diff --git a/src/cmd/vet/print.go b/src/cmd/vet/print.go
index 620075d118..5dc6bdf628 100644
--- a/src/cmd/vet/print.go
+++ b/src/cmd/vet/print.go
@@ -672,8 +672,9 @@ func (f *File) checkPrint(call *ast.CallExpr, name string) {
 		// The last item, if a string, should not have a newline.
 		arg = args[len(args)-1]
 		if lit, ok := arg.(*ast.BasicLit); ok && lit.Kind == token.STRING {
-			if strings.HasSuffix(lit.Value, `\n"`) {
-				f.Badf(call.Pos(), "%s args end with redundant newline", name)
+			str, _ := strconv.Unquote(lit.Value)
+			if strings.HasSuffix(str, "\n") {
+				f.Badf(call.Pos(), "%s arg list ends with redundant newline", name)
 			}
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/src/cmd/vet/testdata/print.go b/src/cmd/vet/testdata/print.go
index c3f5abe4f1..b7bc98ab56 100644
--- a/src/cmd/vet/testdata/print.go
+++ b/src/cmd/vet/testdata/print.go
@@ -532,4 +532,9 @@ func UnexportedStringerOrError() {
 	}
 	fmt.Printf("%s", uef)  // ERROR "Printf format %s has arg uef of wrong type testdata.unexportedErrorOtherFields"
 	fmt.Printf("%s", &uef) // ERROR "Printf format %s has arg &uef of wrong type [*]testdata.unexportedErrorOtherFields"
+
+	fmt.Println("foo\n", "bar") // not an error
+	fmt.Println("foo\n")        // ERROR "Println arg list ends with redundant newline"
+	fmt.Println("foo\\n")       // not an error
+	fmt.Println(`foo\n`)        // not an error
 }