diff --git a/inc/helpers/header/aksrt-header-navbar.php b/inc/helpers/header/aksrt-header-navbar.php
index d2576fd2..3693752c 100644
--- a/inc/helpers/header/aksrt-header-navbar.php
+++ b/inc/helpers/header/aksrt-header-navbar.php
@@ -343,7 +343,7 @@ if (!function_exists('aksrt_menu_button')) :
 			if ($unread > 0) {
 				$notification_but .= '<span class="aksrt-notification-badge">' . esc_html((string) min(99, $unread)) . '</span>';
 			}
-			$notification_but .= "</a></li>\n";
+			$notification_but .= '</a></li>';
 		}
 
 		$sign_but = '';
@@ -372,8 +372,8 @@ if (!function_exists('aksrt_menu_button')) :
 				. esc_attr__('打开搜索', 'aksrt') . '"><svg class="icon" aria-hidden="true"><use xlink:href="#icon-search"></use></svg></a></li>';
 		}
 
-		// Inline list items retain the reference whitespace between controls.
-		$sign_but .= "\n";
+		// Match the reference's adjacent inline items; text whitespace adds a gap
+		// before each divider on top of the list item's own horizontal padding.
 		$account = '<ul class="list-inline splitters relative">'
 			. $notification_but . $sign_but . $search_but . '</ul>';
 
diff --git a/tests/navigation/header-reference-contract.test.cjs b/tests/navigation/header-reference-contract.test.cjs
index 56113b07..18d7f2a3 100644
--- a/tests/navigation/header-reference-contract.test.cjs
+++ b/tests/navigation/header-reference-contract.test.cjs
@@ -51,6 +51,10 @@ foreach (['1', '2', '3'] as $layout) {
     ob_start(); aksrt_menu_button($ctx); $buttons = ob_get_clean();
     $results['desktop'][$layout][$userId] = $buttons;
   }
+  $ctx['message_icon_positions'] = ['nav_menu'];
+  $ctx['messages_url'] = 'https://example.test/messages';
+  $ctx['unread_count'] = 3;
+  ob_start(); aksrt_menu_button($ctx); $results['notifications'][$layout] = ob_get_clean();
 }
 foreach (['center', 'left'] as $mobileLayout) {
   $ctx = [
@@ -101,6 +105,24 @@ test('mobile search appears in the centered header or left drawer according to l
   assert.match(output.mobile.left.drawer, /class="toggle-radius main-search-btn"/);
 });
 
+test('account icons keep the reference spacing on both sides of each divider', () => {
+  const output = renderHeaderParts();
+  const lists = [
+    ...Object.values(output.desktop).flatMap((states) => Object.values(states)),
+    ...Object.values(output.notifications),
+  ];
+  for (const html of lists) {
+    const account = html.match(/<ul class="list-inline splitters relative">([\s\S]*?)<\/ul><\/div>/);
+    assert.ok(account, 'missing the account action list');
+    // Reference zib_menu_button concatenates the items directly. Whitespace
+    // between inline-block li elements adds a font-dependent gap before the
+    // following item's divider, beyond the shared 5px li / 12px button padding.
+    assert.doesNotMatch(account[1], /<\/li>\s+<li\b/, 'extra text space shifts the divider');
+    assert.doesNotMatch(account[1], /<\/li>\s+$/, 'trailing text space widens the action group');
+  }
+  assert.match(output.notifications['1'], /aksrt-nav-notification/);
+});
+
 test('header source restores the reference typography and Bootstrap control dimensions', () => {
   const css = read('assets/css/frontend/header-userbox.css');
   const mainCss = read('assets/css/main.css');