diff --git a/src/wp-includes/formatting.php b/src/wp-includes/formatting.php
index 27d64e1dc6..ed87b2b8ad 100644
--- a/src/wp-includes/formatting.php
+++ b/src/wp-includes/formatting.php
@@ -1742,7 +1742,7 @@ function make_clickable( $text ) {
 	}
 
 	// Cleanup of accidental links within links
-	$r = preg_replace( '#(<a( [^>]+?>|>))<a [^>]+?>([^>]+?)</a></a>#i', "$1$3</a>", $r );
+	$r = preg_replace( '#(<a([ \r\n\t]+[^>]+?>|>))<a [^>]+?>([^>]+?)</a></a>#i', "$1$3</a>", $r );
 	return $r;
 }
 
diff --git a/tests/phpunit/tests/formatting/MakeClickable.php b/tests/phpunit/tests/formatting/MakeClickable.php
index f6ae895be5..ef55b5c0f1 100644
--- a/tests/phpunit/tests/formatting/MakeClickable.php
+++ b/tests/phpunit/tests/formatting/MakeClickable.php
@@ -380,4 +380,13 @@ class Tests_Formatting_MakeClickable extends WP_UnitTestCase {
 			$this->assertEquals( $urls_expected[$key], make_clickable( $url ) );
 		}
 	}
+
+	/**
+	 * @ticket 19028
+	 */
+	function test_line_break_in_existing_clickable_link() {
+		$html = "<a
+				  href='mailto:someone@example.com'>someone@example.com</a>";
+		$this->assertEquals( $html, make_clickable( $html ) );
+	}
 }