diff --git a/src/buildHTML.js b/src/buildHTML.js
index 253b0eb..9e19188 100644
--- a/src/buildHTML.js
+++ b/src/buildHTML.js
@@ -249,9 +249,15 @@ groupTypes.ordgroup = function(group, options) {
 };
 
 groupTypes.text = function(group, options) {
+    var inner = buildExpression(group.value.body, options, true);
+    for (var i = 0; i < inner.length - 1; i++) {
+        if (inner[i].tryCombine(inner[i + 1])) {
+            inner.splice(i + 1, 1);
+            i--;
+        }
+    }
     return makeSpan(["mord", "text", options.style.cls()],
-        buildExpression(group.value.body, options.reset(), true),
-        options);
+        inner, options);
 };
 
 groupTypes.color = function(group, options) {
@@ -706,16 +712,20 @@ groupTypes.spacing = function(group, options) {
         // Spaces are generated by adding an actual space. Each of these
         // things has an entry in the symbols table, so these will be turned
         // into appropriate outputs.
-        return makeSpan(
-            ["mspace"],
-            [buildCommon.mathsym(group.value, group.mode)]
-        );
+        if (group.mode === "text") {
+            return buildCommon.makeOrd(group, options, "textord");
+        } else {
+            return makeSpan(["mspace"],
+                [buildCommon.mathsym(group.value, group.mode, options)],
+                options);
+        }
     } else {
         // Other kinds of spaces are of arbitrary width. We use CSS to
         // generate these.
         return makeSpan(
             ["mspace",
-             buildCommon.spacingFunctions[group.value].className]);
+             buildCommon.spacingFunctions[group.value].className],
+            [], options);
     }
 };
 
diff --git a/src/domTree.js b/src/domTree.js
index 0517b81..f09ff4e 100644
--- a/src/domTree.js
+++ b/src/domTree.js
@@ -57,6 +57,10 @@ span.prototype.setAttribute = function(attribute, value) {
     this.attributes[attribute] = value;
 };
 
+span.prototype.tryCombine = function(sibling) {
+    return false;
+};
+
 /**
  * Convert the span into an HTML node
  */
@@ -220,6 +224,34 @@ function symbolNode(value, height, depth, italic, skew, classes, style) {
     }
 }
 
+symbolNode.prototype.tryCombine = function(sibling) {
+    if (!sibling
+        || !(sibling instanceof symbolNode)
+        || this.italic > 0
+        || createClass(this.classes) !== createClass(sibling.classes)
+        || this.skew !== sibling.skew
+        || this.maxFontSize !== sibling.maxFontSize) {
+        return false;
+    }
+    for (var style in this.style) {
+        if (this.style.hasOwnProperty(style)
+            && this.style[style] !== sibling.style[style]) {
+            return false;
+        }
+    }
+    for (style in sibling.style) {
+        if (sibling.style.hasOwnProperty(style)
+            && this.style[style] !== sibling.style[style]) {
+            return false;
+        }
+    }
+    this.value += sibling.value;
+    this.height = Math.max(this.height, sibling.height);
+    this.depth = Math.max(this.depth, sibling.depth);
+    this.italic = sibling.italic;
+    return true;
+};
+
 /**
  * Creates a text node or span from a symbol node. Note that a span is only
  * created if it is needed.
diff --git a/test/screenshotter/images/DashesAndQuotes-chrome.png b/test/screenshotter/images/DashesAndQuotes-chrome.png
index 122e381..ea21f69 100644
Binary files a/test/screenshotter/images/DashesAndQuotes-chrome.png and b/test/screenshotter/images/DashesAndQuotes-chrome.png differ
diff --git a/test/screenshotter/images/DashesAndQuotes-firefox.png b/test/screenshotter/images/DashesAndQuotes-firefox.png
index 760759e..ca308ae 100644
Binary files a/test/screenshotter/images/DashesAndQuotes-firefox.png and b/test/screenshotter/images/DashesAndQuotes-firefox.png differ
diff --git a/test/screenshotter/images/Unicode-chrome.png b/test/screenshotter/images/Unicode-chrome.png
index 4dbd965..6c4f1ff 100644
Binary files a/test/screenshotter/images/Unicode-chrome.png and b/test/screenshotter/images/Unicode-chrome.png differ
diff --git a/test/screenshotter/images/UnsupportedCmds-chrome.png b/test/screenshotter/images/UnsupportedCmds-chrome.png
index 32735c7..7eaba5f 100644
Binary files a/test/screenshotter/images/UnsupportedCmds-chrome.png and b/test/screenshotter/images/UnsupportedCmds-chrome.png differ