diff --git a/examples/blob/cli/blobcli.c b/examples/blob/cli/blobcli.c
index 695115c69..047b442e5 100644
--- a/examples/blob/cli/blobcli.c
+++ b/examples/blob/cli/blobcli.c
@@ -405,7 +405,7 @@ show_bs_cb(void *arg1, spdk_blob_id blobid, int bserrno)
 	printf("\nBlobstore Private Info:\n");
 	printf("\tMetadata start (pages): %" PRIu64 "\n",
 	       cli_context->bs->md_start);
-	printf("\tMetadata length (pages): %d \n",
+	printf("\tMetadata length (pages): %d\n",
 	       cli_context->bs->md_len);
 
 	unload_bs(cli_context, "", 0);
diff --git a/examples/ioat/verify/verify.c b/examples/ioat/verify/verify.c
index 4089bc800..66c9b8c77 100644
--- a/examples/ioat/verify/verify.c
+++ b/examples/ioat/verify/verify.c
@@ -426,7 +426,7 @@ dump_result(struct thread_entry *threads, uint32_t num_threads)
 		total_failed += t->xfer_failed;
 		total_failed += t->fill_failed;
 		if (t->xfer_completed || t->xfer_failed)
-			printf("lcore = %d, copy success = %ld, copy failed = %ld, fill success = %ld, fill failed = %ld \n",
+			printf("lcore = %d, copy success = %ld, copy failed = %ld, fill success = %ld, fill failed = %ld\n",
 			       t->lcore_id, t->xfer_completed, t->xfer_failed, t->fill_completed, t->fill_failed);
 	}
 	return total_failed ? 1 : 0;
diff --git a/examples/nvme/identify/identify.c b/examples/nvme/identify/identify.c
index 5fa7b6f7f..8368a94ee 100644
--- a/examples/nvme/identify/identify.c
+++ b/examples/nvme/identify/identify.c
@@ -954,7 +954,7 @@ print_controller(struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr *ctrlr, const struct spdk_nvme_transport
 				printf("Wear Leveling Count:\n");
 				printf("  Normalized Value : %d\n",
 				       intel_smart_page.attributes[i].normalized_value);
-				printf("  Current Raw Value: \n");
+				printf("  Current Raw Value:\n");
 				printf("  Min: ");
 				print_uint_var_dec(&intel_smart_page.attributes[i].raw_value[0], 2);
 				printf("\n");
@@ -1010,7 +1010,7 @@ print_controller(struct spdk_nvme_ctrlr *ctrlr, const struct spdk_nvme_transport
 				printf("Thermal Throttle Status:\n");
 				printf("  Normalized Value : %d\n",
 				       intel_smart_page.attributes[i].normalized_value);
-				printf("  Current Raw Value: \n");
+				printf("  Current Raw Value:\n");
 				printf("  Percentage: %d%%\n", intel_smart_page.attributes[i].raw_value[0]);
 				printf("  Throttling Event Count: ");
 				print_uint_var_dec(&intel_smart_page.attributes[i].raw_value[1], 4);
diff --git a/examples/nvme/nvme_manage/nvme_manage.c b/examples/nvme/nvme_manage/nvme_manage.c
index 8a023d7aa..5add47e46 100644
--- a/examples/nvme/nvme_manage/nvme_manage.c
+++ b/examples/nvme/nvme_manage/nvme_manage.c
@@ -315,7 +315,7 @@ get_controller(void)
 		display_controller(iter, CONTROLLER_DISPLAY_SIMPLISTIC);
 	}
 
-	printf("Please Input PCI Address(domain:bus:dev.func): \n");
+	printf("Please Input PCI Address(domain:bus:dev.func):\n");
 
 	while ((ch = getchar()) != '\n' && ch != EOF);
 	p = get_line(address, 64, stdin);
@@ -409,7 +409,7 @@ get_allocated_nsid(struct dev *dev)
 
 	spdk_dma_free(ns_list);
 
-	printf("Please Input Namespace ID: \n");
+	printf("Please Input Namespace ID:\n");
 	if (!scanf("%u", &nsid)) {
 		printf("Invalid Namespace ID\n");
 		nsid = 0;
@@ -567,21 +567,21 @@ add_ns(void)
 		return;
 	}
 
-	printf("Please Input Namespace Size (in LBAs): \n");
+	printf("Please Input Namespace Size (in LBAs):\n");
 	if (!scanf("%" SCNi64, &ns_size)) {
 		printf("Invalid Namespace Size\n");
 		while (getchar() != '\n');
 		return;
 	}
 
-	printf("Please Input Namespace Capacity (in LBAs): \n");
+	printf("Please Input Namespace Capacity (in LBAs):\n");
 	if (!scanf("%" SCNi64, &ns_capacity)) {
 		printf("Invalid Namespace Capacity\n");
 		while (getchar() != '\n');
 		return;
 	}
 
-	printf("Please Input Data Protection Type (0 - 3): \n");
+	printf("Please Input Data Protection Type (0 - 3):\n");
 	if (!scanf("%d", &ns_dps_type)) {
 		printf("Invalid Data Protection Type\n");
 		while (getchar() != '\n');
@@ -589,7 +589,7 @@ add_ns(void)
 	}
 
 	if (SPDK_NVME_FMT_NVM_PROTECTION_DISABLE != ns_dps_type) {
-		printf("Please Input Data Protection Location (1: Head; 0: Tail): \n");
+		printf("Please Input Data Protection Location (1: Head; 0: Tail):\n");
 		if (!scanf("%d", &ns_dps_location)) {
 			printf("Invalid Data Protection Location\n");
 			while (getchar() != '\n');
@@ -597,7 +597,7 @@ add_ns(void)
 		}
 	}
 
-	printf("Please Input Multi-path IO and Sharing Capabilities (1: Share; 0: Private): \n");
+	printf("Please Input Multi-path IO and Sharing Capabilities (1: Share; 0: Private):\n");
 	if (!scanf("%d", &ns_nmic)) {
 		printf("Invalid Multi-path IO and Sharing Capabilities\n");
 		while (getchar() != '\n');
@@ -625,7 +625,7 @@ delete_ns(void)
 		return;
 	}
 
-	printf("Please Input Namespace ID: \n");
+	printf("Please Input Namespace ID:\n");
 	if (!scanf("%d", &ns_id)) {
 		printf("Invalid Namespace ID\n");
 		while (getchar() != '\n');
@@ -667,7 +667,7 @@ format_nvm(void)
 		ns_id = SPDK_NVME_GLOBAL_NS_TAG;
 		ns = spdk_nvme_ctrlr_get_ns(ctrlr->ctrlr, 1);
 	} else {
-		printf("Please Input Namespace ID (1 - %d): \n", cdata->nn);
+		printf("Please Input Namespace ID (1 - %d):\n", cdata->nn);
 		if (!scanf("%d", &ns_id)) {
 			printf("Invalid Namespace ID\n");
 			while (getchar() != '\n');
@@ -684,7 +684,7 @@ format_nvm(void)
 
 	nsdata = spdk_nvme_ns_get_data(ns);
 
-	printf("Please Input Secure Erase Setting: \n");
+	printf("Please Input Secure Erase Setting:\n");
 	printf("	0: No secure erase operation requested\n");
 	printf("	1: User data erase\n");
 	if (cdata->fna.crypto_erase_supported) {
@@ -703,7 +703,7 @@ format_nvm(void)
 	}
 
 	if (nsdata->lbaf[lbaf].ms) {
-		printf("Please Input Protection Information: \n");
+		printf("Please Input Protection Information:\n");
 		printf("	0: Protection information is not enabled\n");
 		printf("	1: Protection information is enabled, Type 1\n");
 		printf("	2: Protection information is enabled, Type 2\n");
@@ -715,7 +715,7 @@ format_nvm(void)
 		}
 
 		if (pi) {
-			printf("Please Input Protection Information Location: \n");
+			printf("Please Input Protection Information Location:\n");
 			printf("	0: Protection information transferred as the last eight bytes of metadata\n");
 			printf("	1: Protection information transferred as the first eight bytes of metadata\n");
 			if (!scanf("%d", &pil)) {
@@ -727,7 +727,7 @@ format_nvm(void)
 			pil = 0;
 		}
 
-		printf("Please Input Metadata Setting: \n");
+		printf("Please Input Metadata Setting:\n");
 		printf("	0: Metadata is transferred as part of a separate buffer\n");
 		printf("	1: Metadata is transferred as part of an extended data LBA\n");
 		if (!scanf("%d", &ms)) {
@@ -832,7 +832,7 @@ update_firmware_image(void)
 	}
 	close(fd);
 
-	printf("Please Input Slot(0 - 7): \n");
+	printf("Please Input Slot(0 - 7):\n");
 	if (!scanf("%d", &slot)) {
 		printf("Invalid Slot\n");
 		spdk_dma_free(fw_image);
diff --git a/lib/bdev/malloc/bdev_malloc.c b/lib/bdev/malloc/bdev_malloc.c
index a460dc5ae..915d282fe 100644
--- a/lib/bdev/malloc/bdev_malloc.c
+++ b/lib/bdev/malloc/bdev_malloc.c
@@ -469,7 +469,7 @@ bdev_malloc_get_spdk_running_config(FILE *fp)
 			"\n"
 			"# Users may change this section to create a different number or size of\n"
 			"# malloc LUNs.\n"
-			"# This will generate %d LUNs with a malloc-allocated backend. Each LUN \n"
+			"# This will generate %d LUNs with a malloc-allocated backend. Each LUN\n"
 			"# will be %" PRIu64 "MB in size and these will be named Malloc0 through Malloc%d.\n"
 			"# Not all LUNs defined here are necessarily used below.\n"
 			"[Malloc]\n"
diff --git a/lib/bdev/virtio/bdev_virtio_scsi.c b/lib/bdev/virtio/bdev_virtio_scsi.c
index ee771c6ab..51bb7b36d 100644
--- a/lib/bdev/virtio/bdev_virtio_scsi.c
+++ b/lib/bdev/virtio/bdev_virtio_scsi.c
@@ -258,7 +258,7 @@ virtio_scsi_dev_init(struct virtio_scsi_dev *svdev, uint16_t max_queues)
 	svdev->eventq_ios = spdk_dma_zmalloc(sizeof(*svdev->eventq_ios) * num_events,
 					     0, NULL);
 	if (svdev->eventq_ios == NULL) {
-		SPDK_ERRLOG("cannot allocate memory for %"PRIu16" eventq buffers \n",
+		SPDK_ERRLOG("cannot allocate memory for %"PRIu16" eventq buffers\n",
 			    num_events);
 		virtio_dev_release_queue(vdev, VIRTIO_SCSI_EVENTQ);
 		virtio_dev_release_queue(vdev, VIRTIO_SCSI_CONTROLQ);
diff --git a/lib/vhost/vhost_scsi.c b/lib/vhost/vhost_scsi.c
index a7b9ca368..26544f55b 100644
--- a/lib/vhost/vhost_scsi.c
+++ b/lib/vhost/vhost_scsi.c
@@ -805,7 +805,7 @@ spdk_vhost_scsi_dev_add_tgt(struct spdk_vhost_dev *vdev, unsigned scsi_tgt_num,
 	}
 
 	if (bdev_name == NULL) {
-		SPDK_ERRLOG("No lun name specified \n");
+		SPDK_ERRLOG("No lun name specified\n");
 		return -EINVAL;
 	}
 
diff --git a/scripts/check_format.sh b/scripts/check_format.sh
index 1cae9c5f9..60eae94c2 100755
--- a/scripts/check_format.sh
+++ b/scripts/check_format.sh
@@ -51,6 +51,19 @@ else
 fi
 rm -f comment.log
 
+echo -n "Checking trailing whitespace in output strings..."
+
+git grep --line-number -e ' \\n"' -- '*.[ch]' > whitespace.log || true
+
+if [ -s whitespace.log ]; then
+	echo " Incorrect trailing whitespace detected"
+	cat whitespace.log
+	rc=1
+else
+	echo " OK"
+fi
+rm -f whitespace.log
+
 echo -n "Checking for use of forbidden library functions..."
 
 git grep -w strcpy -- app examples lib test > badfunc.log || true
diff --git a/test/vhost/common/common.sh b/test/vhost/common/common.sh
index 5c4054dfa..168deccfc 100644
--- a/test/vhost/common/common.sh
+++ b/test/vhost/common/common.sh
@@ -591,7 +591,7 @@ function vm_setup()
 					[[ ! -e $raw_disk ]]; then
 					if [[ $raw_disk =~ /dev/.* ]]; then
 						error \
-							"ERROR: Virtio disk point to missing device ($raw_disk) - \n" \
+							"ERROR: Virtio disk point to missing device ($raw_disk) -\n" \
 							"       this is probably not what you want."
 							return 1
 					fi