diff --git a/Lib/email/_header_value_parser.py b/Lib/email/_header_value_parser.py
index ea7083fc88b8c0..b5003943ab0d97 100644
--- a/Lib/email/_header_value_parser.py
+++ b/Lib/email/_header_value_parser.py
@@ -96,6 +96,18 @@
 def quote_string(value):
     return '"'+str(value).replace('\\', '\\\\').replace('"', r'\"')+'"'
 
+# Match a RFC 2047 word, looks like =?utf-8?q?someword?=
+rfc2047_matcher = re.compile(r'''
+   =\?            # literal =?
+   [^?]*          # charset
+   \?             # literal ?
+   [qQbB]         # literal 'q' or 'b', case insensitive
+   \?             # literal ?
+  .*?             # encoded word
+  \?=             # literal ?=
+''', re.VERBOSE | re.MULTILINE)
+
+
 #
 # TokenList and its subclasses
 #
@@ -1054,6 +1066,10 @@ def get_encoded_word(value):
         _validate_xtext(vtext)
         ew.append(vtext)
         text = ''.join(remainder)
+    # Encoded words should be followed by a WS
+    if value and value[0] not in WSP:
+        ew.defects.append(errors.InvalidHeaderDefect(
+            "missing trailing whitespace after encoded-word"))
     return ew, value
 
 def get_unstructured(value):
@@ -1106,6 +1122,11 @@ def get_unstructured(value):
                 unstructured.append(token)
                 continue
         tok, *remainder = _wsp_splitter(value, 1)
+        # Split in the middle of an atom if there is a rfc2047 encoded word
+        # which does not have WSP on both sides. The defect will be registered
+        # the next time through the loop.
+        if rfc2047_matcher.search(tok):
+            tok, *remainder = value.partition('=?')
         vtext = ValueTerminal(tok, 'vtext')
         _validate_xtext(vtext)
         unstructured.append(vtext)
diff --git a/Lib/test/test_email/test__header_value_parser.py b/Lib/test/test_email/test__header_value_parser.py
index 198cf17bbf3ed8..bad4333dbc4351 100644
--- a/Lib/test/test_email/test__header_value_parser.py
+++ b/Lib/test/test_email/test__header_value_parser.py
@@ -118,7 +118,7 @@ def test_get_encoded_word_gets_first_even_if_no_space(self):
                          '=?us-ascii?q?first?==?utf-8?q?second?=',
                          'first',
                          'first',
-                         [],
+                         [errors.InvalidHeaderDefect],
                          '=?utf-8?q?second?=')
 
     def test_get_encoded_word_sets_extra_attributes(self):
@@ -361,6 +361,25 @@ def test_get_unstructured_no_whitespace_between_ews(self):
             '=?utf-8?q?foo?==?utf-8?q?bar?=',
             'foobar',
             'foobar',
+            [errors.InvalidHeaderDefect,
+            errors.InvalidHeaderDefect],
+            '')
+
+    def test_get_unstructured_ew_without_leading_whitespace(self):
+        self._test_get_x(
+            self._get_unst,
+            'nowhitespace=?utf-8?q?somevalue?=',
+            'nowhitespacesomevalue',
+            'nowhitespacesomevalue',
+            [errors.InvalidHeaderDefect],
+            '')
+
+    def test_get_unstructured_ew_without_trailing_whitespace(self):
+        self._test_get_x(
+            self._get_unst,
+            '=?utf-8?q?somevalue?=nowhitespace',
+            'somevaluenowhitespace',
+            'somevaluenowhitespace',
             [errors.InvalidHeaderDefect],
             '')
 
@@ -550,7 +569,8 @@ def test_encoded_word_inside_quotes(self):
             '"=?utf-8?Q?not_really_valid?="',
             '"not really valid"',
             'not really valid',
-            [errors.InvalidHeaderDefect],
+            [errors.InvalidHeaderDefect,
+             errors.InvalidHeaderDefect],
             '')
 
     # get_comment
diff --git a/Lib/test/test_email/test_headerregistry.py b/Lib/test/test_email/test_headerregistry.py
index a6b48385aeac2a..8d89c5dd58322e 100644
--- a/Lib/test/test_email/test_headerregistry.py
+++ b/Lib/test/test_email/test_headerregistry.py
@@ -1180,7 +1180,8 @@ class TestAddressHeader(TestHeaderBase):
 
         'rfc2047_atom_in_quoted_string_is_decoded':
             ('"=?utf-8?q?=C3=89ric?=" <foo@example.com>',
-            [errors.InvalidHeaderDefect],
+            [errors.InvalidHeaderDefect,
+            errors.InvalidHeaderDefect],
             'Éric <foo@example.com>',
             'Éric',
             'foo@example.com',
diff --git a/Misc/NEWS.d/next/Library/2019-05-19-10-48-46.bpo-21315.PgXVqF.rst b/Misc/NEWS.d/next/Library/2019-05-19-10-48-46.bpo-21315.PgXVqF.rst
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000000..dd0dd7f72c0a3f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Misc/NEWS.d/next/Library/2019-05-19-10-48-46.bpo-21315.PgXVqF.rst
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+Email headers containing RFC2047 encoded words are parsed despite the missing
+whitespace, and a defect registered. Also missing trailing whitespace after
+encoded words is now registered as a defect.
+