diff --git a/apps/tests/layouts/grid-layout-tests.ts b/apps/tests/layouts/grid-layout-tests.ts
index be40b2649..c8b085f8b 100644
--- a/apps/tests/layouts/grid-layout-tests.ts
+++ b/apps/tests/layouts/grid-layout-tests.ts
@@ -512,10 +512,19 @@ export class GridLayoutTest extends testModule.UITest<layout.GridLayout> {
         TKUnit.assertAreClose(btn.layoutLeft, 25, DELTA, "horizontal margins");
     }
 
-    public test_set_columns_in_XML() {
+    public test_set_columns_in_XML_comma_separator() {
         var p = <page.Page>builder.parse("<Page><GridLayout columns=\"auto, *, 10*, 100 \"><Button/></GridLayout></Page>");
         var grid = <layout.GridLayout>p.content;
+        this.assertColumns(grid);
+    }
 
+    public test_set_columns_in_XML_space_separator() {
+        var p = <page.Page>builder.parse("<Page><GridLayout columns=\"auto * 10* 100 \"><Button/></GridLayout></Page>");
+        var grid = <layout.GridLayout>p.content;
+        this.assertColumns(grid);
+    }
+
+    private assertColumns(grid: layout.GridLayout) {
         var columns: Array<layout.ItemSpec> = grid.getColumns();
 
         TKUnit.assertEqual(columns.length, 4, "columns.length");
@@ -531,10 +540,19 @@ export class GridLayoutTest extends testModule.UITest<layout.GridLayout> {
         TKUnit.assertEqual(columns[3].value, 100, "columns[3].value");
     }
 
-    public test_set_rows_in_XML() {
+    public test_set_rows_in_XML_comma_separator() {
         var p = <page.Page>builder.parse("<Page><GridLayout rows=\"auto, *, 10*, 100 \"><Button/></GridLayout></Page>");
         var grid = <layout.GridLayout>p.content;
+        this.assertRows(grid);
+    }
+    public test_set_rows_in_XML_space_separator() {
+        var p = <page.Page>builder.parse("<Page><GridLayout rows=\"auto * 10* 100 \"><Button/></GridLayout></Page>");
+        var grid = <layout.GridLayout>p.content;
+        this.assertRows(grid);
+    }
 
+    private assertRows(grid: layout.GridLayout) {
+        var columns: Array<layout.ItemSpec> = grid.getColumns();
         var rows: Array<layout.ItemSpec> = grid.getRows();
 
         TKUnit.assertEqual(rows.length, 4, "rows.length");
diff --git a/ui/layouts/grid-layout/grid-layout-common.ts b/ui/layouts/grid-layout/grid-layout-common.ts
index 43df5623e..3c03b8ed9 100644
--- a/ui/layouts/grid-layout/grid-layout-common.ts
+++ b/ui/layouts/grid-layout/grid-layout-common.ts
@@ -313,16 +313,18 @@ export class GridLayout extends layouts.LayoutBase implements definition.GridLay
 
     private static parseItemSpecs(value: string): Array<ItemSpec> {
         var result = new Array<ItemSpec>();
-        var arr = value.split(",");
+        var arr = value.split(/[\s,]+/);
         for (var i = 0; i < arr.length; i++) {
-            result.push(GridLayout.convertGridLength(arr[i].trim()));
+            let str = arr[i].trim();
+            if (str.length > 0) {
+                result.push(GridLayout.convertGridLength(arr[i].trim()));
+            }
         }
 
         return result;
     }
 
     private static convertGridLength(value: string): ItemSpec {
-
         if (value === "auto") {
             return <ItemSpec>new definition.ItemSpec(1, definition.GridUnitType.auto);
         }