diff --git a/sys/dev/vt/vt_buf.c b/sys/dev/vt/vt_buf.c
index 9c9417d6eca..f525e73c8bb 100644
--- a/sys/dev/vt/vt_buf.c
+++ b/sys/dev/vt/vt_buf.c
@@ -816,6 +816,9 @@ vtbuf_set_mark(struct vt_buf *vb, int type, int col, int row)
 				break;
 			}
 		}
+		/* No space - word extends to beginning of line. */
+		if (i == -1)
+			vb->vb_mark_start.tp_col = 0;
 		for (i = col; i < vb->vb_scr_size.tp_col; i ++) {
 			if (TCHAR_CHARACTER(r[i]) == ' ') {
 				vb->vb_mark_end.tp_col = i;