diff --git a/core/modern/out/out.factor b/core/modern/out/out.factor
index 5ce38b3849..a0b640b0bf 100644
--- a/core/modern/out/out.factor
+++ b/core/modern/out/out.factor
@@ -10,21 +10,13 @@ IN: modern.out
 symbol: last-slice
 
 : replace-whitespace ( string -- string' )
+    dup [ "\r\n" member? ] find drop [ tail ] when*
     [ dup blank? [ drop char: \s ] unless ] map ;
 
-: replace-first-whitespace ( string -- string' )
-    dup [ "\r\n" member? ] find drop [
-        tail replace-whitespace
-    ] when* ;
-
 : write-whitespace ( obj -- )
     [ last-slice get [ swap slice-between ] [ slice-before ] if* replace-whitespace io:write ]
     [ last-slice namespaces:set ] bi ;
 
-: write-first-whitespace ( obj -- )
-    [ last-slice get [ swap slice-between ] [ slice-before ] if* replace-first-whitespace io:write ]
-    [ last-slice namespaces:set ] bi ;
-
 defer: write-literal
 GENERIC: write-literal ( obj -- ) ;
 ! M: object write-literal lexed-underlying write ;
@@ -35,13 +27,13 @@ M: array write-literal [ write-literal ] each ;
 
 M: tag-literal write-literal
     {
-        [ seq>> 0 swap nth write-first-whitespace ]
+        [ seq>> 0 swap nth write-whitespace ]
         [ tag>> write ]
     } cleave ;
 
 M: single-matched-literal write-literal
     {
-        [ seq>> 0 swap nth write-first-whitespace ]
+        [ seq>> 0 swap nth write-whitespace ]
         [ tag>> write ]
         [ seq>> 1 swap nth write-whitespace ]
         [ delimiter>> write ]
@@ -52,7 +44,7 @@ M: single-matched-literal write-literal
 
 M: double-matched-literal write-literal
     {
-        [ seq>> 0 swap nth write-first-whitespace ]
+        [ seq>> 0 swap nth write-whitespace ]
         [ tag>> io:write ]
         [ seq>> 1 swap nth write-whitespace ]
         [ delimiter>> io:write ]
@@ -64,7 +56,7 @@ M: double-matched-literal write-literal
 
 M: dquote-literal write-literal
     {
-        [ seq>> 0 swap nth write-first-whitespace ]
+        [ seq>> 0 swap nth write-whitespace ]
         [ tag>> io:write ]
         [ seq>> 1 swap nth write-whitespace ]
         [ delimiter>> io:write ]
@@ -76,7 +68,7 @@ M: dquote-literal write-literal
 
 M: backtick-literal write-literal
     {
-        [ seq>> 0 swap nth write-first-whitespace ]
+        [ seq>> 0 swap nth write-whitespace ]
         [ tag>> io:write ]
         [ seq>> 1 swap nth write-whitespace ]
         [ delimiter>> io:write ]
@@ -86,7 +78,7 @@ M: backtick-literal write-literal
 
 M: backslash-literal write-literal
     {
-        [ seq>> 0 swap nth write-first-whitespace ]
+        [ seq>> 0 swap nth write-whitespace ]
         [ tag>> io:write ]
         [ seq>> 1 swap nth write-whitespace ]
         [ delimiter>> io:write ]
@@ -96,7 +88,7 @@ M: backslash-literal write-literal
 
 M: line-comment-literal write-literal
     {
-        [ seq>> 0 swap nth write-first-whitespace ]
+        [ seq>> 0 swap nth write-whitespace ]
         [ tag>> io:write ]
         [ seq>> 1 swap nth write-whitespace ]
         [ delimiter>> io:write ]
@@ -106,7 +98,7 @@ M: line-comment-literal write-literal
 
 M: uppercase-colon-literal write-literal
     {
-        [ seq>> 0 swap nth write-first-whitespace ]
+        [ seq>> 0 swap nth write-whitespace ]
         [ tag>> write ]
         [ seq>> 1 swap nth write-whitespace ]
         [ delimiter>> write ]
@@ -117,7 +109,7 @@ M: uppercase-colon-literal write-literal
 
 M: lowercase-colon-literal write-literal
     {
-        [ seq>> 0 swap nth write-first-whitespace ]
+        [ seq>> 0 swap nth write-whitespace ]
         [ tag>> io:write ]
         [ seq>> 1 swap nth write-whitespace ]
         [ delimiter>> io:write ]
@@ -126,7 +118,7 @@ M: lowercase-colon-literal write-literal
 
 M: left-decorator-literal write-literal
     {
-        [ seq>> 0 swap nth write-first-whitespace ]
+        [ seq>> 0 swap nth write-whitespace ]
         [ delimiter>> io:write ]
         [ payload>> write-literal ] ! don't need write-whitespace here, the recursion does it
     } cleave ;