diff --git a/jquery.timeago.js b/jquery.timeago.js
index 3a8f004..504f7dc 100644
--- a/jquery.timeago.js
+++ b/jquery.timeago.js
@@ -84,7 +84,8 @@
         years < 1.5 && substitute($l.year, 1) ||
         substitute($l.years, Math.round(years));
 
-      return $.trim([prefix, words, suffix].join($l.wordSeparator));
+      var separator = $l.wordSeparator === undefined ?  " " : $l.wordSeparator;
+      return $.trim([prefix, words, suffix].join(separator));
     },
     parse: function(iso8601) {
       var s = $.trim(iso8601);
diff --git a/test/test_helpers.js b/test/test_helpers.js
index b8cf36a..78f956e 100644
--- a/test/test_helpers.js
+++ b/test/test_helpers.js
@@ -36,8 +36,7 @@ function loadPigLatin() {
     month: "about-hay a-hay onth-may",
     months: "%d onths-may",
     year: "about-hay a-hay ear-yay",
-    years: "%d years-yay",
-    wordSeparator: " "
+    years: "%d years-yay"
   };
 }
 
@@ -72,8 +71,7 @@ function loadRussian() {
       month: "месяц",
       months: function(value) { return numpf(value, "%d месяц", "%d месяца", "%d месяцев"); },
       year: "год",
-      years: function(value) { return numpf(value, "%d год", "%d года", "%d лет"); },
-      wordSeparator: " "
+      years: function(value) { return numpf(value, "%d год", "%d года", "%d лет"); }
     };
   })();
 }