diff --git a/tests/checkers/rst_style.py b/tests/checkers/rst_style.py
index c8ad549d8..050e57329 100644
--- a/tests/checkers/rst_style.py
+++ b/tests/checkers/rst_style.py
@@ -139,12 +139,13 @@ def check_early_line_breaks(file, lines, options=None):
     for lno, line in enumerate(lines):
         if lno + 1 < len(lines):
             next_line = lines[lno + 1]
-            if (is_valid_line(line, ('+', '|'))
+            if (
+                is_valid_line(line, ('+', '|'))
                 and is_valid_line(next_line, ('+', '|', '- ', '* ', '#. '))
             ):
-                current_line_remaining_space = options.max_line_length - len(line)
+                current_line_remaining_space = options.max_line_length - len(line.rstrip())
                 next_line_first_word = get_next_line_first_word(next_line).rstrip()
-                if current_line_remaining_space > len(next_line_first_word):
+                if current_line_remaining_space >= len(next_line_first_word + ' '):
                     yield lno + 1, f"consider moving \"{next_line_first_word}\" to line {lno + 1}"