diff --git a/new/print.jam b/new/print.jam
index 9175a9159..d7ead7c82 100644
--- a/new/print.jam
+++ b/new/print.jam
@@ -47,9 +47,12 @@ rule section (
     {
         lines $(name): ;
         lines ;
-        if $(description)
+        while $(description)
         {
-            lines [ split-at-words " " $(description) ] : "  " ;
+            local paragraph = ;
+            while $(description) && $(description[1]) = "" { description = $(description[2-]) ; }
+            while $(description) && $(description[1]) != "" { paragraph += $(description[1]) ; description = $(description[2-]) ; }
+            lines [ split-at-words " " $(paragraph) ] : "  " ;
             lines ;
         }
     }
diff --git a/v2/util/print.jam b/v2/util/print.jam
index 9175a9159..d7ead7c82 100644
--- a/v2/util/print.jam
+++ b/v2/util/print.jam
@@ -47,9 +47,12 @@ rule section (
     {
         lines $(name): ;
         lines ;
-        if $(description)
+        while $(description)
         {
-            lines [ split-at-words " " $(description) ] : "  " ;
+            local paragraph = ;
+            while $(description) && $(description[1]) = "" { description = $(description[2-]) ; }
+            while $(description) && $(description[1]) != "" { paragraph += $(description[1]) ; description = $(description[2-]) ; }
+            lines [ split-at-words " " $(paragraph) ] : "  " ;
             lines ;
         }
     }