diff --git a/collects/scribble/html-render.rkt b/collects/scribble/html-render.rkt
index 412b4c34fd..76a7bdea49 100644
--- a/collects/scribble/html-render.rkt
+++ b/collects/scribble/html-render.rkt
@@ -1263,7 +1263,7 @@
              (ascii-ize i)))]
         [(symbol? i)
          (case i
-           [(mdash) '(" " ndash " ")]
+           [(mdash) '(8212 (wbr))] ;; <wbr> encourages breaking after rather than before
            ;; use "single left/right-pointing angle quotation mark"
            ;; -- it's not a correct choice, but works best for now
            ;;    (see the "Fonts with proper angle brackets"
diff --git a/collects/scribblings/scribble/decode.scrbl b/collects/scribblings/scribble/decode.scrbl
index e5143e8f17..4c18231dac 100644
--- a/collects/scribblings/scribble/decode.scrbl
+++ b/collects/scribblings/scribble/decode.scrbl
@@ -19,9 +19,7 @@ special text conversions:
 
 @itemize[
 
- @item{@litchar{---}: converted to @racket['mdash], which the HTML render
-       outputs as an en-dash surrounded by space (so don't put spaces around
-       @litchar{---} in a document)}
+ @item{@litchar{---}: converted to @racket['mdash]}
 
  @item{@litchar{--}: converted to @racket['ndash]}