diff --git a/NAMESPACE b/NAMESPACE
index 7d63581d..3bc2c491 100644
--- a/NAMESPACE
+++ b/NAMESPACE
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ export(str_replace_na)
 export(str_sort)
 export(str_split)
 export(str_split_fixed)
+export(str_squish)
 export(str_sub)
 export(str_subset)
 export(str_to_lower)
diff --git a/NEWS.md b/NEWS.md
index 547e4d5f..72b567f7 100644
--- a/NEWS.md
+++ b/NEWS.md
@@ -12,6 +12,8 @@
 * `str_remove()` and `str_remove_all()` functions. These wrap 
   `str_replace()` and `str_replace_all()` to remove patterns from strings.
   (@Shians, #178)
+  
+* `str_squish()` removes spaces from both the left and right side of strings, and also converts multiple space (or space-like characters) to a single space within strings. (@stephlocke #197)
 
 ## Bug fixes and minor improvements
 
diff --git a/R/trim.R b/R/trim.R
index 0f7f5a32..3c3ed5cf 100644
--- a/R/trim.R
+++ b/R/trim.R
@@ -17,3 +17,14 @@ str_trim <- function(string, side = c("both", "left", "right")) {
     both =  stri_trim_both(string)
   )
 }
+
+#' Trim whitespace from start, middle, and end of string.
+#'
+#' @export
+#' @rdname str_trim
+#' @examples
+#' str_squish("  String with trailing,  middle, and leading white space\t")
+#' str_squish("\n\nString with excess,  trailing and leading white   space\n\n")
+str_squish <- function(string) {
+  stri_trim_both(str_replace_all(string,"\\s+"," "))
+}
diff --git a/man/str_trim.Rd b/man/str_trim.Rd
index fc3a2eef..aea122f1 100644
--- a/man/str_trim.Rd
+++ b/man/str_trim.Rd
@@ -2,9 +2,12 @@
 % Please edit documentation in R/trim.R
 \name{str_trim}
 \alias{str_trim}
+\alias{str_squish}
 \title{Trim whitespace from start and end of string.}
 \usage{
 str_trim(string, side = c("both", "left", "right"))
+
+str_squish(string)
 }
 \arguments{
 \item{string}{A character vector.}
@@ -16,10 +19,14 @@ A character vector.
 }
 \description{
 Trim whitespace from start and end of string.
+
+Trim whitespace from start, middle, and end of string.
 }
 \examples{
 str_trim("  String with trailing and leading white space\\t")
 str_trim("\\n\\nString with trailing and leading white space\\n\\n")
+str_squish("  String with trailing,  middle, and leading white space\\t")
+str_squish("\\n\\nString with excess,  trailing and leading white   space\\n\\n")
 }
 \seealso{
 \code{\link[=str_pad]{str_pad()}} to add whitespace
diff --git a/tests/testthat/test-trim.r b/tests/testthat/test-trim.r
index 3a50d47e..0dc82ad1 100644
--- a/tests/testthat/test-trim.r
+++ b/tests/testthat/test-trim.r
@@ -16,3 +16,9 @@ test_that("side argument restricts trimming", {
   expect_equal(str_trim(" abc ", "left"),  "abc ")
   expect_equal(str_trim(" abc ", "right"), " abc")
 })
+
+test_that("str_squish removes excess spaces from all parts of string", {
+  expect_equal(str_squish("ab\t\tc\t"),   "ab c")
+  expect_equal(str_squish("\ta  bc"),   "a bc")
+  expect_equal(str_squish("\ta\t bc\t"), "a bc")
+})