtoul(buf, &after, 10);
 	size_t count = after - buf;
 
-	if (*after && isspace(*after))
+	if (isspace(*after))
 		count++;
 
 	if (count == size) {
diff --git a/drivers/leds/ledtrig-timer.c b/drivers/leds/ledtrig-timer.c
index 3b83406..38b3378 100644
--- a/drivers/leds/ledtrig-timer.c
+++ b/drivers/leds/ledtrig-timer.c
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@
 	unsigned long state = simple_strtoul(buf, &after, 10);
 	size_t count = after - buf;
 
-	if (*after && isspace(*after))
+	if (isspace(*after))
 		count++;
 
 	if (count == size) {
@@ -127,7 +127,7 @@
 	unsigned long state = simple_strtoul(buf, &after, 10);
 	size_t count = after - buf;
 
-	if (*after && isspace(*after))
+	if (isspace(*after))
 		count++;
 
 	if (count == size) {
diff --git a/drivers/md/dm-table.c b/drivers/md/dm-table.c
index 1a6cb3c..91976e8 100644
--- a/drivers/md/dm-table.c
+++ b/drivers/md/dm-table.c
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@
 #include <linux/blkdev.h>
 #include <linux/namei.h>
 #include <linux/ctype.h>
+#include <linux/string.h>
 #include <linux/slab.h>
 #include <linux/interrupt.h>
 #include <linux/mutex.h>
@@ -600,11 +601,8 @@
 		return -ENOMEM;
 
 	while (1) {
-		start = end;
-
 		/* Skip whitespace */
-		while (*start && isspace(*start))
-			start++;
+		start = skip_spaces(end);
 
 		if (!*start)
 			break;	/* success, we hit the end */
diff --git a/drivers/md/md.c b/drivers/md/md.c
index e1f3c17..6f91486 100644
--- a/drivers/md/md.c
+++ b/drivers/md/md.c
@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@
 #include <linux/buffer_head.h> /* for invalidate_bdev */
 #include <linux/poll.h>
 #include <linux/ctype.h>
+#include <linux/string.h>
 #include <linux/hdreg.h>
 #include <linux/proc_fs.h>
 #include <linux/random.h>
@@ -3439,8 +3440,7 @@
 		}
 		if (*end && !isspace(*end)) break;
 		bitmap_dirty_bits(mddev->bitmap, chunk, end_chunk);
-		buf = end;
-		while (isspace(*buf)) buf++;
+		buf = skip_spaces(end);
 	}
 	bitmap_unplug(mddev->bitmap); /* flush the bits to disk */
 out:
diff --git a/drivers/parisc/pdc_stable.c b/drivers/parisc/pdc_stable.c
index 13a64bc..0bc5d47 100644
--- a/drivers/parisc/pdc_stable.c
+++ b/drivers/parisc/pdc_stable.c
@@ -779,12 +779,9 @@
 	read_unlock(&pathentry->rw_lock);
 	
 	DPRINTK("%s: flags before: 0x%X\n", __func__, flags);
-			
-	temp = in;
-	
-	while (*temp && isspace(*temp))
-		temp++;
-	
+
+	temp = skip_spaces(in);
+
 	c = *temp++ - '0';
 	if ((c != 0) && (c != 1))
 		goto parse_error;
diff --git a/drivers/platform/x86/thinkpad_acpi.c b/drivers/platform/x86/thinkpad_acpi.c
index 0ed8480..cf61d6a 100644
--- a/drivers/platform/x86/thinkpad_acpi.c
+++ b/drivers/platform/x86/thinkpad_acpi.c
@@ -1006,11 +1006,8 @@
 {
 	char *endp;
 
-	while (*buf && isspace(*buf))
-		buf++;
-	*value = simple_strtoul(buf, &endp, 0);
-	while (*endp && isspace(*endp))
-		endp++;
+	*value = simple_strtoul(skip_spaces(buf), &endp, 0);
+	endp = skip_spaces(endp);
 	if (*endp || *value > max)
 		return -EINVAL;
 
diff --git a/drivers/pnp/interface.c b/drivers/pnp/interface.c
index c3f1c8e..68b0c04 100644
--- a/drivers/pnp/interface.c
+++ b/drivers/pnp/interface.c
@@ -310,8 +310,7 @@
 		goto done;
 	}
 
-	while (isspace(*buf))
-		++buf;
+	buf = skip_spaces(buf);
 	if (!strnicmp(buf, "disable", 7)) {
 		retval = pnp_disable_dev(dev);
 		goto done;
@@ -353,19 +352,13 @@
 		pnp_init_resources(dev);
 		mutex_lock(&pnp_res_mutex);
 		while (1) {
-			while (isspace(*buf))
-				++buf;
+			buf = skip_spaces(buf);
 			if (!strnicmp(buf, "io", 2)) {
-				buf += 2;
-				while (isspace(*buf))
-					++buf;
+				buf = skip_spaces(buf + 2);
 				start = simple_strtoul(buf, &buf, 0);
-				while (isspace(*buf))
-					++buf;
+				buf = skip_spaces(buf);
 				if (*buf == '-') {
-					buf += 1;
-					while (isspace(*buf))
-						++buf;
+					buf = skip_spaces(buf + 1);
 					end = simple_strtoul(buf, &buf, 0);
 				} else
 					end = start;
@@ -373,16 +366,11 @@
 				continue;
 			}
 			if (!strnicmp(buf, "mem", 3)) {
-				buf += 3;
-				while (isspace(*buf))
-					++buf;
+				buf = skip_spaces(buf + 3);
 				start = simple_strtoul(buf, &buf, 0);
-				while (isspace(*buf))
-					++buf;
+				buf = skip_spaces(buf);
 				if (*buf == '-') {
-					buf += 1;
-					while (isspace(*buf))
-						++buf;
+					buf = skip_spaces(buf + 1);
 					end = simple_strtoul(buf, &buf, 0);
 				} else
 					end = start;
@@ -390,17 +378,13 @@
 				continue;
 			}
 			if (!strnicmp(buf, "irq", 3)) {
-				buf += 3;
-				while (isspace(*buf))
-					++buf;
+				buf = skip_spaces(buf + 3);
 				start = simple_strtoul(buf, &buf, 0);
 				pnp_add_irq_resource(dev, start, 0);
 				continue;
 			}
 			if (!strnicmp(buf, "dma", 3)) {
-				buf += 3;
-				while (isspace(*buf))
-					++buf;
+				buf = skip_spaces(buf + 3);
 				start = simple_strtoul(buf, &buf, 0);
 				pnp_add_dma_resource(dev, start, 0);
 				continue;
diff --git a/drivers/s390/block/dasd_proc.c b/drivers/s390/block/dasd_proc.c
index 5f23eca..6315fbd 100644
--- a/drivers/s390/block/dasd_proc.c
+++ b/drivers/s390/block/dasd_proc.c
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@
 #define KMSG_COMPONENT "dasd"
 
 #include <linux/ctype.h>
+#include <linux/string.h>
 #include <linux/seq_file.h>
 #include <linux/vmalloc.h>
 #include <linux/proc_fs.h>
@@ -272,10 +273,10 @@
 	DBF_EVENT(DBF_DEBUG, "/proc/dasd/statictics: '%s'\n", buffer);
 
 	/* check for valid verbs */
-	for (str = buffer; isspace(*str); str++);
+	str = skip_spaces(buffer);
 	if (strncmp(str, "set", 3) == 0 && isspace(str[3])) {
 		/* 'set xxx' was given */
-		for (str = str + 4; isspace(*str); str++);
+		str = skip_spaces(str + 4);
 		if (strcmp(str, "on") == 0) {
 			/* switch on statistics profiling */
 			dasd_profile_level = DASD_PROFILE_ON;
diff --git a/drivers/video/backlight/lcd.c b/drivers/video/backlight/lcd.c
index a482dd7..9b3be74 100644
--- a/drivers/video/backlight/lcd.c
+++ b/drivers/video/backlight/lcd.c
@@ -101,7 +101,7 @@
 	int power = simple_strtoul(buf, &endp, 0);
 	size_t size = endp - buf;
 
-	if (*endp && isspace(*endp))
+	if (isspace(*endp))
 		size++;
 	if (size != count)
 		return -EINVAL;
@@ -140,7 +140,7 @@
 	int contrast = simple_strtoul(buf, &endp, 0);
 	size_t size = endp - buf;
 
-	if (*endp && isspace(*endp))
+	if (isspace(*endp))
 		size++;
 	if (size != count)
 		return -EINVAL;
diff --git a/drivers/video/display/display-sysfs.c b/drivers/video/display/display-sysfs.c
index 4830b1b..80abbf3 100644
--- a/drivers/video/display/display-sysfs.c
+++ b/drivers/video/display/display-sysfs.c
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@
 	contrast = simple_strtoul(buf, &endp, 0);
 	size = endp - buf;
 
-	if (*endp && isspace(*endp))
+	if (isspace(*endp))
 		size++;
 
 	if (size != count)
diff --git a/drivers/video/output.c b/drivers/video/output.c
index 5e6439a..5137aa0 100644
--- a/drivers/video/output.c
+++ b/drivers/video/output.c
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@
 	int request_state = simple_strtoul(buf,&endp,0);
 	size_t size = endp - buf;
 
-	if (*endp && isspace(*endp))
+	if (isspace(*endp))
 		size++;
 	if (size != count)
 		return -EINVAL;
diff --git a/fs/cachefiles/daemon.c b/fs/cachefiles/daemon.c
index 4618516..c241356 100644
--- a/fs/cachefiles/daemon.c
+++ b/fs/cachefiles/daemon.c
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@
 #include <linux/mount.h>
 #include <linux/statfs.h>
 #include <linux/ctype.h>
+#include <linux/string.h>
 #include <linux/fs_struct.h>
 #include "internal.h"
 
@@ -257,8 +258,7 @@
 		if (args == data)
 			goto error;
 		*args = '\0';
-		for (args++; isspace(*args); args++)
-			continue;
+		args = skip_spaces(++args);
 	}
 
 	/* run the appropriate command handler */
diff --git a/fs/ext4/super.c b/fs/ext4/super.c
index 768c111..827bde1 100644
--- a/fs/ext4/super.c
+++ b/fs/ext4/super.c
@@ -2137,11 +2137,8 @@
 {
 	char *endp;
 
-	while (*buf && isspace(*buf))
-		buf++;
-	*value = simple_strtoul(buf, &endp, 0);
-	while (*endp && isspace(*endp))
-		endp++;
+	*value = simple_strtoul(skip_spaces(buf), &endp, 0);
+	endp = skip_spaces(endp);
 	if (*endp || *value > max)
 		return -EINVAL;
 
diff --git a/kernel/params.c b/kernel/params.c
index d656c27..cf1b691 100644
--- a/kernel/params.c
+++ b/kernel/params.c
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@
 #include <linux/err.h>
 #include <linux/slab.h>
 #include <linux/ctype.h>
+#include <linux/string.h>
 
 #if 0
 #define DEBUGP printk
@@ -122,9 +123,7 @@
 		next = args + i;
 
 	/* Chew up trailing spaces. */
-	while (isspace(*next))
-		next++;
-	return next;
+	return skip_spaces(next);
 }
 
 /* Args looks like "foo=bar,bar2 baz=fuz wiz". */
@@ -139,8 +138,7 @@
 	DEBUGP("Parsing ARGS: %s\n", args);
 
 	/* Chew leading spaces */
-	while (isspace(*args))
-		args++;
+	args = skip_spaces(args);
 
 	while (*args) {
 		int ret;
diff --git a/lib/argv_split.c b/lib/argv_split.c
index 5205a8d..4b1b083 100644
--- a/lib/argv_split.c
+++ b/lib/argv_split.c
@@ -4,17 +4,10 @@
 
 #include <linux/kernel.h>
 #include <linux/ctype.h>
+#include <linux/string.h>
 #include <linux/slab.h>
 #include <linux/module.h>
 
-static const char *skip_sep(const char *cp)
-{
-	while (*cp && isspace(*cp))
-		cp++;
-
-	return cp;
-}
-
 static const char *skip_arg(const char *cp)
 {
 	while (*cp && !isspace(*cp))
@@ -28,7 +21,7 @@
 	int count = 0;
 
 	while (*str) {
-		str = skip_sep(str);
+		str = skip_spaces(str);
 		if (*str) {
 			count++;
 			str = skip_arg(str);
@@ -82,7 +75,7 @@
 	argvp = argv;
 
 	while (*str) {
-		str = skip_sep(str);
+		str = skip_spaces(str);
 
 		if (*str) {
 			const char *p = str;
diff --git a/lib/dynamic_debug.c b/lib/dynamic_debug.c
index e22c148..f935029 100644
--- a/lib/dynamic_debug.c
+++ b/lib/dynamic_debug.c
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@
 #include <linux/list.h>
 #include <linux/sysctl.h>
 #include <linux/ctype.h>
+#include <linux/string.h>
 #include <linux/uaccess.h>
 #include <linux/dynamic_debug.h>
 #include <linux/debugfs.h>
@@ -209,8 +210,7 @@
 		char *end;
 
 		/* Skip leading whitespace */
-		while (*buf && isspace(*buf))
-			buf++;
+		buf = skip_spaces(buf);
 		if (!*buf)
 			break;	/* oh, it was trailing whitespace */
 
diff --git a/lib/vsprintf.c b/lib/vsprintf.c
index c50733a..7857d4d 100644
--- a/lib/vsprintf.c
+++ b/lib/vsprintf.c
@@ -1766,13 +1766,6 @@
 
 #endif /* CONFIG_BINARY_PRINTF */
 
-static noinline char *skip_space(const char *str)
-{
-	while (isspace(*str))
-		++str;
-	return (char *)str;
-}
-
 /**
  * vsscanf - Unformat a buffer into a list of arguments
  * @buf:	input buffer
@@ -1794,8 +1787,8 @@
 		 * white space, including none, in the input.
 		 */
 		if (isspace(*fmt)) {
-			fmt = skip_space(fmt);
-			str = skip_space(str);
+			fmt = skip_spaces(++fmt);
+			str = skip_spaces(str);
 		}
 
 		/* anything that is not a conversion must match exactly */
@@ -1865,7 +1858,7 @@
 			if (field_width == -1)
 				field_width = INT_MAX;
 			/* first, skip leading white space in buffer */
-			str = skip_space(str);
+			str = skip_spaces(str);
 
 			/* now copy until next white space */
 			while (*str && !isspace(*str) && field_width--)
@@ -1907,7 +1900,7 @@
 		/* have some sort of integer conversion.
 		 * first, skip white space in buffer.
 		 */
-		str = skip_space(str);
+		str = skip_spaces(str);
 
 		digit = *str;
 		if (is_sign && digit == '-')
diff --git a/net/irda/irnet/irnet.h b/net/irda/irnet/irnet.h
index b001c36..4300df3 100644
--- a/net/irda/irnet/irnet.h
+++ b/net/irda/irnet/irnet.h
@@ -249,6 +249,7 @@
 #include <linux/poll.h>
 #include <linux/capability.h>
 #include <linux/ctype.h>	/* isspace() */
+#include <linux/string.h>	/* skip_spaces() */
 #include <asm/uaccess.h>
 #include <linux/init.h>
 
diff --git a/net/irda/irnet/irnet_ppp.c b/net/irda/irnet/irnet_ppp.c
index 7dea882..156020d 100644
--- a/net/irda/irnet/irnet_ppp.c
+++ b/net/irda/irnet/irnet_ppp.c
@@ -76,9 +76,8 @@
       /* Look at the next command */
       start = next;
 
-      /* Scrap whitespaces before the command */
-      while(isspace(*start))
-	start++;
+	/* Scrap whitespaces before the command */
+	start = skip_spaces(start);
 
       /* ',' is our command separator */
       next = strchr(start, ',');
@@ -133,8 +132,7 @@
 	      char *	endp;
 
 	      /* Scrap whitespaces before the command */
-	      while(isspace(*begp))
-		begp++;
+	      begp = skip_spaces(begp);
 
 	      /* Convert argument to a number (last arg is the base) */
 	      addr = simple_strtoul(begp, &endp, 16);
diff --git a/net/netfilter/xt_recent.c b/net/netfilter/xt_recent.c
index eb0ceb8..fc70a49 100644
--- a/net/netfilter/xt_recent.c
+++ b/net/netfilter/xt_recent.c
@@ -482,8 +482,7 @@
 	if (copy_from_user(buf, input, size))
 		return -EFAULT;
 
-	while (isspace(*c))
-		c++;
+	c = skip_spaces(c);
 
 	if (size - (c - buf) < 5)
 		return c - buf;
diff --git a/sound/pci/hda/hda_hwdep.c b/sound/pci/hda/hda_hwdep.c
index d243286..40ccb41 100644
--- a/sound/pci/hda/hda_hwdep.c
+++ b/sound/pci/hda/hda_hwdep.c
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@
 #include <linux/compat.h>
 #include <linux/mutex.h>
 #include <linux/ctype.h>
+#include <linux/string.h>
 #include <linux/firmware.h>
 #include <sound/core.h>
 #include "hda_codec.h"
@@ -428,8 +429,7 @@
 	char *key, *val;
 	struct hda_hint *hint;
 
-	while (isspace(*buf))
-		buf++;
+	buf = skip_spaces(buf);
 	if (!*buf || *buf == '#' || *buf == '\n')
 		return 0;
 	if (*buf == '=')
@@ -444,8 +444,7 @@
 		return -EINVAL;
 	}
 	*val++ = 0;
-	while (isspace(*val))
-		val++;
+	val = skip_spaces(val);
 	remove_trail_spaces(key);
 	remove_trail_spaces(val);
 	hint = get_hint(codec, key);