diff --git a/features/steps/shared/project.rb b/features/steps/shared/project.rb
index 5420c451519ec43c328fb01a589d6397db16e6c7..d3501b5f5cb2f24a41e2b257f9b68f6033ecc294 100644
--- a/features/steps/shared/project.rb
+++ b/features/steps/shared/project.rb
@@ -224,7 +224,7 @@ module SharedProject
   end
 
   def user_owns_project(user_name:, project_name:, visibility: :private)
-    user = user_exists(user_name, username: user_name.underscore)
+    user = user_exists(user_name, username: user_name.gsub(/\s/, '').underscore)
     project = Project.find_by(name: project_name)
     project ||= create(:empty_project, visibility, name: project_name, namespace: user.namespace)
     project.team << [user, :master]
diff --git a/spec/models/note_spec.rb b/spec/models/note_spec.rb
index 65e6a7df3b4dd587ace6976a5227da1203958339..9182b42661d9969865b6c535b9a72c75c6f4e9d3 100644
--- a/spec/models/note_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/models/note_spec.rb
@@ -186,12 +186,12 @@ describe Note, models: true do
     let(:ext_proj)  { create(:project, :public) }
     let(:ext_issue) { create(:issue, project: ext_proj) }
 
-    let(:note) {
+    let(:note) do
       create :note,
         noteable: ext_issue, project: ext_proj,
         note: "mentioned in issue #{private_issue.to_reference(ext_proj)}",
         system: true
-    }
+    end
 
     it "returns true" do
       expect(note.cross_reference_not_visible_for?(ext_issue.author)).to be_truthy
diff --git a/spec/requests/api/notes_spec.rb b/spec/requests/api/notes_spec.rb
index 565805d870cd2eab801bdf15eddaf8f1f7caea13..d8bbd1072695d1d47b02e42ff7291904d4e8e9ab 100644
--- a/spec/requests/api/notes_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/requests/api/notes_spec.rb
@@ -13,20 +13,21 @@ describe API::API, api: true  do
 
   # For testing the cross-reference of a private issue in a public issue
   let(:private_user)    { create(:user) }
-  let(:private_project) {
+  let(:private_project) do
     create(:project, namespace: private_user.namespace).
     tap { |p| p.team << [private_user, :master] }
-  }
-  let(:private_issue)   { create(:issue, project: private_project) }
+  end
+  let(:private_issue)    { create(:issue, project: private_project) }
+
   let(:ext_proj)  { create(:project, :public) }
   let(:ext_issue) { create(:issue, project: ext_proj) }
 
-  let!(:cross_reference_note) {
+  let!(:cross_reference_note) do
     create :note,
     noteable: ext_issue, project: ext_proj,
     note: "mentioned in issue #{private_issue.to_reference(ext_proj)}",
     system: true
-  }
+  end
 
   before { project.team << [user, :reporter] }