diff --git a/rc/filetype/makefile.kak b/rc/filetype/makefile.kak
index 452f6446..26f4f564 100644
--- a/rc/filetype/makefile.kak
+++ b/rc/filetype/makefile.kak
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ add-highlighter shared/makefile/content default-region group
 add-highlighter shared/makefile/comment region '#' '$' fill comment
 add-highlighter shared/makefile/evaluate-commands region -recurse '\(' '\$\(' '\)' fill value
 
-add-highlighter shared/makefile/content/ regex ^\S.*?(::|:|!) 0:variable
+add-highlighter shared/makefile/content/ regex ^\S.*?(::|:|!)\s 0:variable
 add-highlighter shared/makefile/content/ regex [+?:]= 0:operator
 
 evaluate-commands %sh{
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ define-command -hidden makefile-indent-on-new-line %{
         # preserve previous line indent
         try %{ execute-keys -draft \;K<a-&> }
         ## If the line above is a target indent with a tab
-        try %{ execute-keys -draft Z k<a-x> <a-k>^\S.*?(::|:|!)<ret> z i<tab> }
+        try %{ execute-keys -draft Z k<a-x> <a-k>^\S.*?(::|:|!)\s<ret> z i<tab> }
         # cleanup trailing white space son previous line
         try %{ execute-keys -draft k<a-x> s \h+$ <ret>d }
         # indent after some keywords