diff --git a/modules/intermediate_format/preprocessing.xqm b/modules/intermediate_format/preprocessing.xqm
index 03a0cd4efba0d93c011579c14a5c1d806a10f9b6..4525f0f4e9689b932c28f09585a620ecba844715 100644
--- a/modules/intermediate_format/preprocessing.xqm
+++ b/modules/intermediate_format/preprocessing.xqm
@@ -115,7 +115,7 @@ declare function pre:default-element
             (if($following-node[matches(., "[\s\n\r\t]") and normalize-space(.) = ""]
             and $following-sibling[self::ref or self::app or self::hi or self::bibl
             or self::foreign or self::choice or self::milestone or self::persName
-            or self::choice or self::index or self::seg or self::ptr]
+            or self::choice or self::index or self::seg or self::ptr or self::docAuthor]
             and not($node[self::index])
             or ($node[self::milestone]) and $following-node[self::text()]
             (: ptr in the critical apparatus produce the siglum '[E]' which should