diff --git a/flow/record/tools/rdump.py b/flow/record/tools/rdump.py
index 974cbf6..3ec4c40 100644
--- a/flow/record/tools/rdump.py
+++ b/flow/record/tools/rdump.py
@@ -321,8 +321,14 @@ def main(argv: list[str] | None = None) -> int:
         root_logger.handlers.clear()
         root_logger.addHandler(handler)
 
-    fields_to_exclude = args.exclude.split(",") if args.exclude else []
-    fields = args.fields.split(",") if args.fields else []
+    fields_to_exclude = list(filter(None, map(str.strip, args.exclude.split(",")))) if args.exclude else []
+    fields = list(filter(None, map(str.strip, args.fields.split(",")))) if args.fields else []
+
+    writer_options = {}
+    if fields:
+        writer_options["fields"] = fields
+    if fields_to_exclude:
+        writer_options["exclude"] = fields_to_exclude
 
     if args.list_adapters:
         list_adapters()
@@ -340,8 +346,6 @@ def main(argv: list[str] | None = None) -> int:
         }
         uri = mode_to_uri.get(args.mode, uri)
         qparams = {
-            "fields": args.fields,
-            "exclude": args.exclude,
             "format_spec": args.format,
         }
         query = urlencode({k: v for k, v in qparams.items() if v})
@@ -393,7 +397,7 @@ def main(argv: list[str] | None = None) -> int:
     ret = 0
 
     try:
-        with RecordWriter(uri) as record_writer:
+        with RecordWriter(uri, **writer_options) as record_writer:
             for count, rec in enumerate(record_iterator, start=1):  # noqa: B007
                 if args.record_source is not None:
                     rec._source = args.record_source
diff --git a/tests/tools/test_rdump.py b/tests/tools/test_rdump.py
index 6a364bd..6e06726 100644
--- a/tests/tools/test_rdump.py
+++ b/tests/tools/test_rdump.py
@@ -904,3 +904,40 @@ def test_rdump_print_error_notes(
         rdump.main([str(path), "-vvv"])
 
     capsys.readouterr()
+
+
+def test_rdump_fields_with_spaces(tmp_path: Path, capsysbinary: pytest.CaptureFixture) -> None:
+    """Test if rdump handles spaces in field names gracefully."""
+    TestRecord = RecordDescriptor(
+        "test/record",
+        [
+            ("varint", "count"),
+            ("string", "foo"),
+            ("string", "bar"),
+        ],
+    )
+
+    path = tmp_path / "test.records"
+    out_path = tmp_path / "out.records"
+    with RecordWriter(path) as writer:
+        writer.write(TestRecord(count=0, foo="bar", bar="baz"))
+
+    # test if fields works with spaces in the name
+    rdump.main([str(path), "--fields", "foo, count  ", "-w", str(out_path)])
+    with RecordReader(out_path) as reader:
+        records = list(reader)
+    assert len(records) == 1
+    assert list(records[0]._desc.fields.keys()) == ["foo", "count"]
+
+    # test if exclude works with spaces in the field names
+    rdump.main([str(path), "--exclude", "  foo,   bar  ", "-w", str(out_path)])
+    with RecordReader(out_path) as reader:
+        records = list(reader)
+    assert len(records) == 1
+    assert list(records[0]._desc.fields.keys()) == ["count"]
+
+    # also test an adapter
+    rdump.main([str(path), "--exclude", "  foo,   bar  ", "--csv"])
+    captured = capsysbinary.readouterr()
+    assert captured.err == b""
+    assert b"count,_source,_classification,_generated,_version\r\n" in captured.out