diff --git a/docs/changelog/7.x.x.txt b/docs/changelog/7.x.x.txt
index 65973aa69..03d112257 100644
--- a/docs/changelog/7.x.x.txt
+++ b/docs/changelog/7.x.x.txt
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 7.6.10
+ - added test for splitTag function recently added to HTML module
  - fixed #9455: fixed synopsis to pick out html paragraphs, fixed FeedPP fields to scalar when blank
  - fixed: With autocommit and no comments on, making a shortcut of an asset takes you to that asset's view.
  - fixed #9506: Choose billing address
diff --git a/lib/WebGUI/HTML.pm b/lib/WebGUI/HTML.pm
index 3d213ac59..73d82f0f2 100644
--- a/lib/WebGUI/HTML.pm
+++ b/lib/WebGUI/HTML.pm
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ A package for manipulating and massaging HTML.
  $html = WebGUI::HTML::html2text($html);
  $html = WebGUI::HTML::makeAbsolute($session, $html);
  $html = WebGUI::HTML::processReplacements($session, $html);
- $html = WebGUI::HTML::splitTag([$tag,]$html[,$count]);    # defaults to ( 'p', $html, 0 )
+ $html = WebGUI::HTML::splitTag([$tag,]$html[,$count]);    # defaults to ( 'p', $html, 1 )
 
 =head1 METHODS
 
@@ -414,7 +414,7 @@ The block of HTML text that will be disected
 
 =head3 count
 
-How many items do we want?  defaults to 1; returns 1 non-blank item
+How many items do we want?  defaults to 1; returns 1 non-blank item; -1 returns all items
 
 =cut
 
@@ -423,15 +423,13 @@ sub splitTag {
     my $tag = shift;
     my $html = shift;
     my $count = shift || 1;
-    if( not defined $html or $html =~ /^(\d+)$/ ) {
+    if( not defined $html or $html =~ /^(-?\d+)$/ ) {
         $count = $html if $1;
         $html = $tag;
         $tag = 'p';                 # the default tag is 'p' -- grabs a paragraph
     }
     my @result;
 
-    $html =~ s/\ //g;   # get rid of all non-breaking spaces
-
     my $p = HTML::TokeParser->new(\$html);
 
     while (my $token = $p->get_tag($tag)) {
@@ -441,7 +439,8 @@ sub splitTag {
         last if @result == $count;    # if we have a full count then quit
     }
 
-    return @result;
+    return @result if wantarray;
+    return $result[0];
 }
 
 1;
diff --git a/t/splitTag.t b/t/splitTag.t
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..db11d222a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/t/splitTag.t
@@ -0,0 +1,132 @@
+#-------------------------------------------------------------------
+# WebGUI is Copyright 2001-2008 Plain Black Corporation.
+#-------------------------------------------------------------------
+# Please read the legal notices (docs/legal.txt) and the license
+# (docs/license.txt) that came with this distribution before using
+# this software.
+#-------------------------------------------------------------------
+# http://www.plainblack.com                     info@plainblack.com
+#-------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+use FindBin;
+use strict;
+use lib "$FindBin::Bin/lib";
+
+use WebGUI::Test;
+use WebGUI::HTML;
+use WebGUI::Session;
+
+use Test::More; # increment this value for each test you create
+
+my $session = WebGUI::Test->session;
+
+# the style param below refers to how the callis made.  the function has two optional params
+# by testing with each style we can test the default for thsee params.
+# also array/scalar return type are tested.
+
+# call type = 1: all three params; return array
+# call type = 2: only tag and text; return scalar
+# call type = 3: only text and count; return array
+# call type = 4: only the text; return scalar
+
+my @testArray = (
+	{
+		inputText => q!<p>First Paragraph</p> <p>Second Paragraph</p>!,
+		output => q!First Paragraph!,
+                style => 1,
+		tag => 'p',
+		count => 1,
+		comment => 'get one paragraph, no defaults',
+	},
+	{
+		inputText => q!<p>First Paragraph</p> <p>Second Paragraph</p>!,
+		output => q!First Paragraph!,
+                style => 4,
+		tag => 'p',
+		count => 1,
+		comment => 'get one paragraph, all defaults',
+	},
+	{
+		inputText => q!<p>First Paragraph</p> <p>Second Paragraph</p>!,
+		output => q!First Paragraph;Second Paragraph!,
+                style => 1,
+		tag => 'p',
+		count => -1,
+		comment => 'get all paragraphs, no defaults',
+	},
+	{
+		inputText => q!<p>First Paragraph</p> <p>Second Paragraph</p>!,
+		output => q!First Paragraph;Second Paragraph!,
+                style => 3,
+		tag => 'p',
+		count => -1,
+		comment => 'get all paragraphs, default tag',
+	},
+	{
+		inputText => q!<p> </p><p>First nonblank Paragraph</p> <p>Second Paragraph</p>!,
+		output => q!First nonblank Paragraph!,
+                style => 4,
+		tag => 'p',
+		count => -1,
+		comment => 'get nonblank paragraph, all defaults',
+	},
+	{
+		inputText => q!<p> &nbsp;</p><p>First nonblank Paragraph</p> <p>Second Paragraph</p>!,
+		output => q!First nonblank Paragraph!,
+                style => 4,
+		tag => 'p',
+		count => -1,
+		comment => 'get nonblank(nbsp) paragraph, all defaults',
+	},
+	{
+		inputText => q!<li>First List Item</li> <li>Second List Item</li> <li>Third List Item</li>!,
+		output => q!First List Item;Second List Item;Third List Item!,
+                style => 1,
+		tag => 'li',
+		count => -1,
+		comment => 'get all list items, no defaults',
+	},
+	{
+		inputText => q!<li>First List Item</li> <li>Second List Item</li> <li>Third List Item</li>!,
+		output => q!First List Item;Second List Item!,
+                style => 1,
+		tag => 'li',
+		count => 2,
+		comment => 'get first 2 list items, no defaults',
+	},
+	{
+		inputText => q!<tr><td>First Item</td> <td>Second Item</td></tr>!,
+		output => q!First Item Second Item!,
+                style => 1,
+		tag => 'tr',
+		count => -1,
+		comment => 'get table row ignore table data',
+	},
+	{
+		inputText => q!<tr><td>First Item</td> <td>Second Item</td></tr>!,
+		output => q!First Item;Second Item!,
+                style => 1,
+		tag => 'td',
+		count => -1,
+		comment => 'get table data ignore table row',
+	},
+);
+
+my $numTests = scalar @testArray;
+
+plan tests => $numTests;
+
+my $output;
+foreach my $testSet (@testArray) {
+    if( $testSet->{style} == 1 ) {
+	$output = join ';',WebGUI::HTML::splitTag($testSet->{tag},$testSet->{inputText}, $testSet->{count});
+    } elsif( $testSet->{style} == 2 ) {
+	$output = WebGUI::HTML::splitTag($testSet->{tag},$testSet->{inputText});
+    } elsif( $testSet->{style} == 3 ) {
+	$output = join ';', WebGUI::HTML::splitTag($testSet->{inputText}, $testSet->{count});
+    } elsif( $testSet->{style} == 4 ) {
+	$output = WebGUI::HTML::splitTag($testSet->{inputText});
+    }
+    is($output, $testSet->{output}, $testSet->{comment});
+}
+