diff --git a/src/config/ConfigManager.cpp b/src/config/ConfigManager.cpp
index b32a2d03..276e6db0 100644
--- a/src/config/ConfigManager.cpp
+++ b/src/config/ConfigManager.cpp
@@ -1707,8 +1707,8 @@ void CConfigManager::addParseError(const std::string& err) {
 
 PHLMONITOR CConfigManager::getBoundMonitorForWS(const std::string& wsname) {
     auto monitor = getBoundMonitorStringForWS(wsname);
-    if (monitor.substr(0, 5) == "desc:")
-        return g_pCompositor->getMonitorFromDesc(monitor.substr(5));
+    if (monitor.starts_with("desc:"))
+        return g_pCompositor->getMonitorFromDesc(trim(monitor.substr(5)));
     else
         return g_pCompositor->getMonitorFromName(monitor);
 }
@@ -1798,8 +1798,8 @@ std::string CConfigManager::getDefaultWorkspaceFor(const std::string& name) {
         if (other->isDefault) {
             if (other->monitor == name)
                 return other->workspaceString;
-            if (other->monitor.substr(0, 5) == "desc:") {
-                auto const monitor = g_pCompositor->getMonitorFromDesc(other->monitor.substr(5));
+            if (other->monitor.starts_with("desc:")) {
+                auto const monitor = g_pCompositor->getMonitorFromDesc(trim(other->monitor.substr(5)));
                 if (monitor && monitor->szName == name)
                     return other->workspaceString;
             }
diff --git a/src/helpers/Monitor.cpp b/src/helpers/Monitor.cpp
index 75c0d8b9..98f45cce 100644
--- a/src/helpers/Monitor.cpp
+++ b/src/helpers/Monitor.cpp
@@ -881,7 +881,7 @@ bool CMonitor::isMirror() {
 bool CMonitor::matchesStaticSelector(const std::string& selector) const {
     if (selector.starts_with("desc:")) {
         // match by description
-        const auto DESCRIPTIONSELECTOR = selector.substr(5);
+        const auto DESCRIPTIONSELECTOR = trim(selector.substr(5));
 
         return szDescription.starts_with(DESCRIPTIONSELECTOR) || szShortDescription.starts_with(DESCRIPTIONSELECTOR);
     } else {