diff --git a/src/builder.spec.ts b/src/builder.spec.ts
index a0d4f09..6695e64 100644
--- a/src/builder.spec.ts
+++ b/src/builder.spec.ts
@@ -1191,6 +1191,43 @@ describe('Builder', () => {
                 }
             );
         });
+        test('remove newline in description of xlf2 when trim=false and collapseWhitespace=true', async () => {
+            await runTest({
+               messagesBefore:  '<xliff version="2.0" xmlns="urn:oasis:names:tc:xliff:document:2.0" srcLang="de">\n' +
+                   '  <file id="ngi18n" original="ng.template">\n' +
+                   '    <unit id="ID1">\n' +
+                   '      <notes>\n' +
+                   '        <note category="location">some-file.ts:281,286</note>\n' +
+                   '        <note category="location">some-other-file.ts:281</note>\n' +
+                   '        <note category="description">test description\n' +
+                   '</note>\n' +
+                   '      </notes>\n' +
+                   '      <segment>\n' +
+                   '        <source>source val</source>\n' +
+                   '      </segment>\n' +
+                   '    </unit>\n' +
+                   '  </file>\n' +
+                   '</xliff>',
+                options: {
+                    format: 'xlf2',
+                    includeContext: true
+                },
+                messagesExpected:  '<xliff version="2.0" xmlns="urn:oasis:names:tc:xliff:document:2.0" srcLang="de">\n' +
+                    '  <file id="ngi18n" original="ng.template">\n' +
+                    '    <unit id="ID1">\n' +
+                    '      <notes>\n' +
+                    '        <note category="location">some-file.ts:281,286</note>\n' +
+                    '        <note category="location">some-other-file.ts:281</note>\n' +
+                    '        <note category="description">test description </note>\n' +
+                    '      </notes>\n' +
+                    '      <segment>\n' +
+                    '        <source>source val</source>\n' +
+                    '      </segment>\n' +
+                    '    </unit>\n' +
+                    '  </file>\n' +
+                    '</xliff>',
+            });
+        });
         test('retain whitespaces when trim=false and collapseWhitespace=true', async () => {
             await runTest(
                 {
diff --git a/src/builder.ts b/src/builder.ts
index 50819f1..566d6d8 100644
--- a/src/builder.ts
+++ b/src/builder.ts
@@ -112,10 +112,10 @@ async function extractI18nMergeBuilder(options: Options, context: BuilderContext
     const translationSourceFile = fromXlf(await fs.readFile(sourcePath, 'utf8'));
 
     const sort: Options['sort'] = options.sort ?? 'stableAppendNew';
-    const identityMapper = (x: string) => x;
+    const identityMapper = <T extends string | undefined>(x: T) => x;
     const mapper = pipe(
         (options.collapseWhitespace ?? true) ? doCollapseWhitespace : identityMapper,
-        (options.trim ?? false) ? ((text: string) => text.trim()) : identityMapper
+        options.trim ?? false ? <T extends string | undefined>(text: T): T => text?.trim() as T : identityMapper
     );
     const removeContextSource = options.includeContext !== true && options.includeContext !== 'sourceFileOnly';
     const normalizedTranslationSourceFile = translationSourceFile.mapUnitsList(units => {
@@ -126,8 +126,8 @@ async function extractI18nMergeBuilder(options: Options, context: BuilderContext
                 source: mapper(unit.source),
                 target: unit.target !== undefined ? mapper(unit.target) : undefined,
                 locations: removeContextSource ? [] : unit.locations,
-                description: removeContextSource ? undefined : unit.description,
-                meaning: removeContextSource ? undefined : unit.meaning
+                description: removeContextSource ? undefined : mapper(unit.description),
+                meaning: removeContextSource ? undefined : mapper(unit.meaning)
             }));
         if (sort === 'idAsc') {
             return updatedUnits.sort((a, b) => a.id.localeCompare(b.id));
@@ -157,8 +157,8 @@ async function extractI18nMergeBuilder(options: Options, context: BuilderContext
                     source: mapper(unit.source),
                     target: unit.target !== undefined ? mapper(unit.target) : undefined,
                     locations: options.includeContext === true ? unit.locations : [],
-                    meaning: options.includeContext === true ? unit.meaning : undefined,
-                    description: options.includeContext === true ? unit.description : undefined,
+                    meaning: options.includeContext === true ? mapper(unit.meaning) : undefined,
+                    description: options.includeContext === true ? mapper(unit.description) : undefined,
                     // reset to original state, if source was changed to target from sourceLangTarget:
                     state: idsOfUnitsWithSourceChangedToSourceLangTarget.has(unit.id) ? (translationTargetFile.units.find(u => u.id === unit.id)?.state ?? unit.state) : unit.state
                 }));
diff --git a/src/stringUtils.ts b/src/stringUtils.ts
index 01d0da1..66301c8 100644
--- a/src/stringUtils.ts
+++ b/src/stringUtils.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,3 @@
-
-
-export function doCollapseWhitespace(destSourceText: string): string {
-    return destSourceText.replace(/\s+/g, ' ');
+export function doCollapseWhitespace<T extends string | undefined>(destSourceText: T): T {
+    return destSourceText?.replace(/\s+/g, ' ') as T;
 }