diff --git a/packages/mermaid/src/diagram-api/comments.spec.ts b/packages/mermaid/src/diagram-api/comments.spec.ts
index 4357b25c3..366ba119c 100644
--- a/packages/mermaid/src/diagram-api/comments.spec.ts
+++ b/packages/mermaid/src/diagram-api/comments.spec.ts
@@ -14,13 +14,13 @@ graph TD
 %% This is a comment
 `;
     expect(cleanupComments(text)).toMatchInlineSnapshot(`
-			"
+      "
 
-			graph TD
-				A-->B
+      graph TD
+      	A-->B
 
-			"
-		`);
+      "
+    `);
   });
 
   it('should keep init statements when removing comments', () => {
@@ -61,12 +61,12 @@ graph TD
 	C-->D
 `;
     expect(cleanupComments(text)).toMatchInlineSnapshot(`
-			"
-			graph TD
-				A-->B
+      "
+      graph TD
+      	A-->B
 
-				C-->D
-			"
-		`);
+      	C-->D
+      "
+    `);
   });
 });
diff --git a/packages/mermaid/src/diagram-api/comments.ts b/packages/mermaid/src/diagram-api/comments.ts
index 19fafe15c..2ee6232de 100644
--- a/packages/mermaid/src/diagram-api/comments.ts
+++ b/packages/mermaid/src/diagram-api/comments.ts
@@ -4,5 +4,5 @@
  * @returns cleaned text
  */
 export const cleanupComments = (text: string): string => {
-  return text.replace(/^\s*%%(?!{)[^\n]+/gm, '');
+  return text.trimStart().replace(/^\s*%%(?!{)[^\n]+/gm, '');
 };