Index: src/java/org/apache/fop/layoutmgr/inline/InlineLayoutManager.java
===================================================================
--- src/java/org/apache/fop/layoutmgr/inline/InlineLayoutManager.java	(revision 996712)
+++ src/java/org/apache/fop/layoutmgr/inline/InlineLayoutManager.java	(working copy)
@@ -74,7 +74,6 @@
     private CommonMarginInline inlineProps = null;
     private CommonBorderPaddingBackground borderProps = null;
 
-    private boolean areaCreated = false;
     private LayoutManager lastChildLM = null; // Set when return last breakposs;
 
     private Position auxiliaryPosition;
@@ -96,6 +95,8 @@
 
     private AlignmentContext alignmentContext = null;
 
+    private Position firstPosition = null;
+
     /**
      * Create an inline layout manager.
      * This is used for fo's that create areas that
@@ -396,7 +397,15 @@
             }
         }
 
-        return returnList.isEmpty() ? null : returnList;
+        boolean isEmpty = returnList.isEmpty();
+
+        if (!isEmpty) {
+            KnuthSequence firstSeq = (KnuthSequence)returnList.get(0);
+            if (!firstSeq.isEmpty())
+                firstPosition = firstSeq.getElement(0).getPosition();
+        }
+
+        return isEmpty ? null : returnList;
     }
 
     /**
@@ -415,18 +424,9 @@
 
         setChildContext(new LayoutContext(context)); // Store current value
 
-        // If this LM has fence, make a new leading space specifier.
-        if (hasLeadingFence(areaCreated)) {
-            getContext().setLeadingSpace(new SpaceSpecifier(false));
-            getContext().setFlags(LayoutContext.RESOLVE_LEADING_SPACE, true);
-        } else {
-            getContext().setFlags(LayoutContext.RESOLVE_LEADING_SPACE, false);
-        }
+        // should be always false
+        boolean areaCreated = firstPosition != null;
 
-        if (getSpaceStart() != null) {
-            context.getLeadingSpace().addSpace(new SpaceVal(getSpaceStart(), this));
-        }
-
         // "Unwrap" the NonLeafPositions stored in parentIter and put
         // them in a new list.  Set lastLM to be the LayoutManager
         // which created the last Position: if the LAST_AREA flag is
@@ -439,12 +439,27 @@
         Position lastPos = null;
         while (parentIter.hasNext()) {
             pos = (NonLeafPosition) parentIter.next();
+            if (pos == firstPosition)
+                areaCreated = false;
             if (pos != null && pos.getPosition() != null) {
                 positionList.add(pos.getPosition());
                 lastLM = pos.getPosition().getLM();
                 lastPos = pos;
             }
         }
+
+        // If this LM has fence, make a new leading space specifier.
+        if (hasLeadingFence(areaCreated)) {
+            getContext().setLeadingSpace(new SpaceSpecifier(false));
+            getContext().setFlags(LayoutContext.RESOLVE_LEADING_SPACE, true);
+        } else {
+            getContext().setFlags(LayoutContext.RESOLVE_LEADING_SPACE, false);
+        }
+
+        if (getSpaceStart() != null) {
+            context.getLeadingSpace().addSpace(new SpaceVal(getSpaceStart(), this));
+        }
+
         /*if (pos != null) {
             lastLM = pos.getPosition().getLM();
         }*/