diff --git a/lib/package/plugins/_pluginUtil.js b/lib/package/plugins/_pluginUtil.js
index d9ee63a8..53b02226 100644
--- a/lib/package/plugins/_pluginUtil.js
+++ b/lib/package/plugins/_pluginUtil.js
@@ -76,6 +76,9 @@ const validateFunctionArgs = (expr, fnStart, argsStart, end) => {
   // if (argsString.includes(' ')) {
   //   return {fn, error: 'spaces in argument string'};
   // }
+  if (argsString != "" && argsString.trim() == "") {
+    return { fn, error: "spaces between parens" };
+  }
   if (argsString == "" && !ZERO_ARG_FUNCTIONS.includes(fn)) {
     return { fn, error: `empty arg string` };
   }
diff --git a/test/specs/testTemplateCheck.js b/test/specs/testTemplateCheck.js
index 3c239bda..0d9be3dc 100644
--- a/test/specs/testTemplateCheck.js
+++ b/test/specs/testTemplateCheck.js
@@ -17,62 +17,79 @@
 /* jslint esversion:9 */
 
 const assert = require("assert"),
-      pu = require("../../lib/package/plugins/_pluginUtil.js");
+  pu = require("../../lib/package/plugins/_pluginUtil.js");
 
-describe("TemplateCheck", function() {
+describe("TemplateCheck", function () {
   const testCases = [
-          ["{}", "empty function name at position 1"],
-          ["{a}", undefined],
-          ["{{a}", 'unexpected character at position 1: {'],
-          ["{{a}}", 'unexpected character at position 1: {'],
-          ["{[]}", 'unexpected character at position 1: ['],
-          ["{a[]}", 'unexpected character at position 2: ['],
-          ["{a", 'unterminated curly brace'],
-          ["}a", 'unexpected close curly at position 0'],
-          ["{a}}", 'unexpected close curly at position 3'],
-          ["}a{", 'unexpected close curly at position 0'],
-          ["{a}b", undefined],
-          ["{a}{b}", undefined],
-          ["{a}.{b}", undefined],
-          ["{a.b}", undefined],
-          ["{3}", 'unexpected character at position 1: 3'],
-          ["{timeFormatUTCMs(propertyset.set1.timeformat,system.timestamp)}", undefined],
-          ["{timeFormatUTCMs(propertyset.set1.timeformat,system.timestamp) }",
-           'unexpected character at position 62:  '],
-          [`{  "organization": "{organization.name}", "environment": "{environment.name}" } `, undefined],
-          [`{  "organization": "{organization.name}", "environment": "{environment.{name}}" } `,
-           'unexpected character at position 71: {'],
-          [`{  "organization": "{organization.name}", "other": {"environment": "{environment.name}" } } `,
-           undefined],
-          ["{createUuid()}", undefined],
-          ["{createUuid( )}", 'spaces in argument string for function createUuid'],
-          ["{timeFormatUTCMs()}", 'empty arg string for function timeFormatUTCMs'],
-          ["{notARealfunction()}", 'unsupported function name (notARealfunction)'],
-          ["{createUuid[]}", 'unexpected character at position 11: ['],
-          ["{ createUuid() }", undefined], // but ineffective
-        ];
+    ["{}", "empty function name at position 1"],
+    ["{a}", undefined],
+    ["{{a}", "unexpected character at position 1: {"],
+    ["{{a}}", "unexpected character at position 1: {"],
+    ["{[]}", "unexpected character at position 1: ["],
+    ["{a[]}", "unexpected character at position 2: ["],
+    ["{a", "unterminated curly brace"],
+    ["}a", "unexpected close curly at position 0"],
+    ["{a}}", "unexpected close curly at position 3"],
+    ["}a{", "unexpected close curly at position 0"],
+    ["{a}b", undefined],
+    ["{a}{b}", undefined],
+    ["{a}.{b}", undefined],
+    ["{a.b}", undefined],
+    ["{3}", "unexpected character at position 1: 3"],
+    [
+      "{timeFormatUTCMs(propertyset.set1.timeformat,system.timestamp)}",
+      undefined,
+    ],
+    [
+      "{timeFormatUTCMs(propertyset.set1.timeformat,system.timestamp) }",
+      "unexpected character at position 62:  ",
+    ],
+    [
+      `{  "organization": "{organization.name}", "environment": "{environment.name}" } `,
+      undefined,
+    ],
+    [
+      `{  "organization": "{organization.name}", "environment": "{environment.{name}}" } `,
+      "unexpected character at position 71: {",
+    ],
+    [
+      `{  "organization": "{organization.name}", "other": {"environment": "{environment.name}" } } `,
+      undefined,
+    ],
+    ["{createUuid()}", undefined],
+    ["{createUuid( )}", "spaces between parens for function createUuid"],
+    ["{timeFormatUTCMs()}", "empty arg string for function timeFormatUTCMs"],
+    ["{notARealfunction()}", "unsupported function name (notARealfunction)"],
+    ["{createUuid[]}", "unexpected character at position 11: ["],
+    ["{ createUuid() }", undefined], // but ineffective
+  ];
 
-  testCases.forEach( (item, _ix) => {
+  testCases.forEach((item, _ix) => {
     const [expression, expectedError] = item;
-    it(`validateTemplate (${expression}) should return ${expectedError}`, function() {
+    it(`validateTemplate (${expression}) should return ${expectedError}`, function () {
       const actualResult = pu.validateTemplate(expression);
       assert.equal(actualResult, expectedError);
     });
   });
 });
 
-describe("PropertySetRefCheck", function() {
+describe("PropertySetRefCheck", function () {
   const testCases = [
-          ["{foo.bar}", undefined],
-          ["{foo.bar}.{var2}.setting", 'there is more than one dot in the template result'],
-          ["foo.bar.var2.setting", 'there are 3 dots ( !=1 ) in the template result'],
-          ["{foo.bar}.setting", undefined],
-          ["{foo.bar}.{flow.var2}", undefined],
-        ];
+    ["{foo.bar}", undefined],
+    [
+      "{foo.bar}.{var2}.setting",
+      "there is more than one dot in the template result",
+    ],
+    ["foo.bar.var2.setting", "there are 3 dots ( !=1 ) in the template result"],
+    ["{foo.bar}.setting", undefined],
+    ["{foo.bar}.{flow.var2}", undefined],
+  ];
 
-  testCases.forEach( (item, _ix) => {
+  testCases.forEach((item, _ix) => {
     const [expression, expectedResult] = item;
-    it(`PropertySetRef (${expression}) should be ${expectedResult?'valid':'not valid'}`, function() {
+    it(`PropertySetRef (${expression}) should be ${
+      expectedResult ? "valid" : "not valid"
+    }`, function () {
       const actualResult = pu.validatePropertySetRef(expression);
       assert.equal(actualResult, expectedResult);
     });