diff --git a/src/Lean/DocString.lean b/src/Lean/DocString.lean
index fd6bb3ce9b..70d241e5a2 100644
--- a/src/Lean/DocString.lean
+++ b/src/Lean/DocString.lean
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ termination_by
   consumeSpaces n it r => (it, 1)
   saveLine it r => (it, 0)
 
-private def removeLeadingSpaces (s : String) : String :=
+def removeLeadingSpaces (s : String) : String :=
   let n := findLeadingSpacesSize s
   if n == 0 then s else removeNumLeadingSpaces n s
 
@@ -92,4 +92,9 @@ def getDocStringText [Monad m] [MonadError m] [MonadRef m] (stx : TSyntax `Lean.
   | Syntax.atom _ val => return val.extract 0 (val.endPos - ⟨2⟩)
   | _                 => throwErrorAt stx "unexpected doc string{indentD stx.raw[1]}"
 
+def TSyntax.getDocString (stx : TSyntax `Lean.Parser.Command.docComment) : String :=
+  match stx.raw[1] with
+  | Syntax.atom _ val => val.extract 0 (val.endPos - ⟨2⟩)
+  | _                 => panic! s!"unexpected doc string\n{stx.raw[1]}"
+
 end Lean
diff --git a/src/Lean/Meta/Tactic/Simp/SimpTheorems.lean b/src/Lean/Meta/Tactic/Simp/SimpTheorems.lean
index 8b523f8cf9..414b3cbd3b 100644
--- a/src/Lean/Meta/Tactic/Simp/SimpTheorems.lean
+++ b/src/Lean/Meta/Tactic/Simp/SimpTheorems.lean
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ import Lean.Meta.DiscrTree
 import Lean.Meta.AppBuilder
 import Lean.Meta.Eqns
 import Lean.Meta.Tactic.AuxLemma
+import Lean.DocString
 namespace Lean.Meta
 
 /--
@@ -415,12 +416,13 @@ def SimpTheoremsArray.isErased (thmsArray : SimpTheoremsArray) (thmId : Name) :
 def SimpTheoremsArray.isDeclToUnfold (thmsArray : SimpTheoremsArray) (declName : Name) : Bool :=
   thmsArray.any fun thms => thms.isDeclToUnfold declName
 
-macro (name := _root_.Lean.Parser.Command.registerSimpAttr) doc?:(docComment)?
-  "register_simp_attr" id:ident descr:str : command => do
+macro (name := _root_.Lean.Parser.Command.registerSimpAttr) doc:docComment
+  "register_simp_attr" id:ident : command => do
   let str := id.getId.toString
   let idParser := mkIdentFrom id (`Parser.Attr ++ id.getId)
-  `($[$doc?]? initialize ext : SimpExtension ← registerSimpAttr $(quote id.getId) $descr $(quote id.getId)
-    $[$doc?]? syntax (name := $idParser:ident) $(quote str):str (Parser.Tactic.simpPre <|> Parser.Tactic.simpPost)? (prio)? : attr)
+  let descr := quote (removeLeadingSpaces doc.getDocString)
+  `($doc:docComment initialize ext : SimpExtension ← registerSimpAttr $(quote id.getId) $descr $(quote id.getId)
+    $doc:docComment syntax (name := $idParser:ident) $(quote str):str (Parser.Tactic.simpPre <|> Parser.Tactic.simpPost)? (prio)? : attr)
 
 end Meta
 
diff --git a/tests/lean/run/1374.lean b/tests/lean/run/1374.lean
index a0c3b741c8..d8fafdfca6 100644
--- a/tests/lean/run/1374.lean
+++ b/tests/lean/run/1374.lean
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ register_builtin_option testb : Nat := {
 }
 
 /-- My new simp attribute -/
-register_simp_attr mysimp "my simp attr"
+register_simp_attr mysimp
 
 /-- config elab -/
 declare_config_elab elabSimpConfig' Lean.Meta.Simp.Config
diff --git a/tests/pkg/user_attr/UserAttr/BlaAttr.lean b/tests/pkg/user_attr/UserAttr/BlaAttr.lean
index efcaf85273..dd652db07b 100644
--- a/tests/pkg/user_attr/UserAttr/BlaAttr.lean
+++ b/tests/pkg/user_attr/UserAttr/BlaAttr.lean
@@ -4,8 +4,8 @@ open Lean
 
 initialize blaAttr : TagAttribute ← registerTagAttribute `bla "simple user defined attribute"
 
-/-- My new simp attribute -/
-register_simp_attr my_simp "my own simp attribute"
+/-- My own new simp attribute. -/
+register_simp_attr my_simp
 
 syntax (name := foo) "foo" num "important"? : attr