diff --git a/src/block.rs b/src/block.rs
index 9057a06..2ce775d 100644
--- a/src/block.rs
+++ b/src/block.rs
@@ -350,7 +350,7 @@ impl<'s> TreeParser<'s> {
         k: &Kind,
         span_start: Span,
         span_end: Span,
-        lines: &mut [Span],
+        mut lines: &mut [Span],
     ) {
         if let Kind::Fenced { indent, .. } = k {
             for line in lines.iter_mut() {
@@ -367,6 +367,18 @@ impl<'s> TreeParser<'s> {
                 *line = line.trim_start(self.src);
             }
 
+            // skip first inline if empty
+            if lines.get(0).map_or(false, |l| l.is_empty()) {
+                lines = &mut lines[1..];
+            };
+
+            if matches!(leaf, LinkDefinition { .. }) {
+                // trim ending whitespace of each inline
+                for line in lines.iter_mut() {
+                    *line = line.trim_end(self.src);
+                }
+            }
+
             // trim ending whitespace of block
             let l = lines.len();
             if l > 0 {
@@ -412,7 +424,7 @@ impl<'s> TreeParser<'s> {
             }
 
             // trim '#' characters
-            for line in lines[1..].iter_mut() {
+            for line in lines.iter_mut().skip(1) {
                 *line = line.trim_start_matches(self.src, |c| c == '#' || c.is_whitespace());
             }
         }
diff --git a/src/lib.rs b/src/lib.rs
index f6800e0..1c2620e 100644
--- a/src/lib.rs
+++ b/src/lib.rs
@@ -1064,6 +1064,7 @@ impl<'s> Parser<'s> {
                                 },
                                 block::Leaf::Caption => Container::Caption,
                                 block::Leaf::LinkDefinition { label } => {
+                                    self.verbatim = enter;
                                     Container::LinkDefinition { label }
                                 }
                             }
@@ -1709,7 +1710,6 @@ mod test {
             Blankline,
             Start(LinkDefinition { label: "tag" }, Attributes::new()),
             Str("u".into()),
-            Softbreak,
             Str("rl".into()),
             End(LinkDefinition { label: "tag" }),
         );
@@ -1718,19 +1718,24 @@ mod test {
                 "[text][tag]\n",
                 "\n",
                 "[tag]:\n",
-                " url\n", //
+                " url\n",  //
+                " cont\n", //
             ),
             Start(Paragraph, Attributes::new()),
             Start(
-                Link("url".into(), LinkType::Span(SpanLinkType::Reference)),
+                Link("urlcont".into(), LinkType::Span(SpanLinkType::Reference)),
                 Attributes::new()
             ),
             Str("text".into()),
-            End(Link("url".into(), LinkType::Span(SpanLinkType::Reference))),
+            End(Link(
+                "urlcont".into(),
+                LinkType::Span(SpanLinkType::Reference)
+            )),
             End(Paragraph),
             Blankline,
             Start(LinkDefinition { label: "tag" }, Attributes::new()),
             Str("url".into()),
+            Str("cont".into()),
             End(LinkDefinition { label: "tag" }),
         );
     }