diff --git a/src/Lean/Elab/DeclModifiers.lean b/src/Lean/Elab/DeclModifiers.lean
index a0f0ae3b94..2dbb1c0d13 100644
--- a/src/Lean/Elab/DeclModifiers.lean
+++ b/src/Lean/Elab/DeclModifiers.lean
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ def expandOptDocComment? [Monad m] [MonadError m] (optDocComment : Syntax) : m (
   | none   => pure none
   | some s => match s[1] with
     | Syntax.atom _ val => pure (some (val.extract 0 (val.bsize - 2)))
-    | _                 => throwErrorAt s "unexpected doc string {s[1]}"
+    | _                 => throwErrorAt s "unexpected doc string{indentD s[1]}"
 
 section Methods
 
@@ -93,7 +93,7 @@ def elabModifiers (stx : Syntax) : m Modifiers := do
     | none   => pure none
     | some s => match s[1] with
       | Syntax.atom _ val => pure (some (val.extract 0 (val.bsize - 2)))
-      | _                 => throwErrorAt s "unexpected doc string {s[1]}"
+      | _                 => throwErrorAt s "unexpected doc string{indentD s[1]}"
   let visibility ← match visibilityStx.getOptional? with
     | none   => pure Visibility.regular
     | some v =>