diff --git a/helix-term/src/ui/completion.rs b/helix-term/src/ui/completion.rs
index a75a4d6c6..a24a07573 100644
--- a/helix-term/src/ui/completion.rs
+++ b/helix-term/src/ui/completion.rs
@@ -231,6 +231,12 @@ impl Component for Completion {
             // ---
             // option.documentation
 
+            let (view, doc) = cx.editor.current();
+            let language = doc
+                .language()
+                .and_then(|scope| scope.strip_prefix("source."))
+                .unwrap_or("");
+
             let doc = match &option.documentation {
                 Some(lsp::Documentation::String(contents))
                 | Some(lsp::Documentation::MarkupContent(lsp::MarkupContent {
@@ -239,7 +245,8 @@ impl Component for Completion {
                 })) => {
                     // TODO: convert to wrapped text
                     Markdown::new(format!(
-                        "```rust\n{}\n```\n{}",
+                        "```{}\n{}\n```\n{}",
+                        language,
                         option.detail.as_deref().unwrap_or_default(),
                         contents.clone()
                     ))
@@ -250,7 +257,8 @@ impl Component for Completion {
                 })) => {
                     // TODO: set language based on doc scope
                     Markdown::new(format!(
-                        "```rust\n{}\n```\n{}",
+                        "```{}\n{}\n```\n{}",
+                        language,
                         option.detail.as_deref().unwrap_or_default(),
                         contents.clone()
                     ))
@@ -260,7 +268,8 @@ impl Component for Completion {
 
                     // TODO: set language based on doc scope
                     Markdown::new(format!(
-                        "```rust\n{}\n```",
+                        "```{}\n{}\n```",
+                        language,
                         option.detail.as_deref().unwrap_or_default(),
                     ))
                 }
diff --git a/helix-term/src/ui/markdown.rs b/helix-term/src/ui/markdown.rs
index daac173da..be113747d 100644
--- a/helix-term/src/ui/markdown.rs
+++ b/helix-term/src/ui/markdown.rs
@@ -113,7 +113,8 @@ fn parse<'a>(contents: &'a str, theme: Option<&Theme>) -> tui::text::Text<'a> {
                                         while let Some(end) = slice.find('\n') {
                                             // emit span up to newline
                                             let text = &slice[..end];
-                                            let span = Span::styled(text.to_owned(), style);
+                                            let text = text.replace('\t', "    "); // replace tabs
+                                            let span = Span::styled(text, style);
                                             spans.push(span);
 
                                             // truncate slice to after newline
@@ -126,7 +127,8 @@ fn parse<'a>(contents: &'a str, theme: Option<&Theme>) -> tui::text::Text<'a> {
 
                                         // if there's anything left, emit it too
                                         if !slice.is_empty() {
-                                            let span = Span::styled(slice.to_owned(), style);
+                                            let span =
+                                                Span::styled(slice.replace('\t', "    "), style);
                                             spans.push(span);
                                         }
                                     }