diff --git a/src/selectors.hh b/src/selectors.hh
index 462b188f..f9be9247 100644
--- a/src/selectors.hh
+++ b/src/selectors.hh
@@ -94,9 +94,8 @@ Selection select_to_previous_word(const Buffer& buffer, const Selection& selecti
 
     skip_while_reverse(begin, buffer.begin(), [](Codepoint c){ return is_eol(c); });
     Utf8Iterator end = begin;
-    skip_while_reverse(end, buffer.begin(), is_horizontal_blank);
 
-    bool with_end = false;
+    bool with_end = skip_while_reverse(end, buffer.begin(), is_horizontal_blank);
     if (word_type == Word and is_punctuation(*end))
         with_end = skip_while_reverse(end, buffer.begin(), is_punctuation);
 
diff --git a/test/regression/844-prev-word-at-buffer-start/cmd b/test/regression/844-prev-word-at-buffer-start/cmd
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..e0b3f1b0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/regression/844-prev-word-at-buffer-start/cmd
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+bb
diff --git a/test/regression/844-prev-word-at-buffer-start/in b/test/regression/844-prev-word-at-buffer-start/in
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..ce10d429
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/regression/844-prev-word-at-buffer-start/in
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+  %(word)
diff --git a/test/regression/844-prev-word-at-buffer-start/selections b/test/regression/844-prev-word-at-buffer-start/selections
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..1a4baf53
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/regression/844-prev-word-at-buffer-start/selections
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+