diff --git a/doc/tools/coqrst/coqdoc/main.py b/doc/tools/coqrst/coqdoc/main.py
index a3fc069e6c85..de0d912c03b7 100644
--- a/doc/tools/coqrst/coqdoc/main.py
+++ b/doc/tools/coqrst/coqdoc/main.py
@@ -48,28 +48,22 @@ def coqdoc(coq_code, coqdoc_bin=None):
     finally:
         os.remove(filename)
 
-def is_whitespace_string(elem):
-    return isinstance(elem, NavigableString) and elem.strip() == ""
-
-def strip_soup(soup, pred):
-    """Strip elements matching pred from front and tail of soup."""
-    while soup.contents and pred(soup.contents[-1]):
-        soup.contents.pop()
-
-    skip = 0
-    for elem in soup.contents:
-        if not pred(elem):
-            break
-        skip += 1
-
-    soup.contents[:] = soup.contents[skip:]
+def first_string_node(node):
+    """Return the first string node, or None if does not exist"""
+    while node.children:
+        node = next(node.children)
+        if isinstance(node, NavigableString):
+            return node
 
 def lex(source):
     """Convert source into a stream of (css_classes, token_string)."""
     coqdoc_output = coqdoc(source)
     soup = BeautifulSoup(coqdoc_output, "html.parser")
     root = soup.find(class_='code')
-    strip_soup(root, is_whitespace_string)
+    # strip the leading '\n'
+    first = first_string_node(root)
+    if first and first.string[0] == '\n':
+        first.string.replace_with(first.string[1:])
     for elem in root.children:
         if isinstance(elem, NavigableString):
             yield [], elem
diff --git a/doc/tools/coqrst/coqdomain.py b/doc/tools/coqrst/coqdomain.py
index 9d51d2198aeb..df11960403cc 100644
--- a/doc/tools/coqrst/coqdomain.py
+++ b/doc/tools/coqrst/coqdomain.py
@@ -905,9 +905,13 @@ def is_coqtop_block(node):
         return isinstance(node, nodes.Element) and 'coqtop_options' in node
 
     @staticmethod
-    def split_sentences(source):
-        """Split Coq sentences in source. Could be improved."""
-        return re.split(r"(?<=(?<!\.)\.)\s+", source)
+    def split_lines(source):
+        """Split Coq input in chunks
+
+        A chunk is a minimal sequence of consecutive lines of the input that
+        ends with a '.'
+        """
+        return re.split(r"(?<=(?<!\.)\.)\s+\n", source)
 
     @staticmethod
     def parse_options(node):
@@ -986,7 +990,7 @@ def add_coq_output_1(self, repl, node):
             repl.sendone('Unset Coqtop Exit On Error.')
         if options['warn']:
             repl.sendone('Set Warnings "default".')
-        for sentence in self.split_sentences(node.rawsource):
+        for sentence in self.split_lines(node.rawsource):
             pairs.append((sentence, repl.sendone(sentence)))
         if options['abort']:
             repl.sendone('Abort All.')