diff --git a/src/libs/qmljs/qmljscodeformatter.cpp b/src/libs/qmljs/qmljscodeformatter.cpp
index c884e56d5b9..f4ddddb89bb 100644
--- a/src/libs/qmljs/qmljscodeformatter.cpp
+++ b/src/libs/qmljs/qmljscodeformatter.cpp
@@ -517,10 +517,10 @@ int CodeFormatter::indentForNewLineAfter(const QTextBlock &block)
 {
     restoreCurrentState(block);
 
-    int lexerState = loadLexerState(block);
     m_tokens.clear();
     m_currentLine.clear();
-    adjustIndent(m_tokens, lexerState, &m_indentDepth);
+    const int startLexerState = loadLexerState(block.previous());
+    adjustIndent(m_tokens, startLexerState, &m_indentDepth);
 
     return m_indentDepth;
 }
@@ -665,10 +665,11 @@ void CodeFormatter::leave(bool statementDone)
 
 void CodeFormatter::correctIndentation(const QTextBlock &block)
 {
-    const int lexerState = tokenizeBlock(block);
+    tokenizeBlock(block);
     Q_ASSERT(m_currentState.size() >= 1);
 
-    adjustIndent(m_tokens, lexerState, &m_indentDepth);
+    const int startLexerState = loadLexerState(block.previous());
+    adjustIndent(m_tokens, startLexerState, &m_indentDepth);
 }
 
 bool CodeFormatter::tryInsideExpression(bool alsoExpression)
diff --git a/src/libs/qmljs/qmljscodeformatter.h b/src/libs/qmljs/qmljscodeformatter.h
index 7af62d5485f..fdd3a46f36a 100644
--- a/src/libs/qmljs/qmljscodeformatter.h
+++ b/src/libs/qmljs/qmljscodeformatter.h
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ public:
 
 protected:
     virtual void onEnter(int newState, int *indentDepth, int *savedIndentDepth) const = 0;
-    virtual void adjustIndent(const QList<Token> &tokens, int lexerState, int *indentDepth) const = 0;
+    virtual void adjustIndent(const QList<Token> &tokens, int startLexerState, int *indentDepth) const = 0;
 
     struct State;
     class QMLJS_EXPORT BlockData
diff --git a/src/plugins/qmljstools/qmljsindenter.cpp b/src/plugins/qmljstools/qmljsindenter.cpp
index 13ffc9621ae..b16ae568896 100644
--- a/src/plugins/qmljstools/qmljsindenter.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/qmljstools/qmljsindenter.cpp
@@ -70,6 +70,8 @@ void Indenter::indentBlock(QTextDocument *doc,
 
     codeFormatter.updateStateUntil(block);
     const int depth = codeFormatter.indentFor(block);
+    if (depth == -1)
+        return;
 
     if (isElectricCharacter(typedChar)) {
         // only reindent the current line when typing electric characters if the
diff --git a/src/plugins/qmljstools/qmljsqtstylecodeformatter.cpp b/src/plugins/qmljstools/qmljsqtstylecodeformatter.cpp
index 176c016b427..3b775f7e26a 100644
--- a/src/plugins/qmljstools/qmljsqtstylecodeformatter.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/qmljstools/qmljsqtstylecodeformatter.cpp
@@ -289,10 +289,8 @@ void QtStyleCodeFormatter::onEnter(int newState, int *indentDepth, int *savedInd
     }
 }
 
-void QtStyleCodeFormatter::adjustIndent(const QList<Token> &tokens, int lexerState, int *indentDepth) const
+void QtStyleCodeFormatter::adjustIndent(const QList<Token> &tokens, int startLexerState, int *indentDepth) const
 {
-    Q_UNUSED(lexerState)
-
     State topState = state();
     State previousState = state(1);
 
@@ -304,6 +302,12 @@ void QtStyleCodeFormatter::adjustIndent(const QList<Token> &tokens, int lexerSta
             return;
         }
     }
+    // don't touch multi-line strings at all
+    if ((startLexerState & Scanner::MultiLineMask) == Scanner::MultiLineStringDQuote
+            || (startLexerState & Scanner::MultiLineMask) == Scanner::MultiLineStringSQuote) {
+        *indentDepth = -1;
+        return;
+    }
 
     const int kind = extendedTokenKind(tokenAt(0));
     switch (kind) {
diff --git a/src/plugins/qmljstools/qmljsqtstylecodeformatter.h b/src/plugins/qmljstools/qmljsqtstylecodeformatter.h
index 9668c498c9a..b5f1d25f3cd 100644
--- a/src/plugins/qmljstools/qmljsqtstylecodeformatter.h
+++ b/src/plugins/qmljstools/qmljsqtstylecodeformatter.h
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ public:
 
 protected:
     virtual void onEnter(int newState, int *indentDepth, int *savedIndentDepth) const;
-    virtual void adjustIndent(const QList<QmlJS::Token> &tokens, int lexerState, int *indentDepth) const;
+    virtual void adjustIndent(const QList<QmlJS::Token> &tokens, int startLexerState, int *indentDepth) const;
 
     virtual void saveBlockData(QTextBlock *block, const BlockData &data) const;
     virtual bool loadBlockData(const QTextBlock &block, BlockData *data) const;
diff --git a/src/plugins/qmljstools/qmljsrefactoringchanges.cpp b/src/plugins/qmljstools/qmljsrefactoringchanges.cpp
index 56b9d8486bf..0af657472ab 100644
--- a/src/plugins/qmljstools/qmljsrefactoringchanges.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/qmljstools/qmljsrefactoringchanges.cpp
@@ -69,7 +69,9 @@ public:
         codeFormatter.updateStateUntil(block);
 
         do {
-            tabSettings.indentLine(block, codeFormatter.indentFor(block));
+            const int depth = codeFormatter.indentFor(block);
+            if (depth != -1)
+                tabSettings.indentLine(block, depth);
             codeFormatter.updateLineStateChange(block);
             block = block.next();
         } while (block.isValid() && block != end);
diff --git a/tests/auto/qml/qmleditor/qmlcodeformatter/tst_qmlcodeformatter.cpp b/tests/auto/qml/qmleditor/qmlcodeformatter/tst_qmlcodeformatter.cpp
index cc90b0b627d..f612b6fc755 100644
--- a/tests/auto/qml/qmleditor/qmlcodeformatter/tst_qmlcodeformatter.cpp
+++ b/tests/auto/qml/qmleditor/qmlcodeformatter/tst_qmlcodeformatter.cpp
@@ -95,8 +95,11 @@ private Q_SLOTS:
     void labelledStatements2();
     void labelledStatements3();
     void multilineTernaryInProperty();
+    void multilineString();
 };
 
+enum { DontCheck = -2, DontIndent = -1 };
+
 struct Line {
     Line(QString l)
         : line(l)
@@ -139,7 +142,7 @@ void checkIndent(QList<Line> data, int style = 0)
     int i = 0;
     foreach (const Line &l, data) {
         QTextBlock b = document.findBlockByLineNumber(i);
-        if (l.expectedIndent != -1) {
+        if (l.expectedIndent != DontCheck) {
             int actualIndent = formatter.indentFor(b);
             if (actualIndent != l.expectedIndent) {
                 QFAIL(QString("Wrong indent in line %1 with text '%2', expected indent %3, got %4").arg(
@@ -727,9 +730,9 @@ void tst_QMLCodeFormatter::strayElse()
     data << Line("Rectangle {")
          << Line("onClicked: {", 4)
          << Line("    while ( true ) {}")
-         << Line("    else", -1)
-         << Line("    else {", -1)
-         << Line("    }", -1)
+         << Line("    else", DontCheck)
+         << Line("    else {", DontCheck)
+         << Line("    }", DontCheck)
          << Line("}");
     checkIndent(data);
 }
@@ -1222,6 +1225,23 @@ void tst_QMLCodeFormatter::multilineTernaryInProperty()
     checkIndent(data);
 }
 
+void tst_QMLCodeFormatter::multilineString()
+{
+    QList<Line> data;
+    data << Line("Item {")
+         << Line("    a: 'foo")
+         << Line("  bar", DontIndent)
+         << Line("          boo boo", DontIndent)
+         << Line("   end'", DontIndent)
+         << Line("    a: \"foo")
+         << Line("  bar", DontIndent)
+         << Line("          boo boo", DontIndent)
+         << Line("   end\"", DontIndent)
+         << Line("}")
+         ;
+    checkIndent(data);
+}
+
 QTEST_APPLESS_MAIN(tst_QMLCodeFormatter)
 #include "tst_qmlcodeformatter.moc"