diff --git a/src/TexVC/Nodes/Literal.php b/src/TexVC/Nodes/Literal.php
index a734d3c7a..1751a8ed8 100644
--- a/src/TexVC/Nodes/Literal.php
+++ b/src/TexVC/Nodes/Literal.php
@@ -30,6 +30,11 @@ class Literal extends TexNode {
 	}
 
 	public function renderMML( $arguments = [], $state = [] ) {
+		if ( $this->arg === " " ) {
+			// Fixes https://gerrit.wikimedia.org/r/c/mediawiki/extensions/Math/+/961711
+			// And they creation of empty mo elements.
+			return "";
+		}
 		if ( is_numeric( $this->arg ) ) {
 			$mn = new MMLmn( "", $arguments );
 			return $mn->encapsulateRaw( $this->arg );
diff --git a/tests/phpunit/InputCheck/LocalCheckerTest.php b/tests/phpunit/InputCheck/LocalCheckerTest.php
index 2187cdee7..4325d0630 100644
--- a/tests/phpunit/InputCheck/LocalCheckerTest.php
+++ b/tests/phpunit/InputCheck/LocalCheckerTest.php
@@ -117,7 +117,7 @@ class LocalCheckerTest extends MediaWikiIntegrationTestCase {
 	public function testRunChecks() {
 		$fakeContent = [
 			'status' => '+',
-			'mathml' => '<mi>sin</mi><mo></mo><msup><mi>x</mi><mrow data-mjx-texclass="ORD"><mn>2</mn></mrow></msup>',
+			'mathml' => '<mi>sin</mi><msup><mi>x</mi><mrow data-mjx-texclass="ORD"><mn>2</mn></mrow></msup>',
 			'output' => '\\sin x^{2}'
 		];
 		$checker = new LocalChecker( WANObjectCache::newEmpty(), '\sin x^2', 'tex' );
diff --git a/tests/phpunit/unit/TexVC/MMLRenderTest.php b/tests/phpunit/unit/TexVC/MMLRenderTest.php
index 26cd355ee..8a8975c9d 100644
--- a/tests/phpunit/unit/TexVC/MMLRenderTest.php
+++ b/tests/phpunit/unit/TexVC/MMLRenderTest.php
@@ -26,6 +26,13 @@ class MMLRenderTest extends MediaWikiUnitTestCase {
 		$this->assertStringContainsString( "munderover", $mathMLtexVC );
 	}
 
+	public function testScriptAlignment() {
+		$input = "\log_{10} f";
+		$mathMLtexVC = $this->generateMML( $input );
+		$this->assertStringNotContainsString( "<mo></mo>", $mathMLtexVC );
+		$this->assertStringContainsString( "<msub>", $mathMLtexVC );
+	}
+
 	public function testNotOperatorname() {
 		$input = "\\not\operatorname{R}";
 		$mathMLtexVC = $this->generateMML( $input );