diff --git a/lix-doc/src/lib.rs b/lix-doc/src/lib.rs
index 9c2e43f2f..27fe5c9b5 100644
--- a/lix-doc/src/lib.rs
+++ b/lix-doc/src/lib.rs
@@ -84,9 +84,13 @@ fn indented(s: &str, indent: usize) -> String {
 /// Cleans up a single line, erasing prefix single line comments but preserving indentation
 fn cleanup_single_line<'a>(s: &'a str) -> &'a str {
     let mut cmt_new_start = 0;
-    for (idx, ch) in s.char_indices() {
+    let mut iter = s.char_indices().peekable();
+    while let Some((idx, ch)) = iter.next() {
+        // peek at the next character, with an explicit '\n' as "next character" at end of line
+        let (_, next_ch) = iter.peek().unwrap_or(&(0, '\n'));
+
         // if we find a character, save the byte position after it as our new string start
-        if ch == '#' || ch == '*' {
+        if ch == '#' || (ch == '*' && next_ch.is_whitespace()) {
             cmt_new_start = idx + 1;
             break;
         }
@@ -206,7 +210,7 @@ fn visit_lambda(name: String, lambda: &Lambda) -> SearchResult {
     SearchResult {
         identifier: name,
         doc: comment,
-        param_block
+        param_block,
     }
 }
 
@@ -246,7 +250,7 @@ pub extern "C" fn nd_get_function_docs(
     filename: *const c_char,
     line: usize,
     col: usize,
-    ) -> *const c_char {
+) -> *const c_char {
     let fname = unsafe { CStr::from_ptr(filename) };
     fname
         .to_str()
@@ -257,9 +261,9 @@ pub extern "C" fn nd_get_function_docs(
                     eprintln!("panic!! {:#?}", e);
                     e
                 })
-            .ok()
+                .ok()
         })
-    .flatten()
+        .flatten()
         .and_then(|s| CString::new(s).ok())
         .map(|s| s.into_raw() as *const c_char)
         .unwrap_or(ptr::null())
@@ -319,8 +323,16 @@ mod tests {
         let ex1 = "    * a";
         let ex2 = "    # a";
         let ex3 = "   a";
+        let ex4 = "   *";
         assert_eq!(cleanup_single_line(ex1), " a");
         assert_eq!(cleanup_single_line(ex2), " a");
         assert_eq!(cleanup_single_line(ex3), ex3);
+        assert_eq!(cleanup_single_line(ex4), "");
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn test_single_line_retains_bold_headings() {
+        let ex1 = "   **Foo**:";
+        assert_eq!(cleanup_single_line(ex1), ex1);
     }
 }