diff --git a/j2k/src/org/jetbrains/jet/j2k/ast/Expressions.kt b/j2k/src/org/jetbrains/jet/j2k/ast/Expressions.kt
index efd2a66692d..eee1b070edf 100644
--- a/j2k/src/org/jetbrains/jet/j2k/ast/Expressions.kt
+++ b/j2k/src/org/jetbrains/jet/j2k/ast/Expressions.kt
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ class ArrayAccessExpression(val expression: Expression, val index: Expression, v
 
 class AssignmentExpression(val left: Expression, val right: Expression, val op: String) : Expression() {
     override fun generateCode(builder: CodeBuilder) {
-        builder.appendOperand(this, left).append(op).appendOperand(this, right)
+        builder.appendOperand(this, left).append(" ").append(op).append(" ").appendOperand(this, right)
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/j2k/src/org/jetbrains/jet/j2k/ast/Field.kt b/j2k/src/org/jetbrains/jet/j2k/ast/Field.kt
index ea5338ff058..9170924b60a 100644
--- a/j2k/src/org/jetbrains/jet/j2k/ast/Field.kt
+++ b/j2k/src/org/jetbrains/jet/j2k/ast/Field.kt
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ open class Field(
             initializerToUse = getDefaultInitializer(this)
         }
         if (!initializerToUse.isEmpty) {
-            builder append "=" append initializerToUse
+            builder append " = " append initializerToUse
         }
     }
 }
diff --git a/j2k/src/org/jetbrains/jet/j2k/ast/LocalVariable.kt b/j2k/src/org/jetbrains/jet/j2k/ast/LocalVariable.kt
index 9976c2ede32..68cb7538eea 100644
--- a/j2k/src/org/jetbrains/jet/j2k/ast/LocalVariable.kt
+++ b/j2k/src/org/jetbrains/jet/j2k/ast/LocalVariable.kt
@@ -38,9 +38,9 @@ class LocalVariable(
         else {
             val shouldSpecifyType = settings.specifyLocalVariableTypeByDefault
             if (shouldSpecifyType)
-                builder append identifier append ":" append typeCalculator() append "=" append initializer
+                builder append identifier append ":" append typeCalculator() append " = " append initializer
             else
-                builder append identifier append "=" append initializer
+                builder append identifier append " = " append initializer
         }
     }
 }
diff --git a/j2k/src/org/jetbrains/jet/j2k/visitors/ExpressionVisitor.kt b/j2k/src/org/jetbrains/jet/j2k/visitors/ExpressionVisitor.kt
index f3e0d56830f..52ad3fe0a75 100644
--- a/j2k/src/org/jetbrains/jet/j2k/visitors/ExpressionVisitor.kt
+++ b/j2k/src/org/jetbrains/jet/j2k/visitors/ExpressionVisitor.kt
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ class ExpressionVisitor(private val converter: Converter,
         val lhs = converter.convertExpression(expression.getLExpression())
         val rhs = converter.convertExpression(expression.getRExpression()!!, expression.getLExpression().getType())
         if (!secondOp.isEmpty()) {
-            result = AssignmentExpression(lhs, BinaryExpression(lhs, rhs, secondOp), "=")
+            result = AssignmentExpression(lhs, BinaryExpression(lhs, rhs, secondOp), " = ")
         }
         else {
             result = AssignmentExpression(lhs, rhs, expression.getOperationSign().getText()!!)
diff --git a/j2k/tests/test/org/jetbrains/jet/j2k/test/AbstractJavaToKotlinConverterTest.kt b/j2k/tests/test/org/jetbrains/jet/j2k/test/AbstractJavaToKotlinConverterTest.kt
index 859f5c5ea88..2c183fbc49b 100644
--- a/j2k/tests/test/org/jetbrains/jet/j2k/test/AbstractJavaToKotlinConverterTest.kt
+++ b/j2k/tests/test/org/jetbrains/jet/j2k/test/AbstractJavaToKotlinConverterTest.kt
@@ -145,7 +145,7 @@ abstract class AbstractJavaToKotlinConverterTest() : LightIdeaTestCase() {
 
     private fun expressionToKotlin(code: String, settings: ConverterSettings, project: Project): String {
         val result = statementToKotlin("final Object o =" + code + "}", settings, project)
-        return result.replaceFirst("val o:Any\\?=", "").replaceFirst("val o:Any=", "").replaceFirst("val o=", "").trim()
+        return result.replaceFirst("val o:Any\\? = ", "").replaceFirst("val o:Any = ", "").replaceFirst("val o = ", "").trim()
     }
 
     override fun getProjectJDK(): Sdk? {
diff --git a/j2k/tests/test/org/jetbrains/jet/j2k/test/JavaToKotlinConverterTestGenerated.java b/j2k/tests/test/org/jetbrains/jet/j2k/test/JavaToKotlinConverterTestGenerated.java
index 2c51401dedd..16a6f7db03a 100644
--- a/j2k/tests/test/org/jetbrains/jet/j2k/test/JavaToKotlinConverterTestGenerated.java
+++ b/j2k/tests/test/org/jetbrains/jet/j2k/test/JavaToKotlinConverterTestGenerated.java
@@ -1682,6 +1682,11 @@ public class JavaToKotlinConverterTestGenerated extends AbstractJavaToKotlinConv
             doTest("j2k/tests/testData/ast/issues/qualifyStatic.java");
         }
         
+        @TestMetadata("spaceBeforeAssignment.java")
+        public void testSpaceBeforeAssignment() throws Exception {
+            doTest("j2k/tests/testData/ast/issues/spaceBeforeAssignment.java");
+        }
+        
     }
     
     @TestMetadata("j2k/tests/testData/ast/kotlinApiAccess")
diff --git a/j2k/tests/testData/ast/issues/spaceBeforeAssignment.java b/j2k/tests/testData/ast/issues/spaceBeforeAssignment.java
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..fc6916bfbb3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/j2k/tests/testData/ast/issues/spaceBeforeAssignment.java
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+//file
+import java.util.*
+
+class A {
+    List<String> list = new ArrayList<String>();
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/j2k/tests/testData/ast/issues/spaceBeforeAssignment.kt b/j2k/tests/testData/ast/issues/spaceBeforeAssignment.kt
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..7f360fb4f0d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/j2k/tests/testData/ast/issues/spaceBeforeAssignment.kt
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+import java.util.*
+import kotlin.List
+
+class A() {
+    var list: List<String> = ArrayList<String>()
+}
\ No newline at end of file