diff --git a/manual/custom.py b/manual/custom.py
index 6a2327db4c..983ff5b74e 100644
--- a/manual/custom.py
+++ b/manual/custom.py
@@ -33,7 +33,12 @@ def formatter_funcs():
         ffml = FFMLProcessor()
         all_funcs = formatter_functions().get_builtins()
         for func_name, func in all_funcs.items():
-            ans[func_name] = ffml.document_to_rst(func.doc, func_name)
+            text = ffml.document_to_rst(func.doc, func_name)
+            # indent the text since :ffdoc: is used inside lists
+            # if we need no indent we can create a new role like
+            # :ffdoc-no-indent:
+            text = '\n  '.join(text.splitlines())
+            ans[func_name] = text.strip()
         db.close()
         del db
     return ans
diff --git a/manual/template_ref_generate.py b/manual/template_ref_generate.py
index 3fe2e138d8..9e9577d2f2 100644
--- a/manual/template_ref_generate.py
+++ b/manual/template_ref_generate.py
@@ -77,6 +77,7 @@ def generate_template_language_help(language):
                 a(f'.. class:: {func.__class__.__name__}\n\n')
                 a(ffml.document_to_rst(func.doc, name))
             a('\n\n')
+        db.close()
         del db
 
     a(POSTAMBLE)