diff --git a/packages/netlify-cms-core/src/lib/__tests__/urlHelper.spec.js b/packages/netlify-cms-core/src/lib/__tests__/urlHelper.spec.js
index f5d23d3b..9aeee36b 100644
--- a/packages/netlify-cms-core/src/lib/__tests__/urlHelper.spec.js
+++ b/packages/netlify-cms-core/src/lib/__tests__/urlHelper.spec.js
@@ -101,10 +101,14 @@ describe('sanitizeSlug', () => {
     expect(sanitizeSlug('test   test')).toEqual('test-test');
   });
 
-  it('removes trailing replacemenets', () => {
+  it('removes trailing replacements', () => {
     expect(sanitizeSlug('test   test   ')).toEqual('test-test');
   });
 
+  it('removes leading replacements', () => {
+    expect(sanitizeSlug('"test"    test')).toEqual('test-test');
+  });
+
   it('uses alternate replacements', () => {
     expect(sanitizeSlug('test   test   ', Map({ sanitize_replacement: '_' }))).toEqual('test_test');
   });
diff --git a/packages/netlify-cms-core/src/lib/urlHelper.js b/packages/netlify-cms-core/src/lib/urlHelper.js
index d851e4ef..f1592af9 100644
--- a/packages/netlify-cms-core/src/lib/urlHelper.js
+++ b/packages/netlify-cms-core/src/lib/urlHelper.js
@@ -83,11 +83,14 @@ export function sanitizeSlug(str, options = Map()) {
     partialRight(sanitizeFilename, { replacement }),
   ])(str);
 
-  // Remove any doubled or trailing replacement characters (that were added in the sanitizers).
+  // Remove any doubled or leading/trailing replacement characters (that were added in the sanitizers).
   const doubleReplacement = new RegExp(`(?:${escapeRegExp(replacement)})+`, 'g');
   const trailingReplacment = new RegExp(`${escapeRegExp(replacement)}$`);
+  const leadingReplacment = new RegExp(`^${escapeRegExp(replacement)}`);
+
   const normalizedSlug = sanitizedSlug
     .replace(doubleReplacement, replacement)
+    .replace(leadingReplacment, '')
     .replace(trailingReplacment, '');
 
   return normalizedSlug;