diff --git a/lib/gis/parser_local_proto.h b/lib/gis/parser_local_proto.h
index 43a4ab0cd29..0db86b61a9e 100644
--- a/lib/gis/parser_local_proto.h
+++ b/lib/gis/parser_local_proto.h
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ void G__md_print_python_short_version(FILE *file, const char *indent,
 void G__md_print_cli_long_version(FILE *file, const char *indent);
 void G__md_print_python_long_version(FILE *file, const char *indent,
                                      bool tools_api);
-void G__md_print_escaped(FILE *f, const char *str);
+void G__md_print_escaped(FILE *f, const char *str, const char *indent);
 void G__md_print_escaped_for_options(FILE *f, const char *str);
 int G__option_num_tuple_items(const struct Option *opt);
 
diff --git a/lib/gis/parser_md_cli.c b/lib/gis/parser_md_cli.c
index 9d687d20bb3..a2a263c06a2 100644
--- a/lib/gis/parser_md_cli.c
+++ b/lib/gis/parser_md_cli.c
@@ -35,15 +35,15 @@ void print_cli_flag(FILE *file, const char *key, const char *label,
     fprintf(file, "\n");
     if (label != NULL) {
         fprintf(file, "%s", indent);
-        G__md_print_escaped(file, "\t");
-        G__md_print_escaped(file, label);
+        G__md_print_escaped(file, "\t", indent);
+        G__md_print_escaped(file, label, indent);
         fprintf(file, MD_NEWLINE);
         fprintf(file, "\n");
     }
     if (description != NULL) {
         fprintf(file, "%s", indent);
-        G__md_print_escaped(file, "\t");
-        G__md_print_escaped(file, description);
+        G__md_print_escaped(file, "\t", indent);
+        G__md_print_escaped(file, description, indent);
     }
 }
 
@@ -82,8 +82,8 @@ void print_cli_option(FILE *file, const struct Option *opt, const char *indent)
     fprintf(file, "\n");
     if (opt->label) {
         fprintf(file, "%s", indent);
-        G__md_print_escaped(file, "\t");
-        G__md_print_escaped(file, opt->label);
+        G__md_print_escaped(file, "\t", indent);
+        G__md_print_escaped(file, opt->label, indent);
     }
     if (opt->description) {
         if (opt->label) {
@@ -91,15 +91,15 @@ void print_cli_option(FILE *file, const struct Option *opt, const char *indent)
             fprintf(file, "\n");
         }
         fprintf(file, "%s", indent);
-        G__md_print_escaped(file, "\t");
-        G__md_print_escaped(file, opt->description);
+        G__md_print_escaped(file, "\t", indent);
+        G__md_print_escaped(file, opt->description, indent);
     }
 
     if (opt->options) {
         fprintf(file, MD_NEWLINE);
         fprintf(file, "\n");
         fprintf(file, "%s", indent);
-        G__md_print_escaped(file, "\t");
+        G__md_print_escaped(file, "\t", indent);
         fprintf(file, "%s: *", _("Allowed values"));
         G__md_print_escaped_for_options(file, opt->options);
         fprintf(file, "*");
@@ -109,10 +109,10 @@ void print_cli_option(FILE *file, const struct Option *opt, const char *indent)
         fprintf(file, MD_NEWLINE);
         fprintf(file, "\n");
         fprintf(file, "%s", indent);
-        G__md_print_escaped(file, "\t");
+        G__md_print_escaped(file, "\t", indent);
         fprintf(file, "%s:", _("Default"));
         fprintf(file, " *");
-        G__md_print_escaped(file, opt->def);
+        G__md_print_escaped(file, opt->def, indent);
         fprintf(file, "*");
     }
 
@@ -137,19 +137,19 @@ void print_cli_option(FILE *file, const struct Option *opt, const char *indent)
                         thumbnails = "northarrows";
 
                     if (thumbnails) {
-                        G__md_print_escaped(file, "\t\t");
+                        G__md_print_escaped(file, "\t\t", indent);
                         fprintf(file, "![%s](%s/%s.png) ", opt->opts[i],
                                 thumbnails, opt->opts[i]);
                     }
                     else {
-                        G__md_print_escaped(file, "\t\t");
+                        G__md_print_escaped(file, "\t\t", indent);
                     }
                 }
-                G__md_print_escaped(file, "\t");
+                G__md_print_escaped(file, "\t", indent);
                 fprintf(file, "**");
-                G__md_print_escaped(file, opt->opts[i]);
+                G__md_print_escaped(file, opt->opts[i], indent);
                 fprintf(file, "**: ");
-                G__md_print_escaped(file, opt->descs[i]);
+                G__md_print_escaped(file, opt->descs[i], indent);
             }
             i++;
         }
diff --git a/lib/gis/parser_md_common.c b/lib/gis/parser_md_common.c
index a26c50d76c9..d3d888b34aa 100644
--- a/lib/gis/parser_md_common.c
+++ b/lib/gis/parser_md_common.c
@@ -26,17 +26,27 @@
         fputs(escaped, f);    \
         break
 
-void G__md_print_escaped(FILE *f, const char *str)
+void G__md_print_escaped(FILE *f, const char *str, const char *indent)
 {
     const char *s;
-
     for (s = str; *s; s++) {
         switch (*s) {
-            do_escape('\n', "\\\n");
-            do_escape('\t', "    ");
-            do_escape('<', "&lt;");
-            do_escape('>', "&gt;");
-            do_escape('*', "\\*");
+        case '\n':
+            fputs(MD_NEWLINE "\n", f);
+            fputs(indent, f);
+            break;
+        case '\t':
+            fputs("&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;", f);
+            break;
+        case '<':
+            fputs("&lt;", f);
+            break;
+        case '>':
+            fputs("&gt;", f);
+            break;
+        case '*':
+            fputs("\\*", f);
+            break;
         default:
             fputc(*s, f);
         }
diff --git a/lib/gis/parser_md_python.c b/lib/gis/parser_md_python.c
index e370961023c..e7eb1ec111d 100644
--- a/lib/gis/parser_md_python.c
+++ b/lib/gis/parser_md_python.c
@@ -36,21 +36,21 @@ void print_python_short_flag(FILE *file, const char *key, const char *label,
                              const char *description, const char *indent)
 {
     fprintf(file, "%s", indent);
-    G__md_print_escaped(file, "\t");
+    G__md_print_escaped(file, "\t", indent);
     fprintf(file, "**%s**", key);
     fprintf(file, MD_NEWLINE);
     fprintf(file, "\n");
     if (label != NULL) {
         fprintf(file, "%s", indent);
-        G__md_print_escaped(file, "\t\t");
-        G__md_print_escaped(file, label);
+        G__md_print_escaped(file, "\t\t", indent);
+        G__md_print_escaped(file, label, indent);
         fprintf(file, MD_NEWLINE);
         fprintf(file, "\n");
     }
     if (description != NULL) {
         fprintf(file, "%s", indent);
-        G__md_print_escaped(file, "\t\t");
-        G__md_print_escaped(file, description);
+        G__md_print_escaped(file, "\t\t", indent);
+        G__md_print_escaped(file, description, indent);
     }
 }
 
@@ -62,20 +62,20 @@ void print_python_long_flag(FILE *file, const char *key, const char *label,
     fprintf(file, "\n");
     if (label != NULL) {
         fprintf(file, "%s", indent);
-        G__md_print_escaped(file, "\t");
-        G__md_print_escaped(file, label);
+        G__md_print_escaped(file, "\t", indent);
+        G__md_print_escaped(file, label, indent);
         fprintf(file, MD_NEWLINE);
         fprintf(file, "\n");
     }
     if (description != NULL) {
         fprintf(file, "%s", indent);
-        G__md_print_escaped(file, "\t");
-        G__md_print_escaped(file, description);
+        G__md_print_escaped(file, "\t", indent);
+        G__md_print_escaped(file, description, indent);
         fprintf(file, MD_NEWLINE);
         fprintf(file, "\n");
     }
     fprintf(file, "%s", indent);
-    G__md_print_escaped(file, "\t");
+    G__md_print_escaped(file, "\t", indent);
     const char *flag_default = "*None*";
     fprintf(file, "Default: %s", flag_default);
 }
@@ -172,8 +172,8 @@ void print_python_option(FILE *file, const struct Option *opt,
     fprintf(file, "\n");
     if (opt->label) {
         fprintf(file, "%s", indent);
-        G__md_print_escaped(file, "\t");
-        G__md_print_escaped(file, opt->label);
+        G__md_print_escaped(file, "\t", indent);
+        G__md_print_escaped(file, opt->label, indent);
     }
     if (opt->description) {
         if (opt->label) {
@@ -181,14 +181,14 @@ void print_python_option(FILE *file, const struct Option *opt,
             fprintf(file, "\n");
         }
         fprintf(file, "%s", indent);
-        G__md_print_escaped(file, "\t");
-        G__md_print_escaped(file, opt->description);
+        G__md_print_escaped(file, "\t", indent);
+        G__md_print_escaped(file, opt->description, indent);
     }
     if (opt->gisprompt || opt->key_desc) {
         fprintf(file, MD_NEWLINE);
         fprintf(file, "\n");
         fprintf(file, "%s", indent);
-        G__md_print_escaped(file, "\t");
+        G__md_print_escaped(file, "\t", indent);
         fprintf(file, "%s: ", _("Used as"));
     }
     if (opt->gisprompt) {
@@ -213,7 +213,7 @@ void print_python_option(FILE *file, const struct Option *opt,
         fprintf(file, MD_NEWLINE);
         fprintf(file, "\n");
         fprintf(file, "%s", indent);
-        G__md_print_escaped(file, "\t");
+        G__md_print_escaped(file, "\t", indent);
         fprintf(file, "%s: *", _("Allowed values"));
         G__md_print_escaped_for_options(file, opt->options);
         fprintf(file, "*");
@@ -240,19 +240,19 @@ void print_python_option(FILE *file, const struct Option *opt,
                         thumbnails = "northarrows";
 
                     if (thumbnails) {
-                        G__md_print_escaped(file, "\t\t");
+                        G__md_print_escaped(file, "\t\t", indent);
                         fprintf(file, "![%s](%s/%s.png) ", opt->opts[i],
                                 thumbnails, opt->opts[i]);
                     }
                     else {
-                        G__md_print_escaped(file, "\t\t");
+                        G__md_print_escaped(file, "\t\t", indent);
                     }
                 }
-                G__md_print_escaped(file, "\t");
+                G__md_print_escaped(file, "\t", indent);
                 fprintf(file, "**");
-                G__md_print_escaped(file, opt->opts[i]);
+                G__md_print_escaped(file, opt->opts[i], indent);
                 fprintf(file, "**: ");
-                G__md_print_escaped(file, opt->descs[i]);
+                G__md_print_escaped(file, opt->descs[i], indent);
             }
             i++;
         }
@@ -262,10 +262,10 @@ void print_python_option(FILE *file, const struct Option *opt,
         fprintf(file, MD_NEWLINE);
         fprintf(file, "\n");
         fprintf(file, "%s", indent);
-        G__md_print_escaped(file, "\t");
+        G__md_print_escaped(file, "\t", indent);
         fprintf(file, "%s:", _("Default"));
         fprintf(file, " *");
-        G__md_print_escaped(file, opt->def);
+        G__md_print_escaped(file, opt->def, indent);
         fprintf(file, "*");
     }
 }
@@ -465,12 +465,12 @@ void G__md_print_python_short_version(FILE *file, const char *indent,
                 if (!tuple_items &&
                     (opt->type == TYPE_INTEGER || opt->type == TYPE_DOUBLE)) {
                     fprintf(file, "*");
-                    G__md_print_escaped(file, opt->answer);
+                    G__md_print_escaped(file, opt->answer, indent);
                     fprintf(file, "*");
                 }
                 else {
                     fprintf(file, "*\"");
-                    G__md_print_escaped(file, opt->answer);
+                    G__md_print_escaped(file, opt->answer, indent);
                     fprintf(file, "\"*");
                 }
             }
@@ -529,7 +529,7 @@ void G__md_print_python_long_version(FILE *file, const char *indent,
         fprintf(file, MD_NEWLINE);
         fprintf(file, "\n");
         fprintf(file, "%s", indent);
-        G__md_print_escaped(file, "\t");
+        G__md_print_escaped(file, "\t", indent);
         fprintf(file, "Allowed values: ");
         flag = &st->first_flag;
         while (st->n_flags && flag != NULL) {