diff --git a/src/search.c b/src/search.c
index 0b1c519..24b0c4a 100644
--- a/src/search.c
+++ b/src/search.c
@@ -572,7 +572,8 @@
 	extra_col = 0;
 #ifdef FEAT_MBYTE
     /* Watch out for the "col" being MAXCOL - 2, used in a closed fold. */
-    else if (has_mbyte && pos->lnum >= 1 && pos->lnum <= buf->b_ml.ml_line_count
+    else if (dir != BACKWARD && has_mbyte
+		    && pos->lnum >= 1 && pos->lnum <= buf->b_ml.ml_line_count
 						     && pos->col < MAXCOL - 2)
     {
 	ptr = ml_get_buf(buf, pos->lnum, FALSE) + pos->col;
diff --git a/src/testdir/test44.in b/src/testdir/test44.in
index b8b8d4f..e486869 100644
--- a/src/testdir/test44.in
+++ b/src/testdir/test44.in
@@ -29,6 +29,9 @@
 x/\%d21879b
 x/ [[=A=]]* [[=B=]]* [[=C=]]* [[=D=]]* [[=E=]]* [[=F=]]* [[=G=]]* [[=H=]]* [[=I=]]* [[=J=]]* [[=K=]]* [[=L=]]* [[=M=]]* [[=N=]]* [[=O=]]* [[=P=]]* [[=Q=]]* [[=R=]]* [[=S=]]* [[=T=]]* [[=U=]]* [[=V=]]* [[=W=]]* [[=X=]]* [[=Y=]]* [[=Z=]]*/e
 x/ [[=a=]]* [[=b=]]* [[=c=]]* [[=d=]]* [[=e=]]* [[=f=]]* [[=g=]]* [[=h=]]* [[=i=]]* [[=j=]]* [[=k=]]* [[=l=]]* [[=m=]]* [[=n=]]* [[=o=]]* [[=p=]]* [[=q=]]* [[=r=]]* [[=s=]]* [[=t=]]* [[=u=]]* [[=v=]]* [[=w=]]* [[=x=]]* [[=y=]]* [[=z=]]*/e
+x:" Test backwards search from a multi-byte char
+/x
+x?.
 x:?^1?,$w! test.out
 :e! test.out
 G:put =matchstr(\"אבגד\", \".\", 0, 2) " ב
@@ -57,3 +60,4 @@
 g a啷bb
 h AÀÁÂÃÄÅĀĂĄǍǞǠẢ BḂḆ CÇĆĈĊČ DĎĐḊḎḐ EÈÉÊËĒĔĖĘĚẺẼ FḞ GĜĞĠĢǤǦǴḠ HĤĦḢḦḨ IÌÍÎÏĨĪĬĮİǏỈ JĴ KĶǨḰḴ LĹĻĽĿŁḺ MḾṀ NÑŃŅŇṄṈ OÒÓÔÕÖØŌŎŐƠǑǪǬỎ PṔṖ Q RŔŖŘṘṞ SŚŜŞŠṠ TŢŤŦṪṮ UÙÚÛÜŨŪŬŮŰŲƯǓỦ VṼ WŴẀẂẄẆ XẊẌ YÝŶŸẎỲỶỸ ZŹŻŽƵẐẔ
 i aàáâãäåāăąǎǟǡả bḃḇ cçćĉċč dďđḋḏḑ eèéêëēĕėęěẻẽ fḟ gĝğġģǥǧǵḡ hĥħḣḧḩẖ iìíîïĩīĭįǐỉ jĵǰ kķǩḱḵ lĺļľŀłḻ mḿṁ nñńņňŉṅṉ oòóôõöøōŏőơǒǫǭỏ pṕṗ q rŕŗřṙṟ sśŝşšṡ tţťŧṫṯẗ uùúûüũūŭůűųưǔủ vṽ wŵẁẃẅẇẘ xẋẍ yýÿŷẏẙỳỷỹ zźżžƶẑẕ
+j 0123❤x
diff --git a/src/testdir/test44.ok b/src/testdir/test44.ok
index 2bd5bda..d98ac2e 100644
--- a/src/testdir/test44.ok
+++ b/src/testdir/test44.ok
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@
 g abb
 h AÀÁÂÃÄÅĀĂĄǍǞǠẢ BḂḆ CÇĆĈĊČ DĎĐḊḎḐ EÈÉÊËĒĔĖĘĚẺẼ FḞ GĜĞĠĢǤǦǴḠ HĤĦḢḦḨ IÌÍÎÏĨĪĬĮİǏỈ JĴ KĶǨḰḴ LĹĻĽĿŁḺ MḾṀ NÑŃŅŇṄṈ OÒÓÔÕÖØŌŎŐƠǑǪǬỎ PṔṖ Q RŔŖŘṘṞ SŚŜŞŠṠ TŢŤŦṪṮ UÙÚÛÜŨŪŬŮŰŲƯǓỦ VṼ WŴẀẂẄẆ XẊẌ YÝŶŸẎỲỶỸ ZŹŻŽƵẐ
 i aàáâãäåāăąǎǟǡả bḃḇ cçćĉċč dďđḋḏḑ eèéêëēĕėęěẻẽ fḟ gĝğġģǥǧǵḡ hĥħḣḧḩẖ iìíîïĩīĭįǐỉ jĵǰ kķǩḱḵ lĺļľŀłḻ mḿṁ nñńņňŉṅṉ oòóôõöøōŏőơǒǫǭỏ pṕṗ q rŕŗřṙṟ sśŝşšṡ tţťŧṫṯẗ uùúûüũūŭůűųưǔủ vṽ wŵẁẃẅẇẘ xẋẍ yýÿŷẏẙỳỷỹ zźżžƶẑ
+j 012❤
 ב
 בג
 א
diff --git a/src/version.c b/src/version.c
index 073c294..a8cfdc5 100644
--- a/src/version.c
+++ b/src/version.c
@@ -726,6 +726,8 @@
 static int included_patches[] =
 {   /* Add new patch number below this line */
 /**/
+    779,
+/**/
     778,
 /**/
     777,