diff --git a/csv_parser.c b/csv_parser.c
index 7b8d1ec..08cfd42 100644
--- a/csv_parser.c
+++ b/csv_parser.c
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 #include "csv_parser.h"
 #include "arena.h"
+#include "csv_utils.h"
 #include <stdio.h>
 #include <stdlib.h>
 #include <string.h>
@@ -33,17 +34,13 @@ static bool grow_field_array(FieldArray *arr, Arena *arena) {
     return true;
 }
 
-static bool add_field(FieldArray *arr, const char *start, size_t len, Arena *arena) {
+static bool add_field(FieldArray *arr, const char *start, size_t len, Arena *arena, const CSVConfig *config) {
     if (arr->count >= arr->capacity) {
         if (!grow_field_array(arr, arena)) {
             return false;
         }
     }
-
-    while (len > 0 && (start[len-1] == ' ' || start[len-1] == '\t')) {
-        len--;
-    }
-
+    
     void *ptr;
     ArenaResult result = arena_alloc(arena, len + 1, &ptr);
     if (result != ARENA_OK) {
@@ -52,6 +49,14 @@ static bool add_field(FieldArray *arr, const char *start, size_t len, Arena *are
     char *field = (char*)ptr;
     memcpy(field, start, len);
     field[len] = '\0';
+    
+    if (config->trimFields) {
+    CSVUtilsResult utilsResult = csv_utils_trim_whitespace(field, len);
+        if (utilsResult != CSV_UTILS_OK) {
+            return false;
+        }
+    }
+    
     arr->fields[arr->count++] = field;
     return true;
 }
@@ -122,7 +127,7 @@ CSVParseResult csv_parse_line_inplace(const char *line, Arena *arena, const CSVC
                     field_start = &line[pos + 1];
                     field_len = 0;
                 } else if (c == config->delimiter) {
-                    if (!add_field(&result.fields, "", 0, arena)) {
+                    if (!add_field(&result.fields, "", 0, arena, config)) {
                         result.success = false;
                         result.error = "Memory allocation failed";
                         result.error_column = pos;
@@ -139,7 +144,7 @@ CSVParseResult csv_parse_line_inplace(const char *line, Arena *arena, const CSVC
 
             case UNQUOTED_FIELD:
                 if (c == config->delimiter) {
-                    if (!add_field(&result.fields, field_start, field_len, arena)) {
+                    if (!add_field(&result.fields, field_start, field_len, arena, config)) {
                         result.success = false;
                         result.error = "Memory allocation failed";
                         result.error_column = pos;
@@ -209,7 +214,7 @@ CSVParseResult csv_parse_line_inplace(const char *line, Arena *arena, const CSVC
                 return result;
             }
         } else {
-            if (!add_field(&result.fields, field_start, field_len, arena)) {
+            if (!add_field(&result.fields, field_start, field_len, arena, config)) {
                 result.success = false;
                 result.error = "Memory allocation failed";
                 return result;
diff --git a/tests/test_csv_parser.c b/tests/test_csv_parser.c
index bac7fa9..be073fe 100644
--- a/tests/test_csv_parser.c
+++ b/tests/test_csv_parser.c
@@ -69,28 +69,38 @@ void test_csv_parser_whitespace_trimming() {
     assert(arena_create(&arena, 4096) == ARENA_OK);
     CSVConfig *config = csv_config_create(&arena);
     
-    // Test trailing whitespace trimming (parser only trims trailing, not leading)
+    // Test with trimFields = false
+    config->trimFields = false;
     CSVParseResult result1 = csv_parse_line_inplace("  field1  ,  field2  ,  field3  ", &arena, config, 1);
     assert(result1.success == true);
     assert(result1.fields.count == 3);
-    assert(strcmp(result1.fields.fields[0], "  field1") == 0);  // Leading spaces preserved
-    assert(strcmp(result1.fields.fields[1], "  field2") == 0);  // Leading spaces preserved
-    assert(strcmp(result1.fields.fields[2], "  field3") == 0);  // Leading spaces preserved
+    assert(strcmp(result1.fields.fields[0], "  field1  ") == 0);  // Leading spaces preserved
+    assert(strcmp(result1.fields.fields[1], "  field2  ") == 0);  // Leading spaces preserved
+    assert(strcmp(result1.fields.fields[2], "  field3  ") == 0);  // Leading spaces preserved
     
-    // Test with quoted fields (should not trim inside quotes)
-    CSVParseResult result2 = csv_parse_line_inplace("\"  field1  \",  field2  ", &arena, config, 2);
+    // Test with trimFields = true
+    config->trimFields = true;
+    CSVParseResult result2 = csv_parse_line_inplace("  field1  ,  field2  ,  field3  ", &arena, config, 1);
     assert(result2.success == true);
-    assert(result2.fields.count == 2);
-    assert(strcmp(result2.fields.fields[0], "  field1  ") == 0);
-    assert(strcmp(result2.fields.fields[1], "  field2") == 0);
-    
-    // Test pure trailing whitespace trimming
-    CSVParseResult result3 = csv_parse_line_inplace("field1   ,field2\t\t,field3 ", &arena, config, 3);
+    assert(result2.fields.count == 3);
+    assert(strcmp(result2.fields.fields[0], "field1") == 0);  // Leading spaces preserved
+    assert(strcmp(result2.fields.fields[1], "field2") == 0);  // Leading spaces preserved
+    assert(strcmp(result2.fields.fields[2], "field3") == 0);  // Leading spaces preserved
+
+    // Test with quoted fields (should not trim inside quotes)
+    CSVParseResult result3 = csv_parse_line_inplace("\"  field1  \",  field2  ", &arena, config, 2);
     assert(result3.success == true);
-    assert(result3.fields.count == 3);
-    assert(strcmp(result3.fields.fields[0], "field1") == 0);  // Trailing spaces trimmed
-    assert(strcmp(result3.fields.fields[1], "field2") == 0);  // Trailing tabs trimmed
-    assert(strcmp(result3.fields.fields[2], "field3") == 0);  // Trailing space trimmed
+    assert(result3.fields.count == 2);
+    assert(strcmp(result3.fields.fields[0], "  field1  ") == 0);
+    assert(strcmp(result3.fields.fields[1], "field2") == 0);
+    
+    // Test pure trailing whitespace trimming with trimFields = true
+    CSVParseResult result4 = csv_parse_line_inplace("field1   ,field2\t\t,field3 ", &arena, config, 3);
+    assert(result4.success == true);
+    assert(result4.fields.count == 3);
+    assert(strcmp(result4.fields.fields[0], "field1") == 0);  // Trailing spaces trimmed
+    assert(strcmp(result4.fields.fields[1], "field2") == 0);  // Trailing tabs trimmed
+    assert(strcmp(result4.fields.fields[2], "field3") == 0);  // Trailing space trimmed
     
     arena_destroy(&arena);
     printf("✓ CSV parser whitespace trimming test passed\n");