diff --git a/scripts/kernel-doc b/scripts/kernel-doc
index e417d93575b9..05aadac0612a 100755
--- a/scripts/kernel-doc
+++ b/scripts/kernel-doc
@@ -1579,7 +1579,7 @@ sub tracepoint_munge($) {
 sub syscall_munge() {
 	my $void = 0;
 
-	$prototype =~ s@[\r\n\t]+@ @gos; # strip newlines/CR's/tabs
+	$prototype =~ s@[\r\n]+@ @gos; # strip newlines/CR's
 ##	if ($prototype =~ m/SYSCALL_DEFINE0\s*\(\s*(a-zA-Z0-9_)*\s*\)/) {
 	if ($prototype =~ m/SYSCALL_DEFINE0/) {
 		$void = 1;
@@ -1778,6 +1778,8 @@ sub process_file($) {
 	while (s/\\\s*$//) {
 	    $_ .= <IN>;
 	}
+	# Replace tabs by spaces
+        while ($_ =~ s/\t+/' ' x (length($&) * 8 - length($`) % 8)/e) {};
 	if ($state == STATE_NORMAL) {
 	    if (/$doc_start/o) {
 		$state = STATE_NAME;	# next line is always the function name
@@ -1877,8 +1879,7 @@ sub process_file($) {
 		$in_purpose = 0;
 		$contents = $newcontents;
                 $new_start_line = $.;
-		while ((substr($contents, 0, 1) eq " ") ||
-		       substr($contents, 0, 1) eq "\t") {
+		while (substr($contents, 0, 1) eq " ") {
 		    $contents = substr($contents, 1);
 		}
 		if ($contents ne "") {
@@ -1947,8 +1948,7 @@ sub process_file($) {
 		$contents = $2;
                 $new_start_line = $.;
 		if ($contents ne "") {
-		    while ((substr($contents, 0, 1) eq " ") ||
-		           substr($contents, 0, 1) eq "\t") {
+		    while (substr($contents, 0, 1) eq " ") {
 			$contents = substr($contents, 1);
 		    }
 		    $contents .= "\n";