diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 337f57c..52dc2be 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -10,6 +10,11 @@ The format is based on [Keep a Changelog](https://keepachangelog.com/en/1.0.0/).
 
 <!-- ### Added | Changed | Deprecated | Removed | Fixed | Security -->
 
+### Fixed
+
+- handle quoted strings containing single quotes (should always use double quotes) [#179](https://github.com/ufirstgroup/ymlr/issues/179), [#181](https://github.com/ufirstgroup/ymlr/pull/181)
+- handle string with leading or trailing whitespaces [#180](https://github.com/ufirstgroup/ymlr/issues/180), [#181](https://github.com/ufirstgroup/ymlr/pull/181)
+
 <!--------------------- Don't add new entries after this line --------------------->
 
 ## [5.1.0] - 2023-12-27
diff --git a/lib/ymlr/encode.ex b/lib/ymlr/encode.ex
index 093ae82..3bf1b00 100644
--- a/lib/ymlr/encode.ex
+++ b/lib/ymlr/encode.ex
@@ -66,6 +66,7 @@ defmodule Ymlr.Encode do
   alias Ymlr.Encoder
 
   @quote_when_starts_with_strings [
+    " ",
     # tag
     "!",
     # anchor
@@ -120,7 +121,7 @@ defmodule Ymlr.Encode do
 
   @quote_when_contains_string [" #", ": "]
 
-  @quote_when_last_char ~c":"
+  @quote_when_last_char [?\s, ?:]
 
   @single_quote_when_exact [
     "",
@@ -317,6 +318,10 @@ defmodule Ymlr.Encode do
   end
 
   for data <- @quote_when_contains_string do
+    defp do_string_encoding_type(<<unquote(data)::utf8, rest::binary>>, :double_quoted) do
+      do_string_encoding_type(rest, :double_quoted)
+    end
+
     defp do_string_encoding_type(<<unquote(data)::utf8, rest::binary>>, :maybe_double_quoted) do
       do_string_encoding_type(rest, :double_quoted)
     end
@@ -326,8 +331,12 @@ defmodule Ymlr.Encode do
     end
   end
 
-  defp do_string_encoding_type(<<char::utf8>>, _quotation) when char in @quote_when_last_char do
-    :single_quoted
+  defp do_string_encoding_type(<<char::utf8>>, quotation) when char in @quote_when_last_char do
+    case quotation do
+      :double_quoted -> :double_quoted
+      :maybe_double_quoted -> :double_quoted
+      _ -> :single_quoted
+    end
   end
 
   defp do_string_encoding_type(<<_::utf8, rest::binary>>, quotation) do
diff --git a/test/ymlr/encode_test.exs b/test/ymlr/encode_test.exs
index 5fefa7e..aac8aa3 100644
--- a/test/ymlr/encode_test.exs
+++ b/test/ymlr/encode_test.exs
@@ -30,6 +30,21 @@ defmodule Ymlr.EncodeTest do
 
     # see http://blogs.perl.org/users/tinita/2018/03/strings-in-yaml---to-quote-or-not-to-quote.html
 
+    test "quoted strings - whitespace(s)" do
+      # only whitespace(s)
+      assert_identity_and_output(" ", ~S(' '))
+      assert_identity("  ")
+      # leading whitespace(s)
+      assert_identity(" leading")
+      assert_identity("  leading")
+      assert_identity_and_output(" '", ~S(" '"))
+      # trailing whitespace(s)
+      assert_identity("trailing ")
+      assert_identity("trailing  ")
+      assert_identity("a'  ")
+      assert_identity_and_output("' ", ~S("' "))
+    end
+
     test "quoted strings - avoid type confusion" do
       assert_identity_and_output("yes", ~S('yes'))
       assert_identity_and_output("no", ~S('no'))
@@ -122,6 +137,9 @@ defmodule Ymlr.EncodeTest do
 
     test "quoted strings - ends with colon" do
       assert_identity_and_output("some:entry:", ~S('some:entry:'))
+      # see https://github.com/ufirstgroup/ymlr/issues/179
+      assert_identity_and_output("a'b:", ~S("a'b:"))
+      assert_identity_and_output("a'b':", ~S("a'b':"))
     end
 
     test "quoted strings - specialties inside the string" do
@@ -131,6 +149,12 @@ defmodule Ymlr.EncodeTest do
       assert_identity_and_output("s'ome #entry", ~S("s'ome #entry"))
     end
 
+    # see https://github.com/ufirstgroup/ymlr/issues/179
+    test "quoted strings - issue 179" do
+      assert_identity(~S{a'b': })
+      assert_identity(~S{'': })
+    end
+
     test "quoted strings - tab char with and without quotes" do
       assert_identity_and_output("a\tb", ~s(a\tb))
       assert_identity_and_output("!a\tb", ~s('!a\tb'))