Index: Lib/doctest.py
===================================================================
--- Lib/doctest.py	(revision 79135)
+++ Lib/doctest.py	(working copy)
@@ -233,6 +233,13 @@
     # This regexp matches the start of non-blank lines:
     return re.sub('(?m)^(?!$)', indent*' ', s)
 
+def _unindent(s, unindent=4):
+    """
+    Strip the given number of space characters from the beginning of
+    every non-blank line in `s`, and return the result.
+    """
+    return '\n'.join([l[unindent:] for l in s.split('\n')])
+
 def _exception_traceback(exc_info):
     """
     Return a string containing a traceback message for the given
@@ -561,11 +568,11 @@
         argument `name` is a name identifying this string, and is only
         used for error messages.
         """
+        # If all lines begin with the same indentation, then strip it.
         string = string.expandtabs()
-        # If all lines begin with the same indentation, then strip it.
         min_indent = self._min_indent(string)
         if min_indent > 0:
-            string = '\n'.join([l[min_indent:] for l in string.split('\n')])
+            string = _unindent(string, min_indent)
 
         output = []
         charno, lineno = 0, 0
@@ -1255,6 +1262,11 @@
                 self.debugger.set_continue() # ==== Example Finished ====
 
             got = self._fakeout.getvalue()  # the actual output
+            if "\t" in got:
+                # normalize tabs in output
+                got = _indent(got, example.indent)
+                got = got.expandtabs()
+                got = _unindent(got, example.indent)
             self._fakeout.truncate(0)
             outcome = FAILURE   # guilty until proved innocent or insane
 
@@ -1469,7 +1481,7 @@
     """
     def check_output(self, want, got, optionflags):
         """
-        Return True iff the actual output from an example (`got`)
+        Return True if the actual output from an example (`got`)
         matches the expected output (`want`).  These strings are
         always considered to match if they are identical; but
         depending on what option flags the test runner is using,
Index: Lib/test/test_doctest.py
===================================================================
--- Lib/test/test_doctest.py	(revision 79135)
+++ Lib/test/test_doctest.py	(working copy)
@@ -2064,7 +2064,14 @@
       foo \n
     """
 
+def test_tabs_in_test():
+    r"""
+    Tabs are expanded correctly:
 
+      >>> print "\tx"
+      	x
+    """
+
 def test_unittest_reportflags():
     """Default unittest reporting flags can be set to control reporting