diff --git a/Parser.js b/Parser.js
index c06e7174c..3329ccae5 100644
--- a/Parser.js
+++ b/Parser.js
@@ -223,6 +223,28 @@ Parser.prototype.parseColorGroup = function(pos, mode) {
     }
 };
 
+// Parses a text group, which looks like "{#ffffff}"
+Parser.prototype.parseTextGroup = function(pos, mode) {
+    var start = this.lexer.lex(pos, mode);
+    // Try to parse an open brace
+    if (start.type === "{") {
+        // Parse the text
+        var text = this.parseExpression(start.position, "text");
+        // Make sure we get a close brace
+        var closeBrace = this.lexer.lex(text.position, mode);
+        this.expect(closeBrace, "}");
+        return new ParseResult(
+            new ParseNode("ordgroup", text.result, "text"),
+            closeBrace.position);
+    } else {
+        // It has to have an open brace, so if it doesn't we throw
+        throw new ParseError(
+            "There must be braces around text",
+            this.lexer, pos
+        );
+    }
+};
+
 // A list of 1-argument color functions
 var colorFuncs = [
     "\\blue", "\\orange", "\\pink", "\\red", "\\green", "\\gray", "\\purple"
@@ -333,7 +355,7 @@ Parser.prototype.parseNucleus = function(pos, mode) {
             );
         }
     } else if (mode === "math" && nucleus.type === "\\text") {
-        var group = this.parseGroup(nucleus.position, "text");
+        var group = this.parseTextGroup(nucleus.position, mode);
         if (group) {
             return new ParseResult(
                 new ParseNode(nucleus.type.slice(1), group.result, mode),
diff --git a/test/katex-tests.js b/test/katex-tests.js
index 6b0ba15b6..6c2759c39 100644
--- a/test/katex-tests.js
+++ b/test/katex-tests.js
@@ -451,8 +451,10 @@ describe("A sizing parser", function() {
 describe("A text parser", function() {
     var textExpression = "\\text{a b}";
     var badTextExpression = "\\text{a b%}";
+    var badTextExpression2 = "\\text x";
     var nestedTextExpression = "\\text{a {b} \\blue{c}}";
     var spaceTextExpression = "\\text{  a \\ }";
+    var leadingSpaceTextExpression = "\\text {moo}";
 
     it("should not fail", function() {
         expect(function() {
@@ -478,6 +480,9 @@ describe("A text parser", function() {
         expect(function() {
             parseTree(badTextExpression);
         }).toThrow();
+        expect(function() {
+            parseTree(badTextExpression2);
+        }).toThrow();
     });
 
     it("should parse nested expressions", function() {
@@ -495,6 +500,15 @@ describe("A text parser", function() {
         expect(group[2].type).toMatch("spacing");
         expect(group[3].type).toMatch("spacing");
     });
+
+    it("should ignore a space before the text group", function() {
+        var parse = parseTree(leadingSpaceTextExpression)[0];
+        // [m, o, o]
+        expect(parse.value.value.length).toBe(3);
+        expect(
+            parse.value.value.map(function(n) { return n.value; }).join("")
+        ).toBe("moo");
+    });
 });
 
 describe("A color parser", function() {