diff --git a/mu4e/mu4e-compose.el b/mu4e/mu4e-compose.el
index 07e37985..1688dce4 100644
--- a/mu4e/mu4e-compose.el
+++ b/mu4e/mu4e-compose.el
@@ -354,8 +354,10 @@ simply executes `fill-paragraph'."
   (interactive (progn (barf-if-buffer-read-only) '(t)))
   (if mu4e-compose-format-flowed
     (let ((fill-column (point-max))
-	   (use-hard-newlines nil)); rfill "across" hard newlines
+       (use-hard-newlines nil)); rfill "across" hard newlines
+      (delete-trailing-whitespace)
       (fill-paragraph nil region))
+    (delete-trailing-whitespace)
     (fill-paragraph nil region)))
 
 (defun mu4e-toggle-use-hard-newlines ()