diff --git a/doc/docs.md b/doc/docs.md
index 3263a5d42c..8b34a21a19 100644
--- a/doc/docs.md
+++ b/doc/docs.md
@@ -1635,7 +1635,7 @@ propagate the error:
 import net.http
 
 fn f(url string) ?string {
-    resp := http.get(url)?
+    resp := http.get(url) ?
     return resp.text
 }
 ```
diff --git a/vlib/v/fmt/fmt.v b/vlib/v/fmt/fmt.v
index 4e03611348..84399b4761 100644
--- a/vlib/v/fmt/fmt.v
+++ b/vlib/v/fmt/fmt.v
@@ -1136,7 +1136,7 @@ pub fn (mut f Fmt) or_expr(or_block ast.OrExpr) {
 			}
 		}
 		.propagate {
-			f.write('?')
+			f.write(' ?')
 		}
 	}
 }
diff --git a/vlib/v/fmt/tests/optional_propagate_keep.vv b/vlib/v/fmt/tests/optional_propagate_keep.vv
index bf287bd4d9..0cd4524f9e 100644
--- a/vlib/v/fmt/tests/optional_propagate_keep.vv
+++ b/vlib/v/fmt/tests/optional_propagate_keep.vv
@@ -1,3 +1,3 @@
 fn opt_propagate() ?int {
-	eventual_wrong_int()?
+	eventual_wrong_int() ?
 }
diff --git a/vlib/v/fmt/tests/orm_keep.vv b/vlib/v/fmt/tests/orm_keep.vv
index 7b2643bd2b..33c5a7917a 100644
--- a/vlib/v/fmt/tests/orm_keep.vv
+++ b/vlib/v/fmt/tests/orm_keep.vv
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ fn find_all_customers(db sqlite.DB) []Customer {
 }
 
 fn main() {
-	db := sqlite.connect('customers.db')?
+	db := sqlite.connect('customers.db') ?
 	// select count(*) from Customer
 	nr_customers := sql db {
 		select count from Customer