diff --git a/aem-classification-validator/src/main/java/biz/netcentric/filevault/validator/aem/classification/AemClassificationValidatorFactory.java b/aem-classification-validator/src/main/java/biz/netcentric/filevault/validator/aem/classification/AemClassificationValidatorFactory.java
index 3000017..b426fae 100644
--- a/aem-classification-validator/src/main/java/biz/netcentric/filevault/validator/aem/classification/AemClassificationValidatorFactory.java
+++ b/aem-classification-validator/src/main/java/biz/netcentric/filevault/validator/aem/classification/AemClassificationValidatorFactory.java
@@ -72,8 +72,12 @@ public Validator createValidator(@NotNull ValidationContext context, @NotNull Va
             optionWhitelistedResourcePaths = settings.getOptions().get(OPTION_WHITELISTED_RESOURCE_PATH_PATTERNS);
         }
 
-        Collection<String> whitelistedResourcePaths = 
-                Optional.ofNullable(optionWhitelistedResourcePaths).map(op -> Arrays.asList(op.split(","))).orElse(Collections.emptyList());
+        Collection<String> whitelistedResourcePaths =
+                Optional.ofNullable(optionWhitelistedResourcePaths)
+                        .map(op -> Arrays.stream(op.split(","))
+                                .map(String::trim)
+                                .collect(Collectors.toList()))
+                        .orElse(Collections.emptyList());
 
         try {
             whitelistedResourcePaths.stream().forEach(AemClassificationValidatorFactory::validateResourcePathPattern);
@@ -116,7 +120,7 @@ public int getServiceRanking() {
     static Map<ContentClassification, ValidationMessageSeverity> getSeverityPerClassification(@Nullable String option) {
         final Map<ContentClassification, ValidationMessageSeverity> severitiesPerClassification;
         return Optional.ofNullable(option)
-                .map(op -> Arrays.asList(op.split(",")))
+                .map(op -> Arrays.stream(op.split(",")).map(String::trim).collect(Collectors.toList()))
                 .map(AemClassificationValidatorFactory::parseSeverityClassification)
                 .orElse(Collections.emptyMap());
     }
diff --git a/aem-classification-validator/src/test/java/biz/netcentric/filevault/validator/aem/classification/AemClassificationValidatorFactoryTest.java b/aem-classification-validator/src/test/java/biz/netcentric/filevault/validator/aem/classification/AemClassificationValidatorFactoryTest.java
index eb7ed76..4afeb47 100644
--- a/aem-classification-validator/src/test/java/biz/netcentric/filevault/validator/aem/classification/AemClassificationValidatorFactoryTest.java
+++ b/aem-classification-validator/src/test/java/biz/netcentric/filevault/validator/aem/classification/AemClassificationValidatorFactoryTest.java
@@ -87,32 +87,34 @@ void testCreateValidator() {
         Map<String, String> options = new HashMap<>();
         options.put("maps", "tccl:valid-classification.map");
         // deprecated option for whitelisting
-        options.put("whitelistedResourcePathsPatterns", "/resourceType1/.*,/resourceType2");
-        options.put("severitiesPerClassification", "INTERNAL=DEBUG");
+        options.put("whitelistedResourcePathsPatterns", "/resourceType1/.*,/resourceType2,\n/resourceType3");
+        options.put("severitiesPerClassification", "INTERNAL=DEBUG,\nINTERNAL_DEPRECATED=INFO");
         ValidatorSettings settings = new ValidatorSettingsImpl(false, ValidationMessageSeverity.WARN, options);
         MutableContentClassificationMap map = new MutableContentClassificationMapImpl("Simple");
         map.put("/test", ContentClassification.INTERNAL_DEPRECATED, "Deprecated");
         Collection<String> whiteListedResourceTypes = new LinkedList<>();
         whiteListedResourceTypes.add("/resourceType1/.*");
         whiteListedResourceTypes.add("/resourceType2");
+        whiteListedResourceTypes.add("/resourceType3");
         Map<ContentClassification, ValidationMessageSeverity> severitiesPerClassification = new HashMap<>();
         severitiesPerClassification.put(ContentClassification.INTERNAL, ValidationMessageSeverity.DEBUG);
+        severitiesPerClassification.put(ContentClassification.INTERNAL_DEPRECATED, ValidationMessageSeverity.INFO);
         AemClassificationValidator expectedValidator = new AemClassificationValidator(ValidationMessageSeverity.WARN, new CompositeContentClassificationMap(map), whiteListedResourceTypes, severitiesPerClassification);
         Assertions.assertEquals(expectedValidator, factory.createValidator(null, settings));
 
         options = new HashMap<>();
         options.put("maps", "tccl:valid-classification.map");
         // new option for whitelisting
-        options.put("whitelistedResourcePathPatterns", "/resourceType1/.*,/resourceType2");
-        options.put("severitiesPerClassification", "INTERNAL=DEBUG");
+        options.put("whitelistedResourcePathPatterns", "/resourceType1/.*,/resourceType2,\n/resourceType3");
+        options.put("severitiesPerClassification", "INTERNAL=DEBUG,\nINTERNAL_DEPRECATED=INFO");
         settings = new ValidatorSettingsImpl(false, ValidationMessageSeverity.WARN, options);
         Assertions.assertEquals(expectedValidator, factory.createValidator(null, settings));
 
         // test with multiple validation maps including whitespaces in the maps string
         options = new HashMap<>();
         options.put("maps", "tccl:valid-classification.map,tccl:empty-map-1.map,\n  \t tccl:empty-map-2.map");
-        options.put("whitelistedResourcePathPatterns", "/resourceType1/.*,/resourceType2");
-        options.put("severitiesPerClassification", "INTERNAL=DEBUG");
+        options.put("whitelistedResourcePathPatterns", "/resourceType1/.*,/resourceType2,\n/resourceType3");
+        options.put("severitiesPerClassification", "INTERNAL=DEBUG,\nINTERNAL_DEPRECATED=INFO");
         settings = new ValidatorSettingsImpl(false, ValidationMessageSeverity.WARN, options);
         ContentClassificationMap emptyMap = new ContentClassificationMapImpl("");
         expectedValidator = new AemClassificationValidator(ValidationMessageSeverity.WARN, new CompositeContentClassificationMap(map, emptyMap, emptyMap), whiteListedResourceTypes, severitiesPerClassification);