diff --git a/src/commands/math/basicSymbols.js b/src/commands/math/basicSymbols.js
index 979ae9d..2cad131 100644
--- a/src/commands/math/basicSymbols.js
+++ b/src/commands/math/basicSymbols.js
@@ -123,11 +123,18 @@
           last.ctrlSeq += (isBuiltIn ? ' ' : '}');
           if (TwoWordOpNames.hasOwnProperty(word)) last[L][L][L].jQ.addClass('mq-last');
           if (!shouldOmitPadding(first[L])) first.jQ.addClass('mq-first');
-          if (!shouldOmitPadding(last[R]) && !(last[R] instanceof Bracket)) {
-            // also omit space between operator name and paren like in sin(x)
-            last.jQ.addClass('mq-last');
+          if (!shouldOmitPadding(last[R])) {
             if (last[R] instanceof SupSub) {
-              last.jQ.addClass('mq-followed-by-supsub');
+              var supsub = last[R]; // XXX monkey-patching, but what's the right thing here?
+              // Have operatorname-specific code in SupSub? A CSS-like language to style the
+              // math tree, but which ignores cursor and selection (which CSS can't)?
+              var respace = supsub.siblingCreated = supsub.siblingDeleted = function() {
+                supsub.jQ.toggleClass('mq-after-operator-name', !(supsub[R] instanceof Bracket));
+              };
+              respace();
+            }
+            else {
+              last.jQ.toggleClass('mq-last', !(last[R] instanceof Bracket));
             }
           }
 
diff --git a/src/css/math.less b/src/css/math.less
index 8260cd7..fd828b0 100644
--- a/src/css/math.less
+++ b/src/css/math.less
@@ -216,16 +216,8 @@
   var.mq-operator-name.mq-first {
     padding-left: .2em;
   }
-  var.mq-operator-name.mq-last {
+  var.mq-operator-name.mq-last, .mq-supsub.mq-after-operator-name {
     padding-right: .2em;
-
-    &.mq-followed-by-supsub {
-      padding-right: 0;
-
-      + .mq-supsub {
-        padding-right: .2em;
-      }
-    }
   }
 
   ////
diff --git a/test/unit/css.test.js b/test/unit/css.test.js
index b108046..639cdf9 100644
--- a/test/unit/css.test.js
+++ b/test/unit/css.test.js
@@ -81,4 +81,29 @@
 
     $(mq.el()).remove();
   });
+
+  test('operator name spacing e.g. sin x', function() {
+    var mq = MathQuill.MathField($('<span></span>').appendTo(mock)[0]);
+
+    mq.typedText('sin');
+    var n = jQuery('#mock var.mq-operator-name:last');
+    assert.equal(n.text(), 'n');
+    assert.ok(!n.is('.mq-last'));
+
+    mq.typedText('x');
+    assert.ok(n.is('.mq-last'));
+
+    mq.keystroke('Left').typedText('(');
+    assert.ok(!n.is('.mq-last'));
+
+    mq.keystroke('Backspace').typedText('^');
+    assert.ok(!n.is('.mq-last'));
+    var supsub = jQuery('#mock .mq-supsub');
+    assert.ok(supsub.is('.mq-after-operator-name'));
+
+    mq.typedText('2').keystroke('Tab').typedText('(');
+    assert.ok(!supsub.is('.mq-after-operator-name'));
+
+    $(mq.el()).empty();
+  });
 });
diff --git a/test/visual.html b/test/visual.html
index 1126837..1c6f44f 100644
--- a/test/visual.html
+++ b/test/visual.html
@@ -187,7 +187,7 @@
 <tr><td><span class="mathquill-static-math">^{\frac{as}{ }df}</span><td><span>^{\frac{as}{ }df}</span>
 <tr><td><span class="mathquill-static-math">e^{i\pi}+1=0</span><td><span>e^{i\pi}+1=0</span>
 <tr><td><span class="mathquill-static-math">\sqrt[n]{1}</span><td><span>\sqrt[n]{1}</span>
-<tr><td><span class="mathquill-static-math">\sin^2 x</span></td><td><span>\sin^2 x</span>
+<tr><td><span class="mathquill-static-math">\sin ^2x+\sin ^2\left(x\right)+\sin ^2(x)</span></td><td><span>\sin ^2x+\sin ^2\left(x\right)+\sin ^2(x)</span>
 <tr><td><span class="mathquill-static-math">12a\sin b</span></td><td><span>12a\sin b</span>
 <tr><td><span class="mathquill-static-math">1a^2 \sin b</span></td><td><span>1a^2 \sin b</span>
 <tr><td><span class="mathquill-static-math">a + \sin b</span></td><td><span>a + \sin b</span>