diff --git a/src/commands.cc b/src/commands.cc
index 779e8d6d..443e4b62 100644
--- a/src/commands.cc
+++ b/src/commands.cc
@@ -1163,9 +1163,9 @@ void define_command(const ParametersParser& parser, Context& context, const Shel
         };
     }
 
-    auto docstring = trim_whitespaces(parser.get_switch("docstring").value_or(StringView{}));
+    auto docstring = trim_indent(parser.get_switch("docstring").value_or(StringView{}));
 
-    cm.register_command(cmd_name, cmd, docstring.str(), desc, flags, CommandHelper{}, completer);
+    cm.register_command(cmd_name, cmd, docstring, desc, flags, CommandHelper{}, completer);
 }
 
 const CommandDesc define_command_cmd = {
@@ -1590,7 +1590,7 @@ const CommandDesc declare_option_cmd = {
         if (parser.get_switch("hidden"))
             flags = OptionFlags::Hidden;
 
-        auto docstring = trim_whitespaces(parser.get_switch("docstring").value_or(StringView{})).str();
+        auto docstring = trim_indent(parser.get_switch("docstring").value_or(StringView{}));
         OptionsRegistry& reg = GlobalScope::instance().option_registry();
 
 
@@ -1672,7 +1672,7 @@ const CommandDesc map_key_cmd = {
 
         KeyList mapping = parse_keys(parser[3]);
         keymaps.map_key(key[0], keymap_mode, std::move(mapping),
-                        trim_whitespaces(parser.get_switch("docstring").value_or("")).str());
+                        trim_indent(parser.get_switch("docstring").value_or("")));
     }
 };
 
diff --git a/src/string_utils.cc b/src/string_utils.cc
index 3073a870..348526e9 100644
--- a/src/string_utils.cc
+++ b/src/string_utils.cc
@@ -19,6 +19,36 @@ StringView trim_whitespaces(StringView str)
     return {beg, end};
 }
 
+String trim_indent(StringView str)
+{
+    if (str.empty())
+        return {};
+    else if (str[0_byte] != '\n')
+        return trim_whitespaces(str).str();
+
+    str = str.substr(1_byte);
+    const CharCount docstring_length = str.char_length();
+
+    CharCount level_indent = 0;
+    while (level_indent < docstring_length
+           and is_horizontal_blank(str[level_indent]))
+        level_indent++;
+
+    if (level_indent >= docstring_length or not level_indent)
+        return trim_whitespaces(str).str();
+
+    const auto str_indent = str.substr(0, level_indent);
+    auto s = str | split<StringView>('\n') | transform([&](auto&& line) {
+        if (line.empty())
+            return line;
+        else if (not prefix_match(line, str_indent))
+            throw runtime_error("inconsistent indentation in the string");
+
+        return line.substr(str_indent.char_length());
+    });
+
+    return trim_whitespaces(join(s, '\n', false)).str();
+}
 
 String escape(StringView str, StringView characters, char escape)
 {
@@ -379,6 +409,14 @@ UnitTest test_string{[]()
     kak_assert(wrapped2[1] == "unknown");
     kak_assert(wrapped2[2] == "type");
 
+    kak_assert(trim_indent(" ") == "");
+    kak_assert(trim_indent("no-indent") == "no-indent");
+    kak_assert(trim_indent("\nno-indent") == "no-indent");
+    kak_assert(trim_indent("\n  indent\n  indent") == "indent\nindent");
+    kak_assert(trim_indent("\n  indent\n    indent") == "indent\n  indent");
+
+    kak_expect_throw(runtime_error, trim_indent("\n  indent\nno-indent"));
+
     kak_assert(escape(R"(\youpi:matin:tchou\:)", ":\\", '\\') == R"(\\youpi\:matin\:tchou\\\:)");
     kak_assert(unescape(R"(\\youpi\:matin\:tchou\\\:)", ":\\", '\\') == R"(\youpi:matin:tchou\:)");
 
diff --git a/src/string_utils.hh b/src/string_utils.hh
index 928070d3..9c31d767 100644
--- a/src/string_utils.hh
+++ b/src/string_utils.hh
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ namespace Kakoune
 {
 
 StringView trim_whitespaces(StringView str);
+String trim_indent(StringView str);
 
 String escape(StringView str, StringView characters, char escape);
 String unescape(StringView str, StringView characters, char escape);