diff --git a/scripts/kernel-doc b/scripts/kernel-doc
index 2dea5f81baef..c7109ca40ba4 100755
--- a/scripts/kernel-doc
+++ b/scripts/kernel-doc
@@ -230,6 +230,7 @@ my $dohighlight = "";
 
 my $verbose = 0;
 my $output_mode = "man";
+my $output_preformatted = 0;
 my $no_doc_sections = 0;
 my %highlights = %highlights_man;
 my $blankline = $blankline_man;
@@ -460,7 +461,9 @@ sub output_highlight {
 
     foreach $line (split "\n", $contents) {
 	if ($line eq ""){
-	    print $lineprefix, local_unescape($blankline);
+	    if (! $output_preformatted) {
+		print $lineprefix, local_unescape($blankline);
+	    }
 	} else {
 	    $line =~ s/\\\\\\/\&/g;
 	    if ($output_mode eq "man" && substr($line, 0, 1) eq ".") {
@@ -643,10 +646,12 @@ sub output_section_xml(%) {
 	print "<title>$section</title>\n";
 	if ($section =~ m/EXAMPLE/i) {
 	    print "<informalexample><programlisting>\n";
+	    $output_preformatted = 1;
 	} else {
 	    print "<para>\n";
 	}
 	output_highlight($args{'sections'}{$section});
+	$output_preformatted = 0;
 	if ($section =~ m/EXAMPLE/i) {
 	    print "</programlisting></informalexample>\n";
 	} else {
@@ -949,10 +954,12 @@ sub output_blockhead_xml(%) {
 	}
 	if ($section =~ m/EXAMPLE/i) {
 	    print "<example><para>\n";
+	    $output_preformatted = 1;
 	} else {
 	    print "<para>\n";
 	}
 	output_highlight($args{'sections'}{$section});
+	$output_preformatted = 0;
 	if ($section =~ m/EXAMPLE/i) {
 	    print "</para></example>\n";
 	} else {
@@ -1028,10 +1035,12 @@ sub output_function_gnome {
 	print "<simplesect>\n <title>$section</title>\n";
 	if ($section =~ m/EXAMPLE/i) {
 	    print "<example><programlisting>\n";
+	    $output_preformatted = 1;
 	} else {
 	}
 	print "<para>\n";
 	output_highlight($args{'sections'}{$section});
+	$output_preformatted = 0;
 	print "</para>\n";
 	if ($section =~ m/EXAMPLE/i) {
 	    print "</programlisting></example>\n";