diff --git a/README.asciidoc b/README.asciidoc
index 453926eb..78f1b267 100644
--- a/README.asciidoc
+++ b/README.asciidoc
@@ -824,9 +824,9 @@ Options are typed, their type can be
   if an element needs to contain a colon, it can be escaped with a
   backslash.
  * `range-faces`: a `:` separated list of a pairs of a buffer range
-   (`<begin line>.<begin column>,<end line>.<end column>`) and  a face
-   (separated by `|`), except for the first element which is just the
-   timestamp of the buffer.
+   (`<begin line>.<begin column>,<end line>.<end column>` or
+   `<begin line>.<end line>+<length>`) and  a face (separated by `|`),
+   except for the first element which is just the timestamp of the buffer.
  * `completions`: a `:` separated list of `<text>|<docstring>|<menu text>`
    candidates, except for the first element which follows the
    `<line>.<column>[+<length>]@<timestamp>` format to define where the
diff --git a/doc/manpages/options.asciidoc b/doc/manpages/options.asciidoc
index 24e4ee4f..93427bbb 100644
--- a/doc/manpages/options.asciidoc
+++ b/doc/manpages/options.asciidoc
@@ -24,9 +24,9 @@ Types
 	with a backslash
 *range-faces*::
 	a `:` separated list of a pairs of a buffer range
-	(`<begin line>.<begin column>,<end line>.<end column>`) and  a face
-	(separated by `|`), except for the first element which is just the
-	timestamp of the buffer.
+	(`<begin line>.<begin column>,<end line>.<end column>` or
+	`<begin line>.<begin column>+<length>`) and  a face (separated by `|`),
+	except for the first element which is just the timestamp of the buffer.
 *completions*::
 	a `:` separated list of `<text>|<docstring>|<menu text>`
 	candidates, except for the first element which follows the
diff --git a/rc/base/spell.kak b/rc/base/spell.kak
index b54d111a..4d496f77 100644
--- a/rc/base/spell.kak
+++ b/rc/base/spell.kak
@@ -34,13 +34,12 @@ Formats of language supported:
                     case "$line" in
                         [\#\&]*)
                             if expr "$line" : '^&' >/dev/null; then
-                               begin=$(printf %s\\n "$line" | cut -d ' ' -f 4 | sed 's/:$//')
+                               pos=$(printf %s\\n "$line" | cut -d ' ' -f 4 | sed 's/:$//')
                             else
-                               begin=$(printf %s\\n "$line" | cut -d ' ' -f 3)
+                               pos=$(printf %s\\n "$line" | cut -d ' ' -f 3)
                             fi
                             word=$(printf %s\\n "$line" | cut -d ' ' -f 2)
-                            end=$((begin + ${#word}))
-                            regions="$regions:$line_num.$begin,$line_num.$end|Error"
+                            regions="$regions:$line_num.$pos+${#word}|Error"
                             ;;
                         '') line_num=$((line_num + 1));;
                         \*) ;;
diff --git a/src/display_buffer.cc b/src/display_buffer.cc
index fdf3b1c4..4ac6a2fb 100644
--- a/src/display_buffer.cc
+++ b/src/display_buffer.cc
@@ -14,29 +14,33 @@ String option_to_string(BufferRange range)
 {
     return format("{}.{},{}.{}",
                   range.begin.line+1, range.begin.column+1,
-                  range.end.line+1, range.end.column+1);
+                  range.end.line, range.end.column);
 }
 
 void option_from_string(StringView str, BufferRange& opt)
 {
-    auto comma = find(str, ',');
-    auto dot_begin = find(StringView{str.begin(), comma}, '.');
-    auto dot_end = find(StringView{comma, str.end()}, '.');
+    auto sep = find_if(str, [](char c){ return c == ',' or c == '+'; });
+    auto dot_beg = find(StringView{str.begin(), sep}, '.');
+    auto dot_end = find(StringView{sep, str.end()}, '.');
 
-    if (comma == str.end() or dot_begin == comma or dot_end == str.end())
-        throw runtime_error(format("'{}' does not follow <line>.<column>,<line>.<column> format", str));
+    if (sep == str.end() or dot_beg == sep or
+        (*sep == ',' and dot_end == str.end()))
+        throw runtime_error(format("'{}' does not follow <line>.<column>,<line>.<column> or <line>.<column>+<len> format", str));
 
-    BufferCoord begin{str_to_int({str.begin(), dot_begin}) - 1,
-                    str_to_int({dot_begin+1, comma}) - 1};
+    const BufferCoord beg{str_to_int({str.begin(), dot_beg}) - 1,
+                          str_to_int({dot_beg+1, sep}) - 1};
 
-    BufferCoord end{str_to_int({comma+1, dot_end}) - 1,
-                  str_to_int({dot_end+1, str.end()}) - 1};
+    const bool len = (*sep == '+');
+    const BufferCoord end{len ? beg.line : str_to_int({sep+1, dot_end}) - 1,
+                          len ? beg.column + str_to_int({sep+1, str.end()})
+                              : str_to_int({dot_end+1, str.end()}) };
 
-    opt.begin = begin;
-    opt.end = end;
+    if (beg.line < 0 or beg.column < 0 or end.line < 0 or end.column < 0)
+        throw runtime_error("coordinates elements should be >= 1");
+
+    opt = { beg, end };
 }
 
-
 StringView DisplayAtom::content() const
 {
     switch (m_type)