diff --git a/packages/remark-parse/lib/tokenize/link.js b/packages/remark-parse/lib/tokenize/link.js
index ab4d3fa3c..e9a0f6dde 100644
--- a/packages/remark-parse/lib/tokenize/link.js
+++ b/packages/remark-parse/lib/tokenize/link.js
@@ -106,20 +106,6 @@ function link(eat, value, silent) {
       if (depth) {
         depth--
       } else {
-        // Allow white-space between content and url in GFM mode.
-        if (!pedantic) {
-          while (index < length) {
-            character = value.charAt(index + 1)
-
-            if (!whitespace(character)) {
-              break
-            }
-
-            subqueue += character
-            index++
-          }
-        }
-
         if (value.charAt(index + 1) !== leftParenthesis) {
           return
         }
diff --git a/test/fixtures/tree/link-spaces.commonmark.json b/test/fixtures/tree/link-spaces.commonmark.json
index 87ded5815..895b8bd2c 100644
--- a/test/fixtures/tree/link-spaces.commonmark.json
+++ b/test/fixtures/tree/link-spaces.commonmark.json
@@ -137,9 +137,10 @@
       "type": "paragraph",
       "children": [
         {
-          "type": "link",
-          "title": null,
-          "url": "http://foxtrot.golf",
+          "type": "linkReference",
+          "identifier": "echo",
+          "label": "echo",
+          "referenceType": "shortcut",
           "children": [
             {
               "type": "text",
@@ -165,6 +166,77 @@
               "column": 1,
               "offset": 41
             },
+            "end": {
+              "line": 6,
+              "column": 7,
+              "offset": 47
+            },
+            "indent": []
+          }
+        },
+        {
+          "type": "text",
+          "value": "\t(",
+          "position": {
+            "start": {
+              "line": 6,
+              "column": 7,
+              "offset": 47
+            },
+            "end": {
+              "line": 6,
+              "column": 9,
+              "offset": 49
+            },
+            "indent": []
+          }
+        },
+        {
+          "type": "link",
+          "title": null,
+          "url": "http://foxtrot.golf",
+          "children": [
+            {
+              "type": "text",
+              "value": "http://foxtrot.golf",
+              "position": {
+                "start": {
+                  "line": 6,
+                  "column": 9,
+                  "offset": 49
+                },
+                "end": {
+                  "line": 6,
+                  "column": 28,
+                  "offset": 68
+                },
+                "indent": []
+              }
+            }
+          ],
+          "position": {
+            "start": {
+              "line": 6,
+              "column": 9,
+              "offset": 49
+            },
+            "end": {
+              "line": 6,
+              "column": 28,
+              "offset": 68
+            },
+            "indent": []
+          }
+        },
+        {
+          "type": "text",
+          "value": ")",
+          "position": {
+            "start": {
+              "line": 6,
+              "column": 28,
+              "offset": 68
+            },
             "end": {
               "line": 6,
               "column": 29,
@@ -192,9 +264,10 @@
       "type": "paragraph",
       "children": [
         {
-          "type": "image",
-          "title": null,
-          "url": "india.com/juliett",
+          "type": "imageReference",
+          "identifier": "hotel",
+          "label": "hotel",
+          "referenceType": "shortcut",
           "alt": "hotel",
           "position": {
             "start": {
@@ -202,6 +275,23 @@
               "column": 1,
               "offset": 71
             },
+            "end": {
+              "line": 8,
+              "column": 9,
+              "offset": 79
+            },
+            "indent": []
+          }
+        },
+        {
+          "type": "text",
+          "value": "   (india.com/juliett)",
+          "position": {
+            "start": {
+              "line": 8,
+              "column": 9,
+              "offset": 79
+            },
             "end": {
               "line": 8,
               "column": 31,
diff --git a/test/fixtures/tree/link-spaces.json b/test/fixtures/tree/link-spaces.json
index 87ded5815..895b8bd2c 100644
--- a/test/fixtures/tree/link-spaces.json
+++ b/test/fixtures/tree/link-spaces.json
@@ -137,9 +137,10 @@
       "type": "paragraph",
       "children": [
         {
-          "type": "link",
-          "title": null,
-          "url": "http://foxtrot.golf",
+          "type": "linkReference",
+          "identifier": "echo",
+          "label": "echo",
+          "referenceType": "shortcut",
           "children": [
             {
               "type": "text",
@@ -165,6 +166,77 @@
               "column": 1,
               "offset": 41
             },
+            "end": {
+              "line": 6,
+              "column": 7,
+              "offset": 47
+            },
+            "indent": []
+          }
+        },
+        {
+          "type": "text",
+          "value": "\t(",
+          "position": {
+            "start": {
+              "line": 6,
+              "column": 7,
+              "offset": 47
+            },
+            "end": {
+              "line": 6,
+              "column": 9,
+              "offset": 49
+            },
+            "indent": []
+          }
+        },
+        {
+          "type": "link",
+          "title": null,
+          "url": "http://foxtrot.golf",
+          "children": [
+            {
+              "type": "text",
+              "value": "http://foxtrot.golf",
+              "position": {
+                "start": {
+                  "line": 6,
+                  "column": 9,
+                  "offset": 49
+                },
+                "end": {
+                  "line": 6,
+                  "column": 28,
+                  "offset": 68
+                },
+                "indent": []
+              }
+            }
+          ],
+          "position": {
+            "start": {
+              "line": 6,
+              "column": 9,
+              "offset": 49
+            },
+            "end": {
+              "line": 6,
+              "column": 28,
+              "offset": 68
+            },
+            "indent": []
+          }
+        },
+        {
+          "type": "text",
+          "value": ")",
+          "position": {
+            "start": {
+              "line": 6,
+              "column": 28,
+              "offset": 68
+            },
             "end": {
               "line": 6,
               "column": 29,
@@ -192,9 +264,10 @@
       "type": "paragraph",
       "children": [
         {
-          "type": "image",
-          "title": null,
-          "url": "india.com/juliett",
+          "type": "imageReference",
+          "identifier": "hotel",
+          "label": "hotel",
+          "referenceType": "shortcut",
           "alt": "hotel",
           "position": {
             "start": {
@@ -202,6 +275,23 @@
               "column": 1,
               "offset": 71
             },
+            "end": {
+              "line": 8,
+              "column": 9,
+              "offset": 79
+            },
+            "indent": []
+          }
+        },
+        {
+          "type": "text",
+          "value": "   (india.com/juliett)",
+          "position": {
+            "start": {
+              "line": 8,
+              "column": 9,
+              "offset": 79
+            },
             "end": {
               "line": 8,
               "column": 31,
diff --git a/test/fixtures/tree/link-spaces.nogfm.commonmark.json b/test/fixtures/tree/link-spaces.nogfm.commonmark.json
index 87ded5815..ceb68281a 100644
--- a/test/fixtures/tree/link-spaces.nogfm.commonmark.json
+++ b/test/fixtures/tree/link-spaces.nogfm.commonmark.json
@@ -137,9 +137,10 @@
       "type": "paragraph",
       "children": [
         {
-          "type": "link",
-          "title": null,
-          "url": "http://foxtrot.golf",
+          "type": "linkReference",
+          "identifier": "echo",
+          "label": "echo",
+          "referenceType": "shortcut",
           "children": [
             {
               "type": "text",
@@ -165,6 +166,23 @@
               "column": 1,
               "offset": 41
             },
+            "end": {
+              "line": 6,
+              "column": 7,
+              "offset": 47
+            },
+            "indent": []
+          }
+        },
+        {
+          "type": "text",
+          "value": "\t(http://foxtrot.golf)",
+          "position": {
+            "start": {
+              "line": 6,
+              "column": 7,
+              "offset": 47
+            },
             "end": {
               "line": 6,
               "column": 29,
@@ -192,9 +210,10 @@
       "type": "paragraph",
       "children": [
         {
-          "type": "image",
-          "title": null,
-          "url": "india.com/juliett",
+          "type": "imageReference",
+          "identifier": "hotel",
+          "label": "hotel",
+          "referenceType": "shortcut",
           "alt": "hotel",
           "position": {
             "start": {
@@ -202,6 +221,23 @@
               "column": 1,
               "offset": 71
             },
+            "end": {
+              "line": 8,
+              "column": 9,
+              "offset": 79
+            },
+            "indent": []
+          }
+        },
+        {
+          "type": "text",
+          "value": "   (india.com/juliett)",
+          "position": {
+            "start": {
+              "line": 8,
+              "column": 9,
+              "offset": 79
+            },
             "end": {
               "line": 8,
               "column": 31,
diff --git a/test/fixtures/tree/link-spaces.nogfm.json b/test/fixtures/tree/link-spaces.nogfm.json
index 87ded5815..ceb68281a 100644
--- a/test/fixtures/tree/link-spaces.nogfm.json
+++ b/test/fixtures/tree/link-spaces.nogfm.json
@@ -137,9 +137,10 @@
       "type": "paragraph",
       "children": [
         {
-          "type": "link",
-          "title": null,
-          "url": "http://foxtrot.golf",
+          "type": "linkReference",
+          "identifier": "echo",
+          "label": "echo",
+          "referenceType": "shortcut",
           "children": [
             {
               "type": "text",
@@ -165,6 +166,23 @@
               "column": 1,
               "offset": 41
             },
+            "end": {
+              "line": 6,
+              "column": 7,
+              "offset": 47
+            },
+            "indent": []
+          }
+        },
+        {
+          "type": "text",
+          "value": "\t(http://foxtrot.golf)",
+          "position": {
+            "start": {
+              "line": 6,
+              "column": 7,
+              "offset": 47
+            },
             "end": {
               "line": 6,
               "column": 29,
@@ -192,9 +210,10 @@
       "type": "paragraph",
       "children": [
         {
-          "type": "image",
-          "title": null,
-          "url": "india.com/juliett",
+          "type": "imageReference",
+          "identifier": "hotel",
+          "label": "hotel",
+          "referenceType": "shortcut",
           "alt": "hotel",
           "position": {
             "start": {
@@ -202,6 +221,23 @@
               "column": 1,
               "offset": 71
             },
+            "end": {
+              "line": 8,
+              "column": 9,
+              "offset": 79
+            },
+            "indent": []
+          }
+        },
+        {
+          "type": "text",
+          "value": "   (india.com/juliett)",
+          "position": {
+            "start": {
+              "line": 8,
+              "column": 9,
+              "offset": 79
+            },
             "end": {
               "line": 8,
               "column": 31,