diff --git a/jbmc/regression/jbmc/simplify-classid-of-interface/test_no_simplify_vccs.desc b/jbmc/regression/jbmc/simplify-classid-of-interface/test_no_simplify_vccs.desc
index 2fc1c821c29..c79401ad1fe 100644
--- a/jbmc/regression/jbmc/simplify-classid-of-interface/test_no_simplify_vccs.desc
+++ b/jbmc/regression/jbmc/simplify-classid-of-interface/test_no_simplify_vccs.desc
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ Test.class
 --function Test.main --no-simplify --unwind 10 --show-vcc
 ^EXIT=0$
 ^SIGNAL=0$
-"java::Impl1" = cast\(\{ \{ "java::Impl1"\}, 0\}, struct \{ struct \{ string @class_identifier \} @java.lang.Object \}\)\.@java.lang.Object\.@class_identifier
+"java::Impl1" = cast\(\{ \{ "java::Impl1" \}, 0 \}, struct \{ struct \{ string @class_identifier \} @java.lang.Object \}\)\.@java.lang.Object\.@class_identifier
 --
 ^warning: ignoring
 --
diff --git a/src/util/format_expr.cpp b/src/util/format_expr.cpp
index d9ec271b34f..35c9e828749 100644
--- a/src/util/format_expr.cpp
+++ b/src/util/format_expr.cpp
@@ -294,7 +294,7 @@ std::ostream &format_rec(std::ostream &os, const exprt &expr)
       os << format(op);
     }
 
-    return os << '}';
+    return os << " }";
   }
   else if(id == ID_if)
   {
diff --git a/src/util/format_type.cpp b/src/util/format_type.cpp
index 3f361a10fb3..54cbfe2a264 100644
--- a/src/util/format_type.cpp
+++ b/src/util/format_type.cpp
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ std::ostream &format_rec(std::ostream &os, const typet &type)
   const auto &id = type.id();
 
   if(id == ID_pointer)
-    return os << '*' << format(to_pointer_type(type).subtype());
+    return os << format(to_pointer_type(type).subtype()) << '*';
   else if(id == ID_array)
   {
     const auto &t = to_array_type(type);