diff --git a/src/librustdoc/html/markdown.rs b/src/librustdoc/html/markdown.rs
index c971e231463cd..fda2512a05036 100644
--- a/src/librustdoc/html/markdown.rs
+++ b/src/librustdoc/html/markdown.rs
@@ -1316,8 +1316,7 @@ crate struct RustCodeBlock {
     /// The range in the markdown that the code within the code block occupies.
     crate code: Range<usize>,
     crate is_fenced: bool,
-    crate syntax: Option<String>,
-    crate is_ignore: bool,
+    crate lang_string: LangString,
 }
 
 /// Returns a range of bytes for each code block in the markdown that is tagged as `rust` or
@@ -1333,7 +1332,7 @@ crate fn rust_code_blocks(md: &str, extra_info: &ExtraInfo<'_>) -> Vec<RustCodeB
 
     while let Some((event, offset)) = p.next() {
         if let Event::Start(Tag::CodeBlock(syntax)) = event {
-            let (syntax, code_start, code_end, range, is_fenced, is_ignore) = match syntax {
+            let (lang_string, code_start, code_end, range, is_fenced) = match syntax {
                 CodeBlockKind::Fenced(syntax) => {
                     let syntax = syntax.as_ref();
                     let lang_string = if syntax.is_empty() {
@@ -1344,8 +1343,6 @@ crate fn rust_code_blocks(md: &str, extra_info: &ExtraInfo<'_>) -> Vec<RustCodeB
                     if !lang_string.rust {
                         continue;
                     }
-                    let is_ignore = lang_string.ignore != Ignore::None;
-                    let syntax = if syntax.is_empty() { None } else { Some(syntax.to_owned()) };
                     let (code_start, mut code_end) = match p.next() {
                         Some((Event::Text(_), offset)) => (offset.start, offset.end),
                         Some((_, sub_offset)) => {
@@ -1354,8 +1351,7 @@ crate fn rust_code_blocks(md: &str, extra_info: &ExtraInfo<'_>) -> Vec<RustCodeB
                                 is_fenced: true,
                                 range: offset,
                                 code,
-                                syntax,
-                                is_ignore,
+                                lang_string,
                             });
                             continue;
                         }
@@ -1365,8 +1361,7 @@ crate fn rust_code_blocks(md: &str, extra_info: &ExtraInfo<'_>) -> Vec<RustCodeB
                                 is_fenced: true,
                                 range: offset,
                                 code,
-                                syntax,
-                                is_ignore,
+                                lang_string,
                             });
                             continue;
                         }
@@ -1374,22 +1369,21 @@ crate fn rust_code_blocks(md: &str, extra_info: &ExtraInfo<'_>) -> Vec<RustCodeB
                     while let Some((Event::Text(_), offset)) = p.next() {
                         code_end = offset.end;
                     }
-                    (syntax, code_start, code_end, offset, true, is_ignore)
+                    (lang_string, code_start, code_end, offset, true)
                 }
                 CodeBlockKind::Indented => {
                     // The ending of the offset goes too far sometime so we reduce it by one in
                     // these cases.
                     if offset.end > offset.start && md.get(offset.end..=offset.end) == Some(&"\n") {
                         (
-                            None,
+                            LangString::default(),
                             offset.start,
                             offset.end,
                             Range { start: offset.start, end: offset.end - 1 },
                             false,
-                            false,
                         )
                     } else {
-                        (None, offset.start, offset.end, offset, false, false)
+                        (LangString::default(), offset.start, offset.end, offset, false)
                     }
                 }
             };
@@ -1398,8 +1392,7 @@ crate fn rust_code_blocks(md: &str, extra_info: &ExtraInfo<'_>) -> Vec<RustCodeB
                 is_fenced,
                 range,
                 code: Range { start: code_start, end: code_end },
-                syntax,
-                is_ignore,
+                lang_string,
             });
         }
     }
diff --git a/src/librustdoc/passes/check_code_block_syntax.rs b/src/librustdoc/passes/check_code_block_syntax.rs
index c9f66d096f06c..d2b3c5239c778 100644
--- a/src/librustdoc/passes/check_code_block_syntax.rs
+++ b/src/librustdoc/passes/check_code_block_syntax.rs
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ use rustc_middle::lint::LintDiagnosticBuilder;
 use rustc_parse::parse_stream_from_source_str;
 use rustc_session::parse::ParseSess;
 use rustc_span::source_map::{FilePathMapping, SourceMap};
-use rustc_span::{FileName, InnerSpan};
+use rustc_span::{hygiene::AstPass, ExpnData, ExpnKind, FileName, InnerSpan, DUMMY_SP};
 
 use crate::clean;
 use crate::core::DocContext;
@@ -36,12 +36,22 @@ impl<'a, 'tcx> SyntaxChecker<'a, 'tcx> {
         let source = dox[code_block.code].to_owned();
         let sess = ParseSess::with_span_handler(handler, sm);
 
+        let edition = code_block.lang_string.edition.unwrap_or(self.cx.tcx.sess.edition());
+        let expn_data = ExpnData::default(
+            ExpnKind::AstPass(AstPass::TestHarness),
+            DUMMY_SP,
+            edition,
+            None,
+            None,
+        );
+        let span = DUMMY_SP.fresh_expansion(expn_data, self.cx.tcx.create_stable_hashing_context());
+
         let is_empty = rustc_driver::catch_fatal_errors(|| {
             parse_stream_from_source_str(
                 FileName::Custom(String::from("doctest")),
                 source,
                 &sess,
-                None,
+                Some(span),
             )
             .is_empty()
         })
@@ -61,8 +71,8 @@ impl<'a, 'tcx> SyntaxChecker<'a, 'tcx> {
         };
 
         let hir_id = self.cx.tcx.hir().local_def_id_to_hir_id(local_id);
-        let empty_block = code_block.syntax.is_none() && code_block.is_fenced;
-        let is_ignore = code_block.is_ignore;
+        let empty_block = code_block.lang_string == Default::default() && code_block.is_fenced;
+        let is_ignore = code_block.lang_string.ignore != markdown::Ignore::None;
 
         // The span and whether it is precise or not.
         let (sp, precise_span) = match super::source_span_for_markdown_range(
diff --git a/src/test/rustdoc-ui/doctest-edition.rs b/src/test/rustdoc-ui/doctest-edition.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..b0787be972f2f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/test/rustdoc-ui/doctest-edition.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+// edition:2021
+
+#![deny(rustdoc::invalid_rust_codeblocks)]
+//~^ NOTE lint level is defined here
+
+// By default, rustdoc should use the edition of the crate.
+//! ```
+//! foo'b'
+//! ```
+//~^^^ ERROR could not parse
+//~| NOTE prefix `foo` is unknown
+
+// Rustdoc should respect `edition2018` when highlighting syntax.
+//! ```edition2018
+//! foo'b'
+//! ```
diff --git a/src/test/rustdoc-ui/doctest-edition.stderr b/src/test/rustdoc-ui/doctest-edition.stderr
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..1643d605375a1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/test/rustdoc-ui/doctest-edition.stderr
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+error: could not parse code block as Rust code
+  --> $DIR/doctest-edition.rs:7:5
+   |
+LL |   //! ```
+   |  _____^
+LL | | //! foo'b'
+LL | | //! ```
+   | |_______^
+   |
+note: the lint level is defined here
+  --> $DIR/doctest-edition.rs:3:9
+   |
+LL | #![deny(rustdoc::invalid_rust_codeblocks)]
+   |         ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
+   = note: error from rustc: prefix `foo` is unknown
+help: mark blocks that do not contain Rust code as text
+   |
+LL | //! ```text
+   |        ++++
+
+error: aborting due to previous error
+