diff --git a/src/parser/parser.rs b/src/parser/parser.rs
index 480cd68..5d0b7ab 100644
--- a/src/parser/parser.rs
+++ b/src/parser/parser.rs
@@ -88,6 +88,11 @@ pub struct Span<'a> {
     pub contents: &'a str,
 }
 
+#[derive(Clone, Debug, PartialEq)]
+pub struct NewSpan<'a> {
+    pub contents: Vec<&'a str>,
+}
+
 #[derive(Clone, Debug, PartialEq)]
 pub struct Container<'a> {
     pub path: Path<'a>,
@@ -475,6 +480,34 @@ fn filter(i: &str) -> IResult<&str, Filter> {
     )(i)
 }
 
+/// Whitespace at the beginning of lines is ignored so inside a span
+/// we are matching a newline character followed by as much contiguous
+/// whitespace as possible, all of which will be thrown away by other
+/// parsers.
+fn span_end_of_line(i: &str) -> IResult<&str, (&str, &str)> {
+    tuple((line_ending, multispace0))(i)
+}
+
+fn span_line(i: &str) -> IResult<&str, &str> {
+    verify(
+        take_until_parser_matches(alt((
+            tag("{"),
+            line_ending,
+            recognize(all_consuming(eof_whitespace)),
+        ))),
+        |s: &str| s.len() > 0,
+    )(i)
+}
+
+/// Any text that is not a Dust element
+fn new_span(i: &str) -> IResult<&str, NewSpan> {
+    let (remaining, lines) = preceded(
+        opt(span_end_of_line),
+        many1(terminated(span_line, opt(span_end_of_line))),
+    )(i)?;
+    Ok((remaining, NewSpan { contents: lines }))
+}
+
 /// Any text that is not a Dust element
 fn span(i: &str) -> IResult<&str, Span> {
     let (remaining, body) = verify(
@@ -620,6 +653,74 @@ mod tests {
         );
     }
 
+    #[test]
+    fn test_span_end_of_line() {
+        assert_eq!(
+            super::span_end_of_line("\n  \t  \n\nfoo"),
+            Ok(("foo", ("\n", "  \t  \n\n")))
+        );
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn test_span_line() {
+        assert_eq!(
+            super::span_line("this is just some text"),
+            Ok(("", "this is just some text"))
+        );
+        assert_eq!(
+            super::span_line("this is just some text {~lb}"),
+            Ok(("{~lb}", "this is just some text "))
+        );
+        assert_eq!(
+            super::span_line("{~lb}"),
+            Err(Error(("{~lb}", ErrorKind::Verify)))
+        );
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn test_new_span() {
+        assert_eq!(
+            super::new_span("this is just some text"),
+            Ok((
+                "",
+                NewSpan {
+                    contents: vec!["this is just some text"]
+                }
+            ))
+        );
+        assert_eq!(
+            super::new_span("this is just some text {~lb}"),
+            Ok((
+                "{~lb}",
+                NewSpan {
+                    contents: vec!["this is just some text "]
+                }
+            ))
+        );
+        assert_eq!(
+            super::new_span("{~lb}"),
+            Err(Error(("{~lb}", ErrorKind::Verify)))
+        );
+        assert_eq!(
+            super::new_span("this is       \t   \n\n    \t \n   \t  multiline text\n     {foo}"),
+            Ok((
+                "{foo}",
+                NewSpan {
+                    contents: vec!["this is       \t   ", "multiline text"]
+                }
+            ))
+        );
+        assert_eq!(
+            super::new_span("\n    leading whitespace"),
+            Ok((
+                "",
+                NewSpan {
+                    contents: vec!["leading whitespace"]
+                }
+            ))
+        );
+    }
+
     #[test]
     fn test_section_mismatched_paths() {
         assert_eq!(