diff --git a/lisp/net/rcirc.el b/lisp/net/rcirc.el
index 065398b64a..c9ba9e8364 100644
--- a/lisp/net/rcirc.el
+++ b/lisp/net/rcirc.el
@@ -1995,7 +1995,7 @@ rcirc-print
 		      (propertize "\n" 'hard t))
 
               ;; squeeze spaces out of text before rcirc-text
-              (fill-region (point-min) (point-max))
+              (canonically-space-region (point-min) (point-max))
 
               (goto-char (or (next-single-property-change (point-min) 'rcirc-text)
 			       (point)))