diff --git a/changelog.d/14165.docker b/changelog.d/14165.docker
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..7f4bc62520
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelog.d/14165.docker
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Prevent a class of database sharding errors when using `Dockerfile-workers` to spawn multiple instances of the same worker. Contributed by Jason Little.
diff --git a/docker/configure_workers_and_start.py b/docker/configure_workers_and_start.py
index 4d78453418..60a5c10ea7 100755
--- a/docker/configure_workers_and_start.py
+++ b/docker/configure_workers_and_start.py
@@ -402,8 +402,8 @@ def generate_worker_files(
         # No workers, just the main process
         worker_types = []
     else:
-        # Split type names by comma
-        worker_types = worker_types_env.split(",")
+        # Split type names by comma, ignoring whitespace.
+        worker_types = [x.strip() for x in worker_types_env.split(",")]
 
     # Create the worker configuration directory if it doesn't already exist
     os.makedirs("/conf/workers", exist_ok=True)
@@ -422,8 +422,6 @@ def generate_worker_files(
 
     # For each worker type specified by the user, create config values
     for worker_type in worker_types:
-        worker_type = worker_type.strip()
-
         worker_config = WORKERS_CONFIG.get(worker_type)
         if worker_config:
             worker_config = worker_config.copy()