diff --git a/scalafmt-core/shared/src/main/scala/org/scalafmt/config/Docstrings.scala b/scalafmt-core/shared/src/main/scala/org/scalafmt/config/Docstrings.scala
index 61418c38ae..1a2b3e3cdc 100644
--- a/scalafmt-core/shared/src/main/scala/org/scalafmt/config/Docstrings.scala
+++ b/scalafmt-core/shared/src/main/scala/org/scalafmt/config/Docstrings.scala
@@ -31,6 +31,9 @@ case class Docstrings(
 ) {
   import Docstrings._
 
+  def withoutRewrites: Docstrings =
+    copy(removeEmpty = false, wrap = Wrap.no, style = Preserve)
+
   def skipFirstLineIf(wasBlank: Boolean): Boolean = blankFirstLine match {
     case BlankFirstLine.yes => true
     case BlankFirstLine.no => style.skipFirstLine
diff --git a/scalafmt-core/shared/src/main/scala/org/scalafmt/config/ScalafmtConfig.scala b/scalafmt-core/shared/src/main/scala/org/scalafmt/config/ScalafmtConfig.scala
index a51b3b8734..79e60c8e70 100644
--- a/scalafmt-core/shared/src/main/scala/org/scalafmt/config/ScalafmtConfig.scala
+++ b/scalafmt-core/shared/src/main/scala/org/scalafmt/config/ScalafmtConfig.scala
@@ -250,6 +250,7 @@ case class ScalafmtConfig(
   // used in ScalafmtReflectConfig
   def withoutRewrites: ScalafmtConfig = copy(
     trailingCommas = None,
+    docstrings = docstrings.withoutRewrites,
     rewrite = rewrite.withoutRewrites
   )
 
diff --git a/scalafmt-core/shared/src/main/scala/org/scalafmt/internal/FormatWriter.scala b/scalafmt-core/shared/src/main/scala/org/scalafmt/internal/FormatWriter.scala
index 9bf80a2871..9a14799d11 100644
--- a/scalafmt-core/shared/src/main/scala/org/scalafmt/internal/FormatWriter.scala
+++ b/scalafmt-core/shared/src/main/scala/org/scalafmt/internal/FormatWriter.scala
@@ -1013,7 +1013,7 @@ class FormatWriter(formatOps: FormatOps) {
           val codeStyle = style.copy(
             runner = style.runner.forCodeBlock,
             // let's not wrap docstrings, to avoid recursion
-            docstrings = style.docstrings.copy(wrap = Docstrings.Wrap.no),
+            docstrings = style.docstrings.withoutRewrites,
             maxColumn = style.maxColumn - spaces.length - termIndent.length - 1
           )
           Scalafmt.format(code.mkString("\n"), codeStyle) match {
diff --git a/scalafmt-tests/src/test/scala/org/scalafmt/config/ScalafmtConfigTest.scala b/scalafmt-tests/src/test/scala/org/scalafmt/config/ScalafmtConfigTest.scala
index 4f4c8eae56..fb140a2746 100644
--- a/scalafmt-tests/src/test/scala/org/scalafmt/config/ScalafmtConfigTest.scala
+++ b/scalafmt-tests/src/test/scala/org/scalafmt/config/ScalafmtConfigTest.scala
@@ -105,7 +105,7 @@ class ScalafmtConfigTest extends FunSuite {
       .get
     assert(config1.hasRewrites)
     val config2 = config1.withoutRewrites
-    assert(config2.hasRewrites) // XXX: this is incorrect
+    assert(!config2.hasRewrites)
   }
 
 }