diff --git a/clang-tools-extra/clangd/Hover.h b/clang-tools-extra/clangd/Hover.h
--- a/clang-tools-extra/clangd/Hover.h
+++ b/clang-tools-extra/clangd/Hover.h
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@
   markup::Document present() const;
 };
 
-void parseLineBreaks(llvm::StringRef Input, markup::Document &Output);
+void parseDoucmentation(llvm::StringRef Input, markup::Document &Output);
 
 llvm::raw_ostream &operator<<(llvm::raw_ostream &, const HoverInfo::Param &);
 inline bool operator==(const HoverInfo::Param &LHS,
diff --git a/clang-tools-extra/clangd/Hover.cpp b/clang-tools-extra/clangd/Hover.cpp
--- a/clang-tools-extra/clangd/Hover.cpp
+++ b/clang-tools-extra/clangd/Hover.cpp
@@ -522,26 +522,15 @@
 }
 
 bool isParagraphLineBreak(llvm::StringRef Str, size_t LineBreakIndex) {
-  if (LineBreakIndex + 1 >= Str.size()) {
-    return false;
-  }
-  auto NextNonSpaceCharIndex = Str.find_first_not_of(' ', LineBreakIndex + 1);
-
-  return NextNonSpaceCharIndex != llvm::StringRef::npos &&
-         Str[NextNonSpaceCharIndex] == '\n';
-};
-
-bool isMardkownLineBreak(llvm::StringRef Str, size_t LineBreakIndex) {
-  return LineBreakIndex > 1 &&
-         (Str[LineBreakIndex - 1] == '\\' ||
-          (Str[LineBreakIndex - 1] == ' ' && Str[LineBreakIndex - 2] == ' '));
+  return Str.substr(LineBreakIndex + 1)
+      .drop_while([](auto C) { return C == ' ' || C == '\t'; })
+      .startswith("\n");
 };
 
 bool isPunctuationLineBreak(llvm::StringRef Str, size_t LineBreakIndex) {
   constexpr llvm::StringLiteral Punctuation = R"txt(.:,;!?)txt";
 
-  return LineBreakIndex > 0 &&
-         Punctuation.find(Str[LineBreakIndex - 1]) != llvm::StringRef::npos;
+  return LineBreakIndex > 0 && Punctuation.contains(Str[LineBreakIndex - 1]);
 };
 
 bool isFollowedByHardLineBreakIndicator(llvm::StringRef Str,
@@ -570,8 +559,7 @@
 };
 
 bool isHardLineBreak(llvm::StringRef Str, size_t LineBreakIndex) {
-  return isMardkownLineBreak(Str, LineBreakIndex) ||
-         isPunctuationLineBreak(Str, LineBreakIndex) ||
+  return isPunctuationLineBreak(Str, LineBreakIndex) ||
          isFollowedByHardLineBreakIndicator(Str, LineBreakIndex);
 }
 
@@ -707,7 +695,7 @@
   }
 
   if (!Documentation.empty())
-    parseLineBreaks(Documentation, Output);
+    parseDoucmentation(Documentation, Output);
 
   if (!Definition.empty()) {
     Output.addRuler();
@@ -730,8 +718,7 @@
   return Output;
 }
 
-// Tries to retain hard line breaks and drops soft line breaks.
-void parseLineBreaks(llvm::StringRef Input, markup::Document &Output) {
+void parseDoucmentation(llvm::StringRef Input, markup::Document &Output) {
 
   constexpr auto WhiteSpaceChars = "\t\n\v\f\r ";
 
@@ -741,17 +728,14 @@
 
   for (size_t CharIndex = 0; CharIndex < TrimmedInput.size();) {
     if (TrimmedInput[CharIndex] == '\n') {
-      // Trim whitespace infront of linebreak, also get rif of markdown
-      // linebreak character `\`
+      // Trim whitespace infront of linebreak
       const auto LastNonSpaceCharIndex =
-          CurrentLine.find_last_not_of(std::string(WhiteSpaceChars) + "\\") + 1;
+          CurrentLine.find_last_not_of(WhiteSpaceChars) + 1;
       CurrentLine.erase(LastNonSpaceCharIndex);
 
-      if (isParagraphLineBreak(TrimmedInput, CharIndex)) {
-        // TODO this should add an actual paragraph (double linebreak)
-        Output.addParagraph().appendText(CurrentLine);
-        CurrentLine = "";
-      } else if (isHardLineBreak(TrimmedInput, CharIndex)) {
+      if (isParagraphLineBreak(TrimmedInput, CharIndex) ||
+          isHardLineBreak(TrimmedInput, CharIndex)) {
+        // FIXME: maybe distinguish between line breaks and paragraphs
         Output.addParagraph().appendText(CurrentLine);
         CurrentLine = "";
       } else {
diff --git a/clang-tools-extra/clangd/unittests/HoverTests.cpp b/clang-tools-extra/clangd/unittests/HoverTests.cpp
--- a/clang-tools-extra/clangd/unittests/HoverTests.cpp
+++ b/clang-tools-extra/clangd/unittests/HoverTests.cpp
@@ -1889,6 +1889,26 @@
     llvm::StringRef ExpectedRenderMarkdown;
     llvm::StringRef ExpectedRenderPlainText;
   } Cases[] = {{
+                   " \n foo\nbar",
+                   "foo bar",
+                   "foo bar",
+               },
+               {
+                   "foo\nbar \n  ",
+                   "foo bar",
+                   "foo bar",
+               },
+               {
+                   "foo  \nbar",
+                   "foo bar",
+                   "foo bar",
+               },
+               {
+                   "foo    \nbar",
+                   "foo bar",
+                   "foo bar",
+               },
+               {
                    "foo\n\n\nbar",
                    "foo  \nbar",
                    "foo\nbar",
@@ -1908,79 +1928,11 @@
                    "foo.  \nbar",
                    "foo.\nbar",
                },
-               {
-                   "foo:\nbar",
-                   "foo:  \nbar",
-                   "foo:\nbar",
-               },
-               {
-                   "foo,\nbar",
-                   "foo,  \nbar",
-                   "foo,\nbar",
-               },
-               {
-                   "foo;\nbar",
-                   "foo;  \nbar",
-                   "foo;\nbar",
-               },
-               {
-                   "foo!\nbar",
-                   "foo!  \nbar",
-                   "foo!\nbar",
-               },
-               {
-                   "foo?\nbar",
-                   "foo?  \nbar",
-                   "foo?\nbar",
-               },
-               {
-                   "foo\n-bar",
-                   "foo  \n-bar",
-                   "foo\n-bar",
-               },
                {
                    "foo\n*bar",
-                   // TODO `*` should probably not be escaped after line break
                    "foo  \n\\*bar",
                    "foo\n*bar",
                },
-               {
-                   "foo\n@bar",
-                   "foo  \n@bar",
-                   "foo\n@bar",
-               },
-               {
-                   "foo\n\\bar",
-                   // TODO `\` should probably not be escaped after line break
-                   "foo  \n\\\\bar",
-                   "foo\n\\bar",
-               },
-               {
-                   "foo\n>bar",
-                   // TODO `>` should probably not be escaped after line break
-                   "foo  \n\\>bar",
-                   "foo\n>bar",
-               },
-               {
-                   "foo\n#bar",
-                   "foo  \n#bar",
-                   "foo\n#bar",
-               },
-               {
-                   "foo  \nbar",
-                   "foo  \nbar",
-                   "foo\nbar",
-               },
-               {
-                   "foo    \nbar",
-                   "foo  \nbar",
-                   "foo\nbar",
-               },
-               {
-                   "foo\\\nbar",
-                   "foo  \nbar",
-                   "foo\nbar",
-               },
                {
                    "foo\nbar",
                    "foo bar",
@@ -1989,7 +1941,7 @@
 
   for (const auto &C : Cases) {
     markup::Document Output;
-    parseLineBreaks(C.Documentation, Output);
+    parseDoucmentation(C.Documentation, Output);
 
     EXPECT_EQ(Output.asMarkdown(), C.ExpectedRenderMarkdown);
     EXPECT_EQ(Output.asPlainText(), C.ExpectedRenderPlainText);