diff --git a/src/convert/streams.ts b/src/convert/streams.ts
index f9bffccbb1..5fc18e1719 100644
--- a/src/convert/streams.ts
+++ b/src/convert/streams.ts
@@ -257,14 +257,16 @@ export class JsToXml extends Readable {
       cdataPropName: '__cdata',
       commentPropName: XML_COMMENT_PROP_NAME,
     });
-
     const builtXml = String(builder.build(this.xmlObject));
-    const xmlContent = XML_DECL.concat(handleSpecialEntities(builtXml));
+    const xmlContent = correctComments(XML_DECL.concat(handleSpecialEntities(builtXml)));
     this.push(xmlContent);
     this.push(null);
   }
 }
 
+/** xmlBuilder likes to add newline and indent before/after the comment (hypothesis: it uses `<` as a hint to newlint/indent) */
+const correctComments = (xml: string): string =>
+  xml.includes('<!--') ? xml.replace(/\s+<!--(.*?)-->\s+/g, '<!--$1-->') : xml;
 /**
  * use this function to handle special html entities.
  * XmlBuilder will otherwise replace ex: `&#160;` with `'&amp;#160;'` (escape the &)
diff --git a/test/snapshot/sampleProjects/xmlComments/__snapshots__/verify-md-files.expected/objectTranslations/Contact-en_US.objectTranslation b/test/snapshot/sampleProjects/xmlComments/__snapshots__/verify-md-files.expected/objectTranslations/Contact-en_US.objectTranslation
index 7fe08d1632..3661fcc07f 100644
--- a/test/snapshot/sampleProjects/xmlComments/__snapshots__/verify-md-files.expected/objectTranslations/Contact-en_US.objectTranslation
+++ b/test/snapshot/sampleProjects/xmlComments/__snapshots__/verify-md-files.expected/objectTranslations/Contact-en_US.objectTranslation
@@ -2,24 +2,16 @@
 <CustomObjectTranslation xmlns="http://soap.sforce.com/2006/04/metadata">
     <gender></gender>
     <fields>
-        <help>
-            <!-- Please choose an option -->
-        </help>
-        <label>
-            <!-- Example -->
-        </label>
+        <help><!-- Please choose an option --></help>
+        <label><!-- Example --></label>
         <name>Example__c</name>
         <picklistValues>
             <masterLabel>One</masterLabel>
-            <translation>
-                <!-- One -->
-            </translation>
+            <translation><!-- One --></translation>
         </picklistValues>
         <picklistValues>
             <masterLabel>Two</masterLabel>
-            <translation>
-                <!-- Two -->
-            </translation>
+            <translation><!-- Two --></translation>
         </picklistValues>
     </fields>
 </CustomObjectTranslation>
diff --git a/test/snapshot/sampleProjects/xmlComments/__snapshots__/verify-source-files.expected/force-app/main/default/objectTranslations/Contact-en_US/Example__c.fieldTranslation-meta.xml b/test/snapshot/sampleProjects/xmlComments/__snapshots__/verify-source-files.expected/force-app/main/default/objectTranslations/Contact-en_US/Example__c.fieldTranslation-meta.xml
index a4e92fd529..880116e2d4 100644
--- a/test/snapshot/sampleProjects/xmlComments/__snapshots__/verify-source-files.expected/force-app/main/default/objectTranslations/Contact-en_US/Example__c.fieldTranslation-meta.xml
+++ b/test/snapshot/sampleProjects/xmlComments/__snapshots__/verify-source-files.expected/force-app/main/default/objectTranslations/Contact-en_US/Example__c.fieldTranslation-meta.xml
@@ -1,22 +1,14 @@
 <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
 <CustomFieldTranslation xmlns="http://soap.sforce.com/2006/04/metadata">
-    <help>
-        <!-- Please choose an option -->
-    </help>
-    <label>
-        <!-- Example -->
-    </label>
+    <help><!-- Please choose an option --></help>
+    <label><!-- Example --></label>
     <name>Example__c</name>
     <picklistValues>
         <masterLabel>One</masterLabel>
-        <translation>
-            <!-- One -->
-        </translation>
+        <translation><!-- One --></translation>
     </picklistValues>
     <picklistValues>
         <masterLabel>Two</masterLabel>
-        <translation>
-            <!-- Two -->
-        </translation>
+        <translation><!-- Two --></translation>
     </picklistValues>
 </CustomFieldTranslation>