diff --git a/rustfmt-core/src/comment.rs b/rustfmt-core/src/comment.rs
index 67678f59074..14749d4db12 100644
--- a/rustfmt-core/src/comment.rs
+++ b/rustfmt-core/src/comment.rs
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@
 
 // Formatting and tools for comments.
 
-use std::{self, iter};
+use std::{self, iter, borrow::Cow};
 
 use syntax::codemap::Span;
 
@@ -154,6 +154,9 @@ pub fn combine_strs_with_missing_comments(
     shape: Shape,
     allow_extend: bool,
 ) -> Option<String> {
+    let mut result =
+        String::with_capacity(prev_str.len() + next_str.len() + shape.indent.width() + 128);
+    result.push_str(prev_str);
     let mut allow_one_line = !prev_str.contains('\n') && !next_str.contains('\n');
     let first_sep = if prev_str.is_empty() || next_str.is_empty() {
         ""
@@ -163,20 +166,18 @@ pub fn combine_strs_with_missing_comments(
     let mut one_line_width =
         last_line_width(prev_str) + first_line_width(next_str) + first_sep.len();
 
-    let indent_str = shape.indent.to_string(context.config);
+    let config = context.config;
+    let indent = shape.indent;
     let missing_comment = rewrite_missing_comment(span, shape, context)?;
 
     if missing_comment.is_empty() {
         if allow_extend && prev_str.len() + first_sep.len() + next_str.len() <= shape.width {
-            return Some(format!("{}{}{}", prev_str, first_sep, next_str));
-        } else {
-            let sep = if prev_str.is_empty() {
-                String::new()
-            } else {
-                String::from("\n") + &indent_str
-            };
-            return Some(format!("{}{}{}", prev_str, sep, next_str));
+            result.push_str(first_sep);
+        } else if !prev_str.is_empty() {
+            result.push_str(&indent.to_string_with_newline(config))
         }
+        result.push_str(next_str);
+        return Some(result);
     }
 
     // We have a missing comment between the first expression and the second expression.
@@ -193,32 +194,35 @@ pub fn combine_strs_with_missing_comments(
 
     one_line_width -= first_sep.len();
     let first_sep = if prev_str.is_empty() || missing_comment.is_empty() {
-        String::new()
+        Cow::from("")
     } else {
         let one_line_width = last_line_width(prev_str) + first_line_width(&missing_comment) + 1;
         if prefer_same_line && one_line_width <= shape.width {
-            String::from(" ")
+            Cow::from(" ")
         } else {
-            format!("\n{}", indent_str)
+            indent.to_string_with_newline(config)
         }
     };
+    result.push_str(&first_sep);
+    result.push_str(&missing_comment);
+
     let second_sep = if missing_comment.is_empty() || next_str.is_empty() {
-        String::new()
+        Cow::from("")
     } else if missing_comment.starts_with("//") {
-        format!("\n{}", indent_str)
+        indent.to_string_with_newline(config)
     } else {
         one_line_width += missing_comment.len() + first_sep.len() + 1;
         allow_one_line &= !missing_comment.starts_with("//") && !missing_comment.contains('\n');
         if prefer_same_line && allow_one_line && one_line_width <= shape.width {
-            String::from(" ")
+            Cow::from(" ")
         } else {
-            format!("\n{}", indent_str)
+            indent.to_string_with_newline(config)
         }
     };
-    Some(format!(
-        "{}{}{}{}{}",
-        prev_str, first_sep, missing_comment, second_sep, next_str,
-    ))
+    result.push_str(&second_sep);
+    result.push_str(next_str);
+
+    Some(result)
 }
 
 pub fn rewrite_doc_comment(orig: &str, shape: Shape, config: &Config) -> Option<String> {
diff --git a/rustfmt-core/src/shape.rs b/rustfmt-core/src/shape.rs
index 8fe2e2b18c0..1c98052c493 100644
--- a/rustfmt-core/src/shape.rs
+++ b/rustfmt-core/src/shape.rs
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ pub struct Indent {
 // INDENT_BUFFER.len() = 80
 const INDENT_BUFFER_LEN: usize = 80;
 const INDENT_BUFFER: &str =
-    "                                                                                ";
+    "\n                                                                               ";
 impl Indent {
     pub fn new(block_indent: usize, alignment: usize) -> Indent {
         Indent {
@@ -74,16 +74,27 @@ pub fn width(&self) -> usize {
     }
 
     pub fn to_string(&self, config: &Config) -> Cow<'static, str> {
+        self.to_string_inner(config, 1)
+    }
+
+    pub fn to_string_with_newline(&self, config: &Config) -> Cow<'static, str> {
+        self.to_string_inner(config, 0)
+    }
+
+    pub fn to_string_inner(&self, config: &Config, offset: usize) -> Cow<'static, str> {
         let (num_tabs, num_spaces) = if config.hard_tabs() {
             (self.block_indent / config.tab_spaces(), self.alignment)
         } else {
             (0, self.width())
         };
         let num_chars = num_tabs + num_spaces;
-        if num_tabs == 0 && num_chars <= INDENT_BUFFER_LEN {
-            Cow::from(&INDENT_BUFFER[0..num_chars])
+        if num_tabs == 0 && num_chars + offset <= INDENT_BUFFER_LEN {
+            Cow::from(&INDENT_BUFFER[offset..num_chars + 1])
         } else {
-            let mut indent = String::with_capacity(num_chars);
+            let mut indent = String::with_capacity(num_chars + if offset == 0 { 1 } else { 0 });
+            if offset == 0 {
+                indent.push('\n');
+            }
             for _ in 0..num_tabs {
                 indent.push('\t')
             }