diff --git a/.pre-commit-config.yaml b/.pre-commit-config.yaml
index 9643905..5daa52d 100644
--- a/.pre-commit-config.yaml
+++ b/.pre-commit-config.yaml
@@ -61,6 +61,7 @@ repos:
       - id: file-contents-sorter
         files: spelling_private_dict\.txt$
       - id: trailing-whitespace
+        exclude: ^tests/test_doccmd/.*\.txt$
   - repo: https://github.com/pre-commit/pygrep-hooks
     rev: v1.10.0
     hooks:
diff --git a/src/doccmd/__init__.py b/src/doccmd/__init__.py
index 6956bee..f809157 100644
--- a/src/doccmd/__init__.py
+++ b/src/doccmd/__init__.py
@@ -426,17 +426,17 @@ def _run_args_against_docs(
     help=(
         """\
         The marker used to identify code blocks to be skipped.
-        \b
+
         By default, code blocks which come just after a comment matching 'skip
         doccmd[all]: next' are skipped (e.g. `.. skip doccmd[all]: next` in
         reStructuredText, `<!--- skip doccmd[all]: next -->` in Markdown, or
         `% skip doccmd[all]: next` in MyST).
-        \b
+
         When using this option, those, and code blocks which come just after a
         comment including the given marker are ignored. For example, if the
         given marker is 'type-check', code blocks which come just after a
         comment matching 'skip doccmd[type-check]: next' are also skipped.
-        \b
+
         This marker is matched using a regular expression.
         """
     ),
diff --git a/tests/test_doccmd/test_help.txt b/tests/test_doccmd/test_help.txt
index aff7052..878e629 100644
--- a/tests/test_doccmd/test_help.txt
+++ b/tests/test_doccmd/test_help.txt
@@ -22,18 +22,22 @@ Options:
                                   other files, e.g. for ignoring in linter
                                   configurations.  [default: doccmd; required]
   --skip-marker TEXT              The marker used to identify code blocks to be
-                                  skipped.  By default, code blocks which come
-                                  just after a comment matching 'skip
-                                  doccmd[all]: next' are skipped (e.g. `.. skip
-                                  doccmd[all]: next` in reStructuredText, `<!---
-                                  skip doccmd[all]: next -->` in Markdown, or `%
-                                  skip doccmd[all]: next` in MyST).  When using
-                                  this option, those, and code blocks which come
-                                  just after a comment including the given
-                                  marker are ignored. For example, if the given
-                                  marker is 'type-check', code blocks which come
-                                  just after a comment matching 'skip
-                                  doccmd[type-check]: next' are also skipped. 
+                                  skipped.
+                                  
+                                  By default, code blocks which come just after
+                                  a comment matching 'skip doccmd[all]: next'
+                                  are skipped (e.g. `.. skip doccmd[all]: next`
+                                  in reStructuredText, `<!--- skip doccmd[all]:
+                                  next -->` in Markdown, or `% skip doccmd[all]:
+                                  next` in MyST).
+                                  
+                                  When using this option, those, and code blocks
+                                  which come just after a comment including the
+                                  given marker are ignored. For example, if the
+                                  given marker is 'type-check', code blocks
+                                  which come just after a comment matching 'skip
+                                  doccmd[type-check]: next' are also skipped.
+                                  
                                   This marker is matched using a regular
                                   expression.
   --pad-file / --no-pad-file      Run the command against a temporary file