diff --git a/ApplicationCode/ProjectDataModel/RimCalculation.cpp b/ApplicationCode/ProjectDataModel/RimCalculation.cpp
index 8d223a35e0..1e414293a6 100644
--- a/ApplicationCode/ProjectDataModel/RimCalculation.cpp
+++ b/ApplicationCode/ProjectDataModel/RimCalculation.cpp
@@ -277,15 +277,17 @@ bool RimCalculation::calculate()
 //--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 QString RimCalculation::findLeftHandSide(const QString& expresion)
 {
-    QString exprWithSpace = expresion;
-    exprWithSpace.replace("\n", " ");
-
-    QStringList words = exprWithSpace.split(" ", QString::SkipEmptyParts);
-
-    int index = words.lastIndexOf(":=");
+    int index = expresion.lastIndexOf(":=");
     if (index > 0)
     {
-        return words[index - 1];
+        QString s = expresion.left(index).simplified();
+
+        QStringList words = s.split(" ");
+
+        if (words.size() > 0)
+        {
+            return words.back();
+        }
     }
 
     return "";
diff --git a/ApplicationCode/ProjectDataModel/RimCalculation.h b/ApplicationCode/ProjectDataModel/RimCalculation.h
index 7fc7126753..400884b80f 100644
--- a/ApplicationCode/ProjectDataModel/RimCalculation.h
+++ b/ApplicationCode/ProjectDataModel/RimCalculation.h
@@ -51,8 +51,9 @@ public:
     
     virtual caf::PdmFieldHandle*    userDescriptionField() override;
 
-private:
     static QString                  findLeftHandSide(const QString& expresion);
+
+private:
     RimCalculationVariable*         findByName(const QString& name) const;
 
     QString                         buildCalculationName() const;
diff --git a/ApplicationCode/UnitTests/RicExpressionParser-Test.cpp b/ApplicationCode/UnitTests/RicExpressionParser-Test.cpp
index bcbdf14cec..9617dd0d46 100644
--- a/ApplicationCode/UnitTests/RicExpressionParser-Test.cpp
+++ b/ApplicationCode/UnitTests/RicExpressionParser-Test.cpp
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 #include "gtest/gtest.h"
 
+#include "RimCalculation.h"
 
 #include "expressionparser/ExpressionParser.h"
 
@@ -46,3 +47,33 @@ TEST(RicExpressionParserTest, DetectVariables)
     EXPECT_STREQ(variables[3].toStdString().data(), "y");
 }
 
+//--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+/// 
+//--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+TEST(RicExpressionParserTest, FindLeftHandSide)
+{
+    {
+        QString expr = "c := a";
+
+        QString s = RimCalculation::findLeftHandSide(expr);
+
+        EXPECT_STREQ(s.toStdString().data(), "c");
+    }
+
+    {
+        QString expr = "c:=a";
+
+        QString s = RimCalculation::findLeftHandSide(expr);
+
+        EXPECT_STREQ(s.toStdString().data(), "c");
+    }
+
+    {
+        QString expr = "\na:=b\n\nc:=a";
+
+        QString s = RimCalculation::findLeftHandSide(expr);
+
+        EXPECT_STREQ(s.toStdString().data(), "c");
+    }
+}
+