diff --git a/lib/rdoc/markup/to_markdown.rb b/lib/rdoc/markup/to_markdown.rb
index 7932815405..3ee48becb0 100644
--- a/lib/rdoc/markup/to_markdown.rb
+++ b/lib/rdoc/markup/to_markdown.rb
@@ -131,7 +131,7 @@ def accept_verbatim verbatim
       @res << part
     end
 
-    @res << "\n" unless @res =~ /\n\z/
+    @res << "\n"
   end
 
   ##
diff --git a/lib/rdoc/markup/to_rdoc.rb b/lib/rdoc/markup/to_rdoc.rb
index 3aee85afbe..81b16c4973 100644
--- a/lib/rdoc/markup/to_rdoc.rb
+++ b/lib/rdoc/markup/to_rdoc.rb
@@ -234,7 +234,7 @@ def accept_verbatim verbatim
       @res << part
     end
 
-    @res << "\n" unless @res =~ /\n\z/
+    @res << "\n"
   end
 
   ##
diff --git a/lib/rdoc/options.rb b/lib/rdoc/options.rb
index 99d7aaaec1..801a84b21f 100644
--- a/lib/rdoc/options.rb
+++ b/lib/rdoc/options.rb
@@ -164,7 +164,7 @@ class RDoc::Options
   ##
   # Files matching this pattern will be excluded
 
-  attr_accessor :exclude
+  attr_writer :exclude
 
   ##
   # The list of files to be processed
@@ -493,6 +493,20 @@ def encode_with coder # :nodoc:
     end
   end
 
+  ##
+  # Create a regexp for #exclude
+
+  def exclude
+    if @exclude.nil? or Regexp === @exclude then
+      # done, #finish is being re-run
+      @exclude
+    elsif @exclude.empty? then
+      nil
+    else
+      Regexp.new(@exclude.join("|"))
+    end
+  end
+
   ##
   # Completes any unfinished option setup business such as filtering for
   # existent files, creating a regexp for #exclude and setting a default
@@ -505,13 +519,7 @@ def finish
     root = @root.to_s
     @rdoc_include << root unless @rdoc_include.include?(root)
 
-    if @exclude.nil? or Regexp === @exclude then
-      # done, #finish is being re-run
-    elsif @exclude.empty? then
-      @exclude = nil
-    else
-      @exclude = Regexp.new(@exclude.join("|"))
-    end
+    @exclude = self.exclude
 
     finish_page_dir