diff --git a/core/modern/out/out.factor b/core/modern/out/out.factor
index 558fb5a44c..76f219a2fb 100644
--- a/core/modern/out/out.factor
+++ b/core/modern/out/out.factor
@@ -34,8 +34,8 @@ M: single-matched-literal write-literal
         [ seq>> 1 swap nth write-whitespace ]
         [ delimiter>> write ]
         [ payload>> write-literal ] ! don't need write-whitespace here, the recursion does it
-        [ seq>> 3 swap nth lexed-underlying write-whitespace ]
-        [ closing-tag>> write ]
+        [ seq>> 3 swap nth lexed-underlying [ write-whitespace ] when* ]
+        [ closing-tag>> [ write ] when* ]
     } cleave ;
 
 M: double-matched-literal write-literal