diff --git a/src/fmt/expr.rs b/src/fmt/expr.rs
index 2fb002cc73..4be2ee43d8 100644
--- a/src/fmt/expr.rs
+++ b/src/fmt/expr.rs
@@ -143,19 +143,27 @@ pub fn fmt_expr<'a>(
             let mut it = branches.iter().peekable();
             while let Some((patterns, expr)) = it.next() {
                 add_spaces(buf, indent + INDENT);
+                let (first, rest) = patterns.split_first().unwrap();
 
-                match patterns.first().unwrap().value {
+                match first.value {
                     Pattern::SpaceBefore(nested, spaces) => {
                         fmt_comments_only(buf, spaces.iter(), indent + INDENT);
                         fmt_pattern(buf, nested, indent + INDENT, false);
                     }
                     _ => {
-                        fmt_pattern(
-                            buf,
-                            &patterns.first().unwrap().value,
-                            indent + INDENT,
-                            false,
-                        );
+                        fmt_pattern(buf, &first.value, indent + INDENT, false);
+                    }
+                };
+                for pattern in rest {
+                    buf.push_str(" | ");
+                    match pattern.value {
+                        Pattern::SpaceBefore(nested, spaces) => {
+                            fmt_comments_only(buf, spaces.iter(), indent + INDENT);
+                            fmt_pattern(buf, nested, indent + INDENT, false);
+                        }
+                        _ => {
+                            fmt_pattern(buf, &pattern.value, indent + INDENT, false);
+                        }
                     }
                 }
 
diff --git a/src/parse/mod.rs b/src/parse/mod.rs
index b440283d69..d3578d9d7e 100644
--- a/src/parse/mod.rs
+++ b/src/parse/mod.rs
@@ -870,12 +870,8 @@ pub fn case_branches<'a>(
         // 1. Parse the first branch and get its indentation level. (It must be >= min_indent.)
         // 2. Parse the other branches. Their indentation levels must be == the first branch's.
 
-        let (mut loc_first_pattern, state) = sep_by1(
-            // TODO maybe remove these spaces
-            map!(and!(space1(min_indent), char('|')), |_| ()),
-            space1_before(loc!(pattern(min_indent)), min_indent),
-        )
-        .parse(arena, state)?;
+        let (mut loc_first_pattern, state) =
+            alternative_patterns(min_indent).parse(arena, state)?;
         let original_indent = state.indent_col;
         let indented_more = original_indent + 1;
         let (spaces_before_arrow, state) = space0(min_indent).parse(arena, state)?;
@@ -904,10 +900,7 @@ pub fn case_branches<'a>(
 
         let branch_parser = and!(
             then(
-                sep_by1(
-                    char('|'),
-                    space1_around(loc!(pattern(min_indent)), min_indent),
-                ),
+                alternative_patterns(min_indent),
                 move |_arena, state, loc_pattern| {
                     if state.indent_col == original_indent {
                         Ok((loc_pattern, state))
@@ -919,7 +912,7 @@ pub fn case_branches<'a>(
                 },
             ),
             skip_first!(
-                string("->"),
+                and!(space1(min_indent), string("->")),
                 space1_before(
                     loc!(move |arena, state| parse_expr(min_indent, arena, state)),
                     min_indent,
@@ -945,6 +938,12 @@ pub fn case_branches<'a>(
         Ok((branches, state))
     }
 }
+fn alternative_patterns<'a>(min_indent: u16) -> impl Parser<'a, Vec<'a, Located<Pattern<'a>>>> {
+    sep_by1(
+        map!(and!(space1(min_indent), char('|')), |_| ()),
+        space1_before(loc!(pattern(min_indent)), min_indent),
+    )
+}
 
 pub fn if_expr<'a>(min_indent: u16) -> impl Parser<'a, Expr<'a>> {
     map_with_arena!(
diff --git a/tests/test_format.rs b/tests/test_format.rs
index 2d876899c8..8f3f70c6f1 100644
--- a/tests/test_format.rs
+++ b/tests/test_format.rs
@@ -1030,6 +1030,39 @@ mod test_format {
         ));
     }
 
+    #[test]
+    fn when_with_alternative_patterns() {
+        expr_formats_same(indoc!(
+            r#"
+            when b is
+                # a comment here
+                1 | 2 ->
+                    # a comment there
+                    1
+        "#
+        ));
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn when_with_alternative_patterns_and_spaces() {
+        expr_formats_to(
+            indoc!(
+                r#"
+            when b is
+                1   |   2 |  3 ->
+                    1
+            "#
+            ),
+            indoc!(
+                r#"
+            when b is
+                1 | 2 | 3 ->
+                    1
+                "#
+            ),
+        );
+    }
+
     #[test]
     fn when_with_moving_comments() {
         expr_formats_to(