diff --git a/java/ql/consistency-queries/BinaryExpr.ql b/java/ql/consistency-queries/BinaryExpr.ql
index ff4384a8d49..56763e9800f 100644
--- a/java/ql/consistency-queries/BinaryExpr.ql
+++ b/java/ql/consistency-queries/BinaryExpr.ql
@@ -10,5 +10,5 @@ where
     e.isNthChildOf(be, i) and i != 0 and i != 1 and reason = "Unexpected operand " + i.toString()
   )
   or
-  be.getOp() = " ?? " and reason = "No operator name"
+  be.getOp() = "??" and reason = "No operator name"
 select be, reason
diff --git a/java/ql/lib/semmle/code/java/Expr.qll b/java/ql/lib/semmle/code/java/Expr.qll
index 068ba100be9..712b65820ff 100644
--- a/java/ql/lib/semmle/code/java/Expr.qll
+++ b/java/ql/lib/semmle/code/java/Expr.qll
@@ -739,155 +739,155 @@ class BinaryExpr extends Expr, @binaryexpr {
   }
 
   /** Gets a printable representation of this expression. */
-  override string toString() { result = "..." + this.getOp() + "..." }
+  override string toString() { result = "... " + this.getOp() + " ..." }
 
   /** Gets a string representation of the operator of this binary expression. */
-  /*abstract*/ string getOp() { result = " ?? " }
+  /*abstract*/ string getOp() { result = "??" }
 }
 
 /** A binary expression using the `*` operator. */
 class MulExpr extends BinaryExpr, @mulexpr {
-  override string getOp() { result = " * " }
+  override string getOp() { result = "*" }
 
   override string getAPrimaryQlClass() { result = "MulExpr" }
 }
 
 /** A binary expression using the `/` operator. */
 class DivExpr extends BinaryExpr, @divexpr {
-  override string getOp() { result = " / " }
+  override string getOp() { result = "/" }
 
   override string getAPrimaryQlClass() { result = "DivExpr" }
 }
 
 /** A binary expression using the `%` operator. */
 class RemExpr extends BinaryExpr, @remexpr {
-  override string getOp() { result = " % " }
+  override string getOp() { result = "%" }
 
   override string getAPrimaryQlClass() { result = "RemExpr" }
 }
 
 /** A binary expression using the `+` operator. */
 class AddExpr extends BinaryExpr, @addexpr {
-  override string getOp() { result = " + " }
+  override string getOp() { result = "+" }
 
   override string getAPrimaryQlClass() { result = "AddExpr" }
 }
 
 /** A binary expression using the `-` operator. */
 class SubExpr extends BinaryExpr, @subexpr {
-  override string getOp() { result = " - " }
+  override string getOp() { result = "-" }
 
   override string getAPrimaryQlClass() { result = "SubExpr" }
 }
 
 /** A binary expression using the `<<` operator. */
 class LeftShiftExpr extends BinaryExpr, @lshiftexpr {
-  override string getOp() { result = " << " }
+  override string getOp() { result = "<<" }
 
   override string getAPrimaryQlClass() { result = "LeftShiftExpr" }
 }
 
 /** A binary expression using the `>>` operator. */
 class RightShiftExpr extends BinaryExpr, @rshiftexpr {
-  override string getOp() { result = " >> " }
+  override string getOp() { result = ">>" }
 
   override string getAPrimaryQlClass() { result = "RightShiftExpr" }
 }
 
 /** A binary expression using the `>>>` operator. */
 class UnsignedRightShiftExpr extends BinaryExpr, @urshiftexpr {
-  override string getOp() { result = " >>> " }
+  override string getOp() { result = ">>>" }
 
   override string getAPrimaryQlClass() { result = "UnsignedRightShiftExpr" }
 }
 
 /** A binary expression using the `&` operator. */
 class AndBitwiseExpr extends BinaryExpr, @andbitexpr {
-  override string getOp() { result = " & " }
+  override string getOp() { result = "&" }
 
   override string getAPrimaryQlClass() { result = "AndBitwiseExpr" }
 }
 
 /** A binary expression using the `|` operator. */
 class OrBitwiseExpr extends BinaryExpr, @orbitexpr {
-  override string getOp() { result = " | " }
+  override string getOp() { result = "|" }
 
   override string getAPrimaryQlClass() { result = "OrBitwiseExpr" }
 }
 
 /** A binary expression using the `^` operator. */
 class XorBitwiseExpr extends BinaryExpr, @xorbitexpr {
-  override string getOp() { result = " ^ " }
+  override string getOp() { result = "^" }
 
   override string getAPrimaryQlClass() { result = "XorBitwiseExpr" }
 }
 
 /** A binary expression using the `&&` operator. */
 class AndLogicalExpr extends BinaryExpr, @andlogicalexpr {
-  override string getOp() { result = " && " }
+  override string getOp() { result = "&&" }
 
   override string getAPrimaryQlClass() { result = "AndLogicalExpr" }
 }
 
 /** A binary expression using the `||` operator. */
 class OrLogicalExpr extends BinaryExpr, @orlogicalexpr {
-  override string getOp() { result = " || " }
+  override string getOp() { result = "||" }
 
   override string getAPrimaryQlClass() { result = "OrLogicalExpr" }
 }
 
 /** A binary expression using the `<` operator. */
 class LTExpr extends BinaryExpr, @ltexpr {
-  override string getOp() { result = " < " }
+  override string getOp() { result = "<" }
 
   override string getAPrimaryQlClass() { result = "LTExpr" }
 }
 
 /** A binary expression using the `>` operator. */
 class GTExpr extends BinaryExpr, @gtexpr {
-  override string getOp() { result = " > " }
+  override string getOp() { result = ">" }
 
   override string getAPrimaryQlClass() { result = "GTExpr" }
 }
 
 /** A binary expression using the `<=` operator. */
 class LEExpr extends BinaryExpr, @leexpr {
-  override string getOp() { result = " <= " }
+  override string getOp() { result = "<=" }
 
   override string getAPrimaryQlClass() { result = "LEExpr" }
 }
 
 /** A binary expression using the `>=` operator. */
 class GEExpr extends BinaryExpr, @geexpr {
-  override string getOp() { result = " >= " }
+  override string getOp() { result = ">=" }
 
   override string getAPrimaryQlClass() { result = "GEExpr" }
 }
 
 /** A binary expression using Java's `==` or Kotlin's `===` operator. */
 class EQExpr extends BinaryExpr, @eqexpr {
-  override string getOp() { result = " == " }
+  override string getOp() { result = "==" }
 
   override string getAPrimaryQlClass() { result = "EQExpr" }
 }
 
 /** A binary expression using the Kotlin `==` operator, semantically equivalent to `Objects.equals`. */
 class ValueEQExpr extends BinaryExpr, @valueeqexpr {
-  override string getOp() { result = " (value equals) " }
+  override string getOp() { result = "(value equals)" }
 
   override string getAPrimaryQlClass() { result = "ValueEQExpr" }
 }
 
 /** A binary expression using Java's `!=` or Kotlin's `!==` operator. */
 class NEExpr extends BinaryExpr, @neexpr {
-  override string getOp() { result = " != " }
+  override string getOp() { result = "!=" }
 
   override string getAPrimaryQlClass() { result = "NEExpr" }
 }
 
 /** A binary expression using the Kotlin `!=` operator, semantically equivalent to `Objects.equals`. */
 class ValueNEExpr extends BinaryExpr, @valueneexpr {
-  override string getOp() { result = " (value not-equals) " }
+  override string getOp() { result = "(value not-equals)" }
 
   override string getAPrimaryQlClass() { result = "ValueNEExpr" }
 }
diff --git a/java/ql/lib/semmle/code/java/PrettyPrintAst.qll b/java/ql/lib/semmle/code/java/PrettyPrintAst.qll
index 59a59cd9cdd..25660ec3ec5 100644
--- a/java/ql/lib/semmle/code/java/PrettyPrintAst.qll
+++ b/java/ql/lib/semmle/code/java/PrettyPrintAst.qll
@@ -229,7 +229,7 @@ private class PpLiteral extends PpAst, Literal {
 }
 
 private class PpBinaryExpr extends PpAst, BinaryExpr {
-  override string getPart(int i) { i = 1 and result = this.getOp() }
+  override string getPart(int i) { i = 1 and result = " " + this.getOp() + " " }
 
   override PpAst getChild(int i) {
     i = 0 and result = this.getLeftOperand()
diff --git a/java/ql/src/Likely Bugs/Arithmetic/WhitespaceContradictsPrecedence.ql b/java/ql/src/Likely Bugs/Arithmetic/WhitespaceContradictsPrecedence.ql
index 52a5850e7d1..0f1909c2dd2 100644
--- a/java/ql/src/Likely Bugs/Arithmetic/WhitespaceContradictsPrecedence.ql	
+++ b/java/ql/src/Likely Bugs/Arithmetic/WhitespaceContradictsPrecedence.ql	
@@ -138,7 +138,7 @@ int operatorWS(BinaryExpr expr) {
     endOfBinaryLhs(expr, line, lcol) and
     startOfBinaryRhs(expr, line, rcol) and
     parens = getParensNextToOp(expr) and
-    result = rcol - lcol + 1 - expr.getOp().length() - parens
+    result = rcol - lcol - 1 - expr.getOp().length() - parens
   )
 }
 
diff --git a/java/ql/test/library-tests/guards/GuardsInline.ql b/java/ql/test/library-tests/guards/GuardsInline.ql
index 1b854659d87..9f29af6de60 100644
--- a/java/ql/test/library-tests/guards/GuardsInline.ql
+++ b/java/ql/test/library-tests/guards/GuardsInline.ql
@@ -11,7 +11,9 @@ string ppGuard(Guard g, Boolean branch) {
   or
   exists(BinaryExpr bin |
     bin = g and
-    result = "'" + bin.getLeftOperand() + bin.getOp() + bin.getRightOperand() + ":" + branch + "'"
+    result =
+      "'" + bin.getLeftOperand() + " " + bin.getOp() + " " + bin.getRightOperand() + ":" + branch +
+        "'"
   )
   or
   exists(SwitchCase cc, Expr s, string match, string value |