diff --git a/pandoc.cabal b/pandoc.cabal
index c34d3d461..33104dcc9 100644
--- a/pandoc.cabal
+++ b/pandoc.cabal
@@ -361,7 +361,7 @@ library
                  process >= 1.2.3 && < 1.7,
                  directory >= 1 && < 1.4,
                  bytestring >= 0.9 && < 0.11,
-                 text >= 0.11 && < 1.3,
+                 text >= 1.1.1.0 && < 1.3,
                  time >= 1.5 && < 1.10,
                  safe >= 0.3 && < 0.4,
                  zip-archive >= 0.2.3.4 && < 0.4,
@@ -643,7 +643,7 @@ test-suite test-pandoc
                   pandoc-types >= 1.17.5 && < 1.18,
                   bytestring >= 0.9 && < 0.11,
                   base64-bytestring >= 0.1 && < 1.1,
-                  text >= 0.11 && < 1.3,
+                  text >= 1.1.1.0 && < 1.3,
                   time >= 1.5 && < 1.10,
                   directory >= 1 && < 1.4,
                   filepath >= 1.1 && < 1.5,
@@ -727,7 +727,7 @@ benchmark benchmark-pandoc
   build-depends:   pandoc,
                    time, bytestring, containers,
                    base >= 4.8 && < 5,
-                   text >= 0.11 && < 1.3,
+                   text >= 1.1.1.0 && < 1.3,
                    mtl >= 2.2 && < 2.3,
                    criterion >= 1.0 && < 1.6
   if impl(ghc < 8.0)
diff --git a/src/Text/Pandoc/Readers/LaTeX.hs b/src/Text/Pandoc/Readers/LaTeX.hs
index 96ee51293..518f09bd9 100644
--- a/src/Text/Pandoc/Readers/LaTeX.hs
+++ b/src/Text/Pandoc/Readers/LaTeX.hs
@@ -1301,7 +1301,7 @@ getRawCommand name txt = do
            _ | isFontSizeCommand name -> return ()
              | otherwise -> do
                skipopts
-               option "" (try (optional sp *> dimenarg))
+               option "" (try dimenarg)
                void $ many braced
   return $ T.unpack (txt <> untokenize rawargs)
 
diff --git a/src/Text/Pandoc/Readers/LaTeX/Parsing.hs b/src/Text/Pandoc/Readers/LaTeX/Parsing.hs
index 69bbf28d4..c5385bedc 100644
--- a/src/Text/Pandoc/Readers/LaTeX/Parsing.hs
+++ b/src/Text/Pandoc/Readers/LaTeX/Parsing.hs
@@ -105,7 +105,7 @@ import Text.Pandoc.Error (PandocError (PandocMacroLoop))
 import Text.Pandoc.Logging
 import Text.Pandoc.Options
 import Text.Pandoc.Parsing hiding (blankline, many, mathDisplay, mathInline,
-                            optional, space, spaces, withRaw, (<|>))
+                            space, spaces, withRaw, (<|>))
 import Text.Pandoc.Readers.LaTeX.Types (ExpansionPoint (..), Macro (..),
                                         ArgSpec (..), Tok (..), TokType (..))
 import Text.Pandoc.Shared
@@ -668,13 +668,19 @@ parenWrapped parser = try $ do
 
 dimenarg :: PandocMonad m => LP m Text
 dimenarg = try $ do
+  optional sp
   ch  <- option False $ True <$ symbol '='
-  Tok _ _ s <- satisfyTok isWordTok
-  guard $ T.take 2 (T.reverse s) `elem`
+  Tok _ _ s1 <- satisfyTok isWordTok
+  s2 <- option "" $ try $ do
+          symbol '.'
+          Tok _ _ t <-  satisfyTok isWordTok
+          return ("." <> t)
+  let s = s1 <> s2
+  guard $ T.takeEnd 2 s `elem`
            ["pt","pc","in","bp","cm","mm","dd","cc","sp"]
-  let num = T.take (T.length s - 2) s
+  let num = T.dropEnd 2 s
   guard $ T.length num > 0
-  guard $ T.all isDigit num
+  guard $ T.all (\c -> isDigit c || c == '.') num
   return $ T.pack ['=' | ch] <> s
 
 ignore :: (Monoid a, PandocMonad m) => String -> ParserT s u m a