diff --git a/convex-core/src/main/java/convex/core/crypto/BIP39.java b/convex-core/src/main/java/convex/core/crypto/BIP39.java
index a85598557..1d4f54f6d 100644
--- a/convex-core/src/main/java/convex/core/crypto/BIP39.java
+++ b/convex-core/src/main/java/convex/core/crypto/BIP39.java
@@ -229,7 +229,7 @@ public static Blob getSeed(List<String> words, String passphrase) throws NoSuchA
 	}
 	
 	public static Blob getSeed(String mnemonic, String passphrase) throws NoSuchAlgorithmException, InvalidKeySpecException {
-		mnemonic=mnemonic.trim().replaceAll("\\s+"," ");
+		mnemonic=normaliseSpaces(mnemonic);
 		mnemonic=Normalizer.normalize(mnemonic, Normalizer.Form.NFKD);		
 		char[] normalisedMnemonic= mnemonic.toCharArray(); 
 		return getSeedInternal(normalisedMnemonic,passphrase);
@@ -287,8 +287,9 @@ public static List<String> getWords(String s) {
 		return al;
 	}
 
-	public static String normalise(String s) {
-		return  Utils.joinStrings(getWords(s)," ");
+	public static String normaliseSpaces(String s) {
+		s=s.trim().replaceAll("\\s+"," ");
+		return s;
 	}
 	
 }
diff --git a/convex-gui/src/main/java/convex/gui/manager/mainpanels/KeyGenPanel.java b/convex-gui/src/main/java/convex/gui/manager/mainpanels/KeyGenPanel.java
index 31df7011e..01cff1649 100644
--- a/convex-gui/src/main/java/convex/gui/manager/mainpanels/KeyGenPanel.java
+++ b/convex-gui/src/main/java/convex/gui/manager/mainpanels/KeyGenPanel.java
@@ -159,7 +159,7 @@ public KeyGenPanel(PeerGUI manager) {
 			actionPanel.add(btnNormalise);
 			btnNormalise.addActionListener(e -> { 
 				String s=mnemonicArea.getText();
-				mnemonicArea.setText(BIP39.normalise(s));
+				mnemonicArea.setText(BIP39.normaliseSpaces(s));
 				updateMnemonic();
 			});
 		}