diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index f89b5023f..3db2b2e30 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -9432,6 +9432,15 @@ function quux () {
 // Options: ["never"]
 // Message: There must be no hyphen before @param description.
 
+/**
+ * @param foo    - Foo.
+ */
+function quux () {
+
+}
+// Options: ["never"]
+// Message: There must be no hyphen before @param description.
+
 /**
  * @param foo - foo
  * @param foo foo
@@ -9504,6 +9513,14 @@ function quux () {
 }
 // Options: ["always"]
 
+/**
+ * @param foo     - Foo.
+ */
+function quux () {
+
+}
+// Options: ["always"]
+
 /**
  * @param foo - Foo.
  * @returns {SomeType} A description.
diff --git a/src/rules/requireHyphenBeforeParamDescription.js b/src/rules/requireHyphenBeforeParamDescription.js
index fc78a38f5..8b5b00b6b 100644
--- a/src/rules/requireHyphenBeforeParamDescription.js
+++ b/src/rules/requireHyphenBeforeParamDescription.js
@@ -16,8 +16,9 @@ export default iterateJsdoc(({
       return;
     }
 
+    const startsWithHyphen = (/-/u).test(jsdocTag.description);
     if (always) {
-      if (!jsdocTag.description.startsWith('-')) {
+      if (!startsWithHyphen) {
         report(`There must be a hyphen before @${targetTagName} description.`, (fixer) => {
           const lineIndex = jsdocTag.line;
           const sourceLines = sourceCode.getText(jsdocNode).split('\n');
@@ -34,9 +35,9 @@ export default iterateJsdoc(({
           return fixer.replaceText(jsdocNode, replacement);
         }, jsdocTag);
       }
-    } else if (jsdocTag.description.startsWith('-')) {
+    } else if (startsWithHyphen) {
       report(`There must be no hyphen before @${targetTagName} description.`, (fixer) => {
-        const [unwantedPart] = /-\s*/u.exec(jsdocTag.description);
+        const [unwantedPart] = /\s*-\s*/u.exec(jsdocTag.description);
 
         const replacement = sourceCode
           .getText(jsdocNode)
diff --git a/test/rules/assertions/requireHyphenBeforeParamDescription.js b/test/rules/assertions/requireHyphenBeforeParamDescription.js
index 1960b7aff..503a7b8fd 100644
--- a/test/rules/assertions/requireHyphenBeforeParamDescription.js
+++ b/test/rules/assertions/requireHyphenBeforeParamDescription.js
@@ -145,6 +145,33 @@ export default {
           }
       `,
     },
+    {
+      code: `
+          /**
+           * @param foo    - Foo.
+           */
+          function quux () {
+
+          }
+      `,
+      errors: [
+        {
+          line: 3,
+          message: 'There must be no hyphen before @param description.',
+        },
+      ],
+      options: [
+        'never',
+      ],
+      output: `
+          /**
+           * @param foo Foo.
+           */
+          function quux () {
+
+          }
+      `,
+    },
     {
       code: `
           /**
@@ -353,6 +380,19 @@ export default {
         'always',
       ],
     },
+    {
+      code: `
+          /**
+           * @param foo     - Foo.
+           */
+          function quux () {
+
+          }
+      `,
+      options: [
+        'always',
+      ],
+    },
     {
       code: `
           /**