diff --git a/clippy_lints/src/collapsible_if.rs b/clippy_lints/src/collapsible_if.rs
index 52e602bbac57..03564d1cadc3 100644
--- a/clippy_lints/src/collapsible_if.rs
+++ b/clippy_lints/src/collapsible_if.rs
@@ -140,6 +140,8 @@ impl CollapsibleIf {
 
                     // Prevent "elseif"
                     // Check that the "else" is followed by whitespace
+                    // Note: We intentionally use char::is_whitespace instead of rustc_lexer::is_whitespace here to
+                    // avoid visual issues with zero-width spaces. See ui tests.
                     let requires_space = snippet(cx, up_to_else, "..").ends_with(|c: char| !c.is_whitespace());
                     let mut applicability = Applicability::MachineApplicable;
                     diag.span_suggestion(
diff --git a/tests/ui/collapsible_else_if.fixed b/tests/ui/collapsible_else_if.fixed
index cd2d9be9f433..5af611bc4bf3 100644
--- a/tests/ui/collapsible_else_if.fixed
+++ b/tests/ui/collapsible_else_if.fixed
@@ -161,3 +161,32 @@ fn in_brackets() {
         { if y == "world" { println!("world") } else { println!("!") } }
     }
 }
+
+#[rustfmt::skip]
+fn ends_with_zero_width_whitespace() {
+    // Test out snippets ending with the 2 zero-width characters recognized as whitespaces by the lexer,
+    // but not by u8::is_ascii_whitespace
+    // Behaviour shows a whitespace is inserted between else and if here which is desirable in this case
+
+    let x = "hello";
+    let y = "world";
+
+
+    // LRM (U+200E)
+    if x == "hello" {
+        println!("hello LRM");
+    } else‎ if y == "world" {
+        println!("LRM world");
+    }
+    //~^^^^^ collapsible_else_if
+
+    // RLM (U+200F)
+    if x == "hello" {
+        println!("hello RLM");
+    } else‏ if y == "world" {
+        println!("RLM world");
+    }
+    //~^^^^^ collapsible_else_if
+
+
+}
diff --git a/tests/ui/collapsible_else_if.rs b/tests/ui/collapsible_else_if.rs
index 75f204328538..95926be478db 100644
--- a/tests/ui/collapsible_else_if.rs
+++ b/tests/ui/collapsible_else_if.rs
@@ -181,3 +181,36 @@ fn in_brackets() {
         { if y == "world" { println!("world") } else { println!("!") } }
     }
 }
+
+#[rustfmt::skip]
+fn ends_with_zero_width_whitespace() {
+    // Test out snippets ending with the 2 zero-width characters recognized as whitespaces by the lexer,
+    // but not by u8::is_ascii_whitespace
+    // Behaviour shows a whitespace is inserted between else and if here which is desirable in this case
+
+    let x = "hello";
+    let y = "world";
+
+
+    // LRM (U+200E)
+    if x == "hello" {
+        println!("hello LRM");
+    } else‎{
+        if y == "world" {
+            println!("LRM world");
+        }
+    }
+    //~^^^^^ collapsible_else_if
+
+    // RLM (U+200F)
+    if x == "hello" {
+        println!("hello RLM");
+    } else‏{
+        if y == "world" {
+            println!("RLM world");
+        }
+    }
+    //~^^^^^ collapsible_else_if
+
+
+}
diff --git a/tests/ui/collapsible_else_if.stderr b/tests/ui/collapsible_else_if.stderr
index ebd78d2b1ffe..0f88374953e8 100644
--- a/tests/ui/collapsible_else_if.stderr
+++ b/tests/ui/collapsible_else_if.stderr
@@ -177,5 +177,41 @@ LL | |         (if y == "world" { println!("world") } else { println!("!") })
 LL | |     }
    | |_____^ help: collapse nested if block: `if y == "world" { println!("world") } else { println!("!") }`
 
-error: aborting due to 10 previous errors
+error: this `else { if .. }` block can be collapsed
+  --> tests/ui/collapsible_else_if.rs:198:12
+   |
+LL |       } else‎{
+   |  ___________^
+LL | |         if y == "world" {
+LL | |             println!("LRM world");
+LL | |         }
+LL | |     }
+   | |_____^
+   |
+help: collapse nested if block
+   |
+LL ~     } else‎ if y == "world" {
+LL +         println!("LRM world");
+LL +     }
+   |
+
+error: this `else { if .. }` block can be collapsed
+  --> tests/ui/collapsible_else_if.rs:208:12
+   |
+LL |       } else‏{
+   |  ___________^
+LL | |         if y == "world" {
+LL | |             println!("RLM world");
+LL | |         }
+LL | |     }
+   | |_____^
+   |
+help: collapse nested if block
+   |
+LL ~     } else‏ if y == "world" {
+LL +         println!("RLM world");
+LL +     }
+   |
+
+error: aborting due to 12 previous errors