diff --git a/src/asyncio_taskpool/helpers.py b/src/asyncio_taskpool/helpers.py
index 4bc2ffb..912c975 100644
--- a/src/asyncio_taskpool/helpers.py
+++ b/src/asyncio_taskpool/helpers.py
@@ -19,7 +19,6 @@ Miscellaneous helper functions.
 """
 
 
-import re
 from asyncio.coroutines import iscoroutinefunction
 from asyncio.queues import Queue
 from inspect import getdoc
@@ -57,7 +56,7 @@ def tasks_str(num: int) -> str:
 
 
 def get_first_doc_line(obj: object) -> str:
-    return getdoc(obj).strip().split("\n", 1)[0]
+    return getdoc(obj).strip().split("\n", 1)[0].strip()
 
 
 async def return_or_exception(_function_to_execute: AnyCallableT, *args, **kwargs) -> Union[T, Exception]:
diff --git a/tests/test_helpers.py b/tests/test_helpers.py
index 9c3e551..ee41d1e 100644
--- a/tests/test_helpers.py
+++ b/tests/test_helpers.py
@@ -94,3 +94,35 @@ class HelpersTestCase(IsolatedAsyncioTestCase):
         self.assertEqual("tasks", helpers.tasks_str(2))
         self.assertEqual("tasks", helpers.tasks_str(-10))
         self.assertEqual("tasks", helpers.tasks_str(42))
+
+    def test_get_first_doc_line(self):
+        expected_output = 'foo bar baz'
+        mock_obj = MagicMock(__doc__=f"""{expected_output} 
+        something else
+        
+        even more
+        """)
+        output = helpers.get_first_doc_line(mock_obj)
+        self.assertEqual(expected_output, output)
+
+    async def test_return_or_exception(self):
+        expected_output = '420'
+        mock_func = AsyncMock(return_value=expected_output)
+        args = (1, 3, 5)
+        kwargs = {'a': 1, 'b': 2, 'c': 'foo'}
+        output = await helpers.return_or_exception(mock_func, *args, **kwargs)
+        self.assertEqual(expected_output, output)
+        mock_func.assert_awaited_once_with(*args, **kwargs)
+
+        mock_func = MagicMock(return_value=expected_output)
+        output = await helpers.return_or_exception(mock_func, *args, **kwargs)
+        self.assertEqual(expected_output, output)
+        mock_func.assert_called_once_with(*args, **kwargs)
+
+        class TestException(Exception):
+            pass
+        test_exception = TestException()
+        mock_func = MagicMock(side_effect=test_exception)
+        output = await helpers.return_or_exception(mock_func, *args, **kwargs)
+        self.assertEqual(test_exception, output)
+        mock_func.assert_called_once_with(*args, **kwargs)