diff --git a/nselib/stdnse.lua b/nselib/stdnse.lua
index 276e991c1..9e9a93e8b 100644
--- a/nselib/stdnse.lua
+++ b/nselib/stdnse.lua
@@ -440,7 +440,7 @@ local function format_output_sub(status, data, indent)
 	-- Initialize the output string to blank (or, if we're at the top, add a newline)
 	local output = ""
 	if(not(indent)) then
-		output = ' \n'
+		output = '\n'
 	end
 
 	if(not(status)) then
@@ -556,7 +556,7 @@ function format_output(status, data, indent)
 	local result = format_output_sub(status, data, indent)
 
 	-- Check for an empty result
-	if(result == nil or #result == "" or result == "\n" or result == " \n") then
+	if(result == nil or #result == "" or result == "\n" or result == "\n") then
 		return nil
 	end
 
diff --git a/scripts/asn-query.nse b/scripts/asn-query.nse
index 5bdd329f9..05e47fa28 100644
--- a/scripts/asn-query.nse
+++ b/scripts/asn-query.nse
@@ -457,6 +457,6 @@ function nice_output( output, combined_records )
   end
 
   -- return combined and formatted answers
-  return (" \n%s"):format( table.concat( output, "\n" ) )
+  return "\n" .. table.concat( output, "\n" )
 
 end
diff --git a/scripts/citrix-brute-xml.nse b/scripts/citrix-brute-xml.nse
index 328bc8531..5e652b0a3 100644
--- a/scripts/citrix-brute-xml.nse
+++ b/scripts/citrix-brute-xml.nse
@@ -99,7 +99,7 @@ function create_result_from_table(accounts)
 		result = result .. "  " .. account.username .. ":" .. account.password .. " => " .. account.message .. "\n"
 	end
 	
-	return " \n" .. result
+	return "\n" .. result
 end
 
 action = function(host, port)
diff --git a/scripts/daap-get-library.nse b/scripts/daap-get-library.nse
index 7186da00c..dfe39ea93 100644
--- a/scripts/daap-get-library.nse
+++ b/scripts/daap-get-library.nse
@@ -326,7 +326,7 @@ action = function(host, port)
 	local output = stdnse.format_output( true, results )
 	
 	if limit > 0 then
-		output = output .. string.format(" \n\nOutput limited to %d items", limit )
+		output = output .. string.format("\n\nOutput limited to %d items", limit )
 	end
 	
 	return output
diff --git a/scripts/dns-zone-transfer.nse b/scripts/dns-zone-transfer.nse
index 9695a674d..52e0a8239 100644
--- a/scripts/dns-zone-transfer.nse
+++ b/scripts/dns-zone-transfer.nse
@@ -406,5 +406,5 @@ action = function(host, port)
 	end
 
 	soc:close()
-	return ' \n' .. tab.dump(table)
+	return '\n' .. tab.dump(table)
 end
diff --git a/scripts/firewalk.nse b/scripts/firewalk.nse
index 79b6e01fc..94e04109d 100644
--- a/scripts/firewalk.nse
+++ b/scripts/firewalk.nse
@@ -442,6 +442,6 @@ action = function(host)
   sock:ip_close()
   pcap:pcap_close()
 
-  return " \n" .. report(ports, fwdports)
+  return "\n" .. report(ports, fwdports)
 end
 
diff --git a/scripts/ldap-search.nse b/scripts/ldap-search.nse
index c63a4b62b..04f3b5959 100644
--- a/scripts/ldap-search.nse
+++ b/scripts/ldap-search.nse
@@ -213,7 +213,7 @@ function action(host,port)
 		-- catch any softerrors
 		if searchResEntries.resultCode ~= 0 then
 			local output = stdnse.format_output(true, result )
-			output = output .. string.format(" \n\n\n=========== %s ===========", searchResEntries.errorMessage )
+			output = output .. string.format("\n\n\n=========== %s ===========", searchResEntries.errorMessage )
 			
 			return output
 		end
@@ -233,7 +233,7 @@ function action(host,port)
 	local output = stdnse.format_output(true, result )
 	
 	if ( maxObjects ~= -1 and objCount == maxObjects ) then
-		output = output .. (" \n\nResult limited to %d objects (see ldap.maxobjects)"):format(maxObjects)
+		output = output .. ("\n\nResult limited to %d objects (see ldap.maxobjects)"):format(maxObjects)
 	end
 	
 	return output
diff --git a/scripts/qscan.nse b/scripts/qscan.nse
index 0596e775c..aac85d8a9 100644
--- a/scripts/qscan.nse
+++ b/scripts/qscan.nse
@@ -507,6 +507,6 @@ action = function(host)
 
 	calcfamilies(stats, conf)
 
-	return " \n" .. report(stats)
+	return "\n" .. report(stats)
 end
 
diff --git a/scripts/smb-enum-processes.nse b/scripts/smb-enum-processes.nse
index 5558ade05..0403e5186 100644
--- a/scripts/smb-enum-processes.nse
+++ b/scripts/smb-enum-processes.nse
@@ -283,7 +283,7 @@ action = function(host)
 	if nmap.verbosity() == 0 then
 		response = "|_ " .. stdnse.strjoin(", ", names)
 	else
-		response = " \n" .. psl_print(psl, nmap.verbosity())
+		response = "\n" .. psl_print(psl, nmap.verbosity())
 	end
 
 	return response
diff --git a/scripts/whois.nse b/scripts/whois.nse
index c7250a7b8..3ac16d516 100644
--- a/scripts/whois.nse
+++ b/scripts/whois.nse
@@ -1281,14 +1281,14 @@ function format_data_for_output( data )
       for _, field_name in ipairs( fields ) do
         if type( field_name ) == "string" and data[object_name][field_name] then
 
-          output[#output+1] = " \n"
+          output[#output+1] = "\n"
           output[#output+1] = field_name
           output[#output+1] = ": "
           output[#output+1] = data[object_name][field_name]
 
         elseif type( field_name ) == "table" then
 
-          output[#output+1] = " \n"
+          output[#output+1] = "\n"
 
           for _, field_name_sameline in ipairs( field_name ) do
             if type( field_name_sameline ) == "string" and data[object_name][field_name_sameline] then