diff --git a/src/Text/Pandoc/Readers/HTML.hs b/src/Text/Pandoc/Readers/HTML.hs
index fcc1147ca..3c8c9d50b 100644
--- a/src/Text/Pandoc/Readers/HTML.hs
+++ b/src/Text/Pandoc/Readers/HTML.hs
@@ -659,14 +659,10 @@ pCodeBlock = try $ do
                              else v ]
   contents <- manyTill pAny (pCloses "pre" <|> eof)
   let rawText = T.concat $ map tagToText contents
-  -- drop leading newline if any
-  let result' = case T.uncons rawText of
-                     Just ('\n', xs) -> xs
-                     _               -> rawText
   -- drop trailing newline if any
-  let result = case T.unsnoc result' of
+  let result = case T.unsnoc rawText of
                     Just (result'', '\n') -> result''
-                    _                     -> result'
+                    _                     -> rawText
   return $ B.codeBlockWith attr result
 
 tagToText :: Tag Text -> Text
diff --git a/test/Tests/Readers/HTML.hs b/test/Tests/Readers/HTML.hs
index 5b7ab12fd..7c075de0b 100644
--- a/test/Tests/Readers/HTML.hs
+++ b/test/Tests/Readers/HTML.hs
@@ -130,10 +130,10 @@ tests = [ testGroup "base tag"
           [ test html "attributes in pre > code element" $
             "<pre><code id=\"a\" class=\"python\">\nprint('hi')\n</code></pre>"
             =?>
-            codeBlockWith ("a", ["python"], []) "print('hi')"
+            codeBlockWith ("a", ["python"], []) "\nprint('hi')"
 
           , test html "attributes in pre take precedence" $
-            "<pre id=\"c\"><code id=\"d\">\nprint('hi mom!')\n</code></pre>"
+            "<pre id=\"c\"><code id=\"d\">print('hi mom!')\n</code></pre>"
             =?>
             codeBlockWith ("c", [], []) "print('hi mom!')"
           ]