Compare : /** some file */ with /* some file */ In the first case, font-lock-doc-face is used, in the second font-lock-comment-face is. The first example fontifies with doc-face only if there is just "/**" : "/*", "/** " (with a space) or "/***", for instance, use the standard comment-face. This is using emacs 23.0.94.1, and was reproduced on emacs22 as well. C++ and obj-C aren't affected, and java also shows this behavior on "/***"" and "/** "/ This behavior is certainly unexpected : I expect all comments to be fontified with the same face. Am I right in thinking it's a bug ? Antoine