diff --git a/clojure-mode.el b/clojure-mode.el
index 2f68a0db..517f8803 100644
--- a/clojure-mode.el
+++ b/clojure-mode.el
@@ -2110,7 +2110,7 @@ content) are considered part of the preceding sexp."
 (make-obsolete-variable 'clojure-namespace-name-regex 'clojure-namespace-regexp "5.12.0")
 
 (defconst clojure-namespace-regexp
-  (rx line-start "(" (? "clojure.core/") (or "in-ns" "ns" "ns+") symbol-end))
+  (rx "(" (? "clojure.core/") (or "in-ns" "ns" "ns+") symbol-end))
 
 (defcustom clojure-cache-ns nil
   "Whether to cache the results of `clojure-find-ns'.
diff --git a/test/clojure-mode-util-test.el b/test/clojure-mode-util-test.el
index a35babbe..ba9bfeea 100644
--- a/test/clojure-mode-util-test.el
+++ b/test/clojure-mode-util-test.el
@@ -125,6 +125,23 @@
     (with-clojure-buffer "(ns foo)
 (ns-unmap *ns* 'map)
 (ns.misleading 1 2 3)"
+      (expect (clojure-find-ns) :to-equal "foo")))
+  (it "should skip leading garbage"
+    (with-clojure-buffer " (ns foo)"
+      (expect (clojure-find-ns) :to-equal "foo"))
+    (with-clojure-buffer "1(ns foo)"
+      (expect (clojure-find-ns) :to-equal "foo"))
+    (with-clojure-buffer "1 (ns foo)"
+      (expect (clojure-find-ns) :to-equal "foo"))
+    (with-clojure-buffer "1
+(ns foo)"
+      (expect (clojure-find-ns) :to-equal "foo"))
+    (with-clojure-buffer "[1]
+(ns foo)"
+      (expect (clojure-find-ns) :to-equal "foo"))
+    (with-clojure-buffer "[1] (ns foo)"
+      (expect (clojure-find-ns) :to-equal "foo"))
+    (with-clojure-buffer "[1](ns foo)"
       (expect (clojure-find-ns) :to-equal "foo"))))
 
 (describe "clojure-sort-ns"
@@ -154,7 +171,7 @@
               ;;[comment2]
 ))")))
   (it "should sort requires in ns with copyright disclamer and comments"
-   (with-clojure-buffer ";; Copyright (c) John Doe. All rights reserved.
+    (with-clojure-buffer ";; Copyright (c) John Doe. All rights reserved.
 ;; The use and distribution terms for this software are covered by the
 ;; Eclipse Public License 1.0 (https://opensource.org/license/epl-1-0/)
 (ns clojure.core