diff --git a/autosubmit/job/job_list.py b/autosubmit/job/job_list.py
index 043e97f4f83f04b0a491455ff3a826a5726b4e6c..af80e2158d1c186dd85a54c7f5dabdea8195b835 100644
--- a/autosubmit/job/job_list.py
+++ b/autosubmit/job/job_list.py
@@ -628,17 +628,16 @@ class JobList(object):
         status = relationship.pop("STATUS", relationships.get("STATUS", None))
         from_step = relationship.pop("FROM_STEP", relationships.get("FROM_STEP", None))
         for filter_range, filter_data in relationship.items():
-            selected_filter = JobList._parse_filters_to_check(filter_range,values_list,level_to_check)
-            # check each value individually as 1 != 13 so in keyword is not enough
-            if value_to_check:
+            selected_filter = JobList._parse_filters_to_check(filter_range, values_list, level_to_check)
+            if filter_range.casefold() in ["ALL".casefold(),"NATURAL".casefold(),"NONE".casefold()] or not value_to_check:
+                included = True
+            else:
                 included = False
                 for value in selected_filter:
-                    if str(value_to_check).casefold() == str(value).casefold():
+                    if str(value).strip(" ").casefold() == str(value_to_check).strip(" ").casefold():
                         included = True
                         break
-            else:
-                inclued = True
-            if filter_range.casefold() in ["ALL".casefold(),"NATURAL".casefold()] or included:
+            if included:
                 if not filter_data.get("STATUS", None):
                     filter_data["STATUS"] = status
                 if not filter_data.get("FROM_STEP", None):
diff --git a/test/unit/test_dependencies.py b/test/unit/test_dependencies.py
index ab8b4e35726bfc60b5a44f1039d677062428e7f9..e787f4e5133bf8e4ef2866830da6117f6d5aef7d 100644
--- a/test/unit/test_dependencies.py
+++ b/test/unit/test_dependencies.py
@@ -562,5 +562,29 @@ class TestJobList(unittest.TestCase):
         result = self.JobList._valid_parent(self.mock_job, member_list, date_list, chunk_list, is_a_natural_relation, filter_,child)
         self.assertEqual(result, True)
 
+    def test_check_relationship(self):
+        relationships = {'MEMBERS_FROM': {'TestMember,   TestMember2,TestMember3   ': {'CHUNKS_TO': 'None', 'DATES_TO': 'None', 'FROM_STEP': None, 'MEMBERS_TO': 'None', 'STATUS': None}}}
+        level_to_check = "MEMBERS_FROM"
+        value_to_check = "TestMember"
+        result = self.JobList._check_relationship(relationships, level_to_check, value_to_check)
+        expected_output = [{'CHUNKS_TO': 'None', 'DATES_TO': 'None', 'FROM_STEP': None, 'MEMBERS_TO': 'None', 'STATUS': None}]
+        self.assertEqual(result, expected_output)
+        value_to_check = "TestMember2"
+        result = self.JobList._check_relationship(relationships, level_to_check, value_to_check)
+        expected_output = [{'CHUNKS_TO': 'None', 'DATES_TO': 'None', 'FROM_STEP': None, 'MEMBERS_TO': 'None', 'STATUS': None}]
+        self.assertEqual(result, expected_output)
+        value_to_check = "TestMember3"
+        result = self.JobList._check_relationship(relationships, level_to_check, value_to_check)
+        expected_output = [{'CHUNKS_TO': 'None', 'DATES_TO': 'None', 'FROM_STEP': None, 'MEMBERS_TO': 'None', 'STATUS': None}]
+        self.assertEqual(result, expected_output)
+        value_to_check = "TestMember   "
+        result = self.JobList._check_relationship(relationships, level_to_check, value_to_check)
+        expected_output = [{'CHUNKS_TO': 'None', 'DATES_TO': 'None', 'FROM_STEP': None, 'MEMBERS_TO': 'None', 'STATUS': None}]
+        self.assertEqual(result, expected_output)
+        value_to_check = "   TestMember"
+        result = self.JobList._check_relationship(relationships,level_to_check,value_to_check )
+        expected_output = [{'CHUNKS_TO': 'None', 'DATES_TO': 'None', 'FROM_STEP': None, 'MEMBERS_TO': 'None', 'STATUS': None}]
+        self.assertEqual(result, expected_output)
+
 if __name__ == '__main__':
     unittest.main()