diff --git a/src/cli/commands/ls.js b/src/cli/commands/ls.js
index cbac9a049c..c79eaeee04 100644
--- a/src/cli/commands/ls.js
+++ b/src/cli/commands/ls.js
@@ -48,6 +48,14 @@ module.exports = {
       const multihashWidth = Math.max.apply(null, links.map((file) => file.hash.length))
       const sizeWidth = Math.max.apply(null, links.map((file) => String(file.size).length))
 
+      // replace multiple slashes
+      key = key.replace(/\/(\/+)/g, '/')
+
+      // strip trailing flash
+      if (key.endsWith('/')) {
+        key = key.replace(/(\/+)$/, '')
+      }
+
       let pathParts = key.split('/')
 
       if (key.startsWith('/ipfs/')) {
@@ -56,7 +64,10 @@ module.exports = {
 
       links.forEach(link => {
         const fileName = link.type === 'dir' ? `${link.name || ''}/` : link.name
-        const padding = link.depth - pathParts.length
+
+        // todo: fix this by resolving https://github.com/ipfs/js-ipfs-unixfs-exporter/issues/24
+        const padding = Math.max(link.depth - pathParts.length, 0)
+
         print(
           rightpad(link.hash, multihashWidth + 1) +
           rightpad(link.size || '-', sizeWidth + 1) +
diff --git a/test/cli/ls.js b/test/cli/ls.js
index bd5870c6fa..dc4d1de661 100644
--- a/test/cli/ls.js
+++ b/test/cli/ls.js
@@ -25,6 +25,54 @@ describe('ls', () => runOnAndOff((thing) => {
     )
   })
 
+  it('supports a trailing slash', async function () {
+    this.timeout(20 * 1000)
+    const out = await ipfs('ls Qmaj2NmcyAXT8dFmZRRytE12wpcaHADzbChKToMEjBsj5Z/')
+    expect(out).to.eql(
+      'QmamKEPmEH9RUsqRQsfNf5evZQDQPYL9KXg1ADeT7mkHkT -    blocks/\n' +
+      'QmPkWYfSLCEBLZu7BZt4kigGDMe3cpogMbeVf97gN2xJDN 3928 config\n' +
+      'QmUqyZtPmsRy1U5Mo8kz2BAMmk1hfJ7yW1KAFTMB2odsFv -    datastore/\n' +
+      'QmUhUuiTKkkK8J6JZ9zmj8iNHPuNfGYcszgRumzhHBxEEU -    init-docs/\n' +
+      'QmR56UJmAaZLXLdTT1ALrE9vVqV8soUEekm9BMd4FnuYqV 2    version\n'
+    )
+  })
+
+  it('supports multiple trailing slashes', async function () {
+    this.timeout(20 * 1000)
+    const out = await ipfs('ls Qmaj2NmcyAXT8dFmZRRytE12wpcaHADzbChKToMEjBsj5Z///')
+    expect(out).to.eql(
+      'QmamKEPmEH9RUsqRQsfNf5evZQDQPYL9KXg1ADeT7mkHkT -    blocks/\n' +
+      'QmPkWYfSLCEBLZu7BZt4kigGDMe3cpogMbeVf97gN2xJDN 3928 config\n' +
+      'QmUqyZtPmsRy1U5Mo8kz2BAMmk1hfJ7yW1KAFTMB2odsFv -    datastore/\n' +
+      'QmUhUuiTKkkK8J6JZ9zmj8iNHPuNfGYcszgRumzhHBxEEU -    init-docs/\n' +
+      'QmR56UJmAaZLXLdTT1ALrE9vVqV8soUEekm9BMd4FnuYqV 2    version\n'
+    )
+  })
+
+  it('supports multiple intermediate slashes', async function () {
+    this.timeout(20 * 1000)
+    const out = await ipfs('ls Qmaj2NmcyAXT8dFmZRRytE12wpcaHADzbChKToMEjBsj5Z///init-docs')
+    expect(out).to.eql(
+      'QmZTR5bcpQD7cFgTorqxZDYaew1Wqgfbd2ud9QqGPAkK2V 1677 about\n' +
+      'QmYCvbfNbCwFR45HiNP45rwJgvatpiW38D961L5qAhUM5Y 189  contact\n' +
+      'QmegvLXxpVKiZ4b57Xs1syfBVRd8CbucVHAp7KpLQdGieC -    docs/\n' +
+      'QmY5heUM5qgRubMDD1og9fhCPA6QdkMp3QCwd4s7gJsyE7 311  help\n' +
+      'QmdncfsVm2h5Kqq9hPmU7oAVX2zTSVP3L869tgTbPYnsha 1717 quick-start\n' +
+      'QmPZ9gcCEpqKTo6aq61g2nXGUhM4iCL3ewB6LDXZCtioEB 1091 readme\n' +
+      'QmTumTjvcYCAvRRwQ8sDRxh8ezmrcr88YFU7iYNroGGTBZ 1016 security-notes\n' +
+      'QmciSU8hfpAXKjvK5YLUSwApomGSWN5gFbP4EpDAEzu2Te -    tour/\n'
+    )
+  })
+
+  it('supports recursive listing through intermediate directories', async function () {
+    this.timeout(20 * 1000)
+    const out = await ipfs('ls -r Qmaj2NmcyAXT8dFmZRRytE12wpcaHADzbChKToMEjBsj5Z/blocks/CIQLB')
+    expect(out).to.eql(
+      'QmQ8ag7ysVyCMzJGFjxrUStwWtniQ69c7G9aezbmsKeNYD 10849 CIQLBK52T5EHVHZY5URTG5JS3JCUJDQM2DRB5RVF33DCUUOFJNGVDUI.data\n' +
+      'QmaSjzSSRanYzRGPXQY6m5SWfSkkfcnzNkurJEQc4chPJx 10807 CIQLBS5HG4PRCRQ7O4EBXFD5QN6MTI5YBYMCVQJDXPKCOVR6RMLHZFQ.data\n'
+    )
+  })
+
   it('prints nothing for non-existant hashes', async function () {
     if (thing.on) {
       // If the daemon is on, ls should search until it hits a timeout