diff --git a/src/main/java/org/openrewrite/staticanalysis/EqualsAvoidsNullVisitor.java b/src/main/java/org/openrewrite/staticanalysis/EqualsAvoidsNullVisitor.java
index 932d2d6dd..55dc96974 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/openrewrite/staticanalysis/EqualsAvoidsNullVisitor.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/openrewrite/staticanalysis/EqualsAvoidsNullVisitor.java
@@ -157,7 +157,7 @@ public RemoveUnnecessaryNullCheck(J.Binary scope) {
         public J visitBinary(J.Binary binary, P p) {
             if (scope.isScope(binary)) {
                 done = true;
-                return binary.getRight().withPrefix(Space.EMPTY);
+                return binary.getRight();
             }
             return super.visitBinary(binary, p);
         }
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/openrewrite/staticanalysis/EqualsAvoidsNullTest.java b/src/test/java/org/openrewrite/staticanalysis/EqualsAvoidsNullTest.java
index 629289ae0..495ac2978 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/openrewrite/staticanalysis/EqualsAvoidsNullTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/openrewrite/staticanalysis/EqualsAvoidsNullTest.java
@@ -407,5 +407,33 @@ private boolean isBar(String bar) {
               )
             );
         }
+
+        @Test
+        @Issue("https://github.com/openrewrite/rewrite-static-analysis/issues/434")
+        void missingWhitespace() {
+            rewriteRun(
+              // language=java
+              java(
+                """
+                  class A {
+                      private static final String FOO = "FOO";
+
+                      boolean withParentExpression(String foo) {
+                          return foo != null && foo.equals(FOO);
+                      }
+                  }
+                  """,              
+                """
+                  class A {
+                      private static final String FOO = "FOO";
+
+                      boolean withParentExpression(String foo) {
+                          return FOO.equals(foo);
+                      }
+                  }
+                  """
+              )
+            );
+        }
     }
 }