diff --git a/src/core/thread/mesh_forwarder.cpp b/src/core/thread/mesh_forwarder.cpp
index 25712fa4b..174a21215 100644
--- a/src/core/thread/mesh_forwarder.cpp
+++ b/src/core/thread/mesh_forwarder.cpp
@@ -1551,20 +1551,20 @@ void MeshForwarder::LogIp6SourceDestAddresses(Ip6::Header &aIp6Header,
 {
     if (aSourcePort != 0)
     {
-        otLogMac(aLogLevel, "\tsrc:[%s]:%d", aIp6Header.GetSource().ToString().AsCString(), aSourcePort);
+        otLogMac(aLogLevel, "    src:[%s]:%d", aIp6Header.GetSource().ToString().AsCString(), aSourcePort);
     }
     else
     {
-        otLogMac(aLogLevel, "\tsrc:[%s]", aIp6Header.GetSource().ToString().AsCString());
+        otLogMac(aLogLevel, "    src:[%s]", aIp6Header.GetSource().ToString().AsCString());
     }
 
     if (aDestPort != 0)
     {
-        otLogMac(aLogLevel, "\tdst:[%s]:%d", aIp6Header.GetDestination().ToString().AsCString(), aDestPort);
+        otLogMac(aLogLevel, "    dst:[%s]:%d", aIp6Header.GetDestination().ToString().AsCString(), aDestPort);
     }
     else
     {
-        otLogMac(aLogLevel, "\tdst:[%s]", aIp6Header.GetDestination().ToString().AsCString());
+        otLogMac(aLogLevel, "    dst:[%s]", aIp6Header.GetDestination().ToString().AsCString());
     }
 }
 #else
diff --git a/src/core/thread/mesh_forwarder_ftd.cpp b/src/core/thread/mesh_forwarder_ftd.cpp
index 845e862ec..3c1ee74a7 100644
--- a/src/core/thread/mesh_forwarder_ftd.cpp
+++ b/src/core/thread/mesh_forwarder_ftd.cpp
@@ -863,7 +863,7 @@ otError MeshForwarder::LogMeshFragmentHeader(MessageAction       aAction,
 
     if (hasFragmentHeader)
     {
-        otLogMac(aLogLevel, "\tFrag tag:%04x, offset:%d, size:%d", fragmentHeader.GetDatagramTag(),
+        otLogMac(aLogLevel, "    Frag tag:%04x, offset:%d, size:%d", fragmentHeader.GetDatagramTag(),
                  fragmentHeader.GetDatagramOffset(), fragmentHeader.GetDatagramSize());
 
         VerifyOrExit(fragmentHeader.GetDatagramOffset() == 0);
@@ -961,7 +961,7 @@ void MeshForwarder::LogMeshIpHeader(const Message &     aMessage,
     SuccessOrExit(DecompressIp6UdpTcpHeader(aMessage, aOffset, aMeshSource, aMeshDest, ip6Header, checksum, sourcePort,
                                             destPort));
 
-    otLogMac(aLogLevel, "\tIPv6 %s msg, chksum:%04x, prio:%s", Ip6::Ip6::IpProtoToString(ip6Header.GetNextHeader()),
+    otLogMac(aLogLevel, "    IPv6 %s msg, chksum:%04x, prio:%s", Ip6::Ip6::IpProtoToString(ip6Header.GetNextHeader()),
              checksum, MessagePriorityToString(aMessage));
 
     LogIp6SourceDestAddresses(ip6Header, sourcePort, destPort, aLogLevel);
diff --git a/src/core/thread/mle_router.cpp b/src/core/thread/mle_router.cpp
index 8b7444599..df054d3c1 100644
--- a/src/core/thread/mle_router.cpp
+++ b/src/core/thread/mle_router.cpp
@@ -1542,7 +1542,7 @@ void MleRouter::UpdateRoutes(const RouteTlv &aRoute, uint8_t aRouterId)
     {
         Router &router = *iter.GetRouter();
 
-        otLogInfoMle("\t%04x -> %04x, cost:%d %d, lqin:%d, lqout:%d", router.GetRloc16(),
+        otLogInfoMle("    %04x -> %04x, cost:%d %d, lqin:%d, lqout:%d", router.GetRloc16(),
                      GetRloc16(router.GetNextHop()), router.GetCost(), mRouterTable.GetLinkCost(router),
                      router.GetLinkInfo().GetLinkQuality(), router.GetLinkQualityOut());
     }