diff --git a/guix/import/cabal.scm b/guix/import/cabal.scm
index 364fcc3176..9f3862fa14 100644
--- a/guix/import/cabal.scm
+++ b/guix/import/cabal.scm
@@ -573,7 +573,7 @@ location."
 (define (lex-word port loc)
   "Process tokens which can be recognized by reading the next word form PORT.
 LOC is the current port location."
-  (let* ((w (read-delimited " <>=()\t\n" port 'peek)))
+  (let* ((w (read-delimited " <>=():\t\n" port 'peek)))
     (cond ((is-if w) (lex-if loc))
           ((is-elif w) (lex-elif loc))
           ((is-test w port) (lex-test w loc))
diff --git a/tests/hackage.scm b/tests/hackage.scm
index 15309a3381..4ce48b6baf 100644
--- a/tests/hackage.scm
+++ b/tests/hackage.scm
@@ -315,6 +315,25 @@ executable cabal
 (test-assert "hackage->guix-package test flag executable"
   (eval-test-with-cabal test-cabal-flag-executable match-ghc-foo))
 
+;; There is no mandatory space between property name and value.
+(define test-cabal-property-no-space
+  "name:foo
+version:1.0.0
+homepage:http://test.org
+synopsis:synopsis
+description:description
+license:BSD3
+common bench-defaults
+  ghc-options:-Wall
+executable cabal
+  build-depends:
+    HTTP       >= 4000.2.5 && < 4000.3,
+    mtl        >= 2.0      && < 3
+")
+
+(test-assert "hackage->guix-package test properties without space"
+  (eval-test-with-cabal test-cabal-property-no-space match-ghc-foo))
+
 ;; Check if-elif-else statements
 (define test-cabal-if
   "name: foo