By replacing thermal concentration processes, high-pressure reverse osmosis has the potential to contribute to cost and energy savings regarding concepts for industrial water reuse. To provide a better understanding of the spiral-wound element behavior during high-pressure operation, this study focusses on the investigation of their performance by scrutinizing the crucial effect of the permeate-sided pressure drop induced by membrane-spacer interactions. The experiments show a considerable influence of membrane intrusion on the element performance with a strong dependence on the feed pressure.