diff --git a/src/search.c b/src/search.c
index b54b30f..158cfd8 100644
--- a/src/search.c
+++ b/src/search.c
@@ -4545,7 +4545,6 @@
     int		dir;
     int		result;		/* result of various function calls */
     char_u	old_p_ws = p_ws;
-    int		visual_active = FALSE;
     int		flags = 0;
     pos_T	save_VIsual;
     int		zerowidth = FALSE;
@@ -4561,11 +4560,6 @@
     {
 	orig_pos = curwin->w_cursor;
 	save_VIsual = VIsual;
-	visual_active = TRUE;
-
-	/* just started visual selection, only one character */
-	if (equalpos(VIsual, curwin->w_cursor))
-	    visual_active = FALSE;
 
 	pos = curwin->w_cursor;
 	start_pos = VIsual;
@@ -4619,7 +4613,7 @@
 	    p_ws = old_p_ws;
 	    return FAIL;
 	}
-	else if (!i && !result && !visual_active)
+	else if (!i && !result)
 	{
 	    if (forward) /* try again from start of buffer */
 	    {
@@ -4691,7 +4685,8 @@
     regmmatch_T	regmatch;
     int		nmatched = 0;
     int		result = -1;
-    pos_T       pos;
+    pos_T	pos;
+    int		save_called_emsg = called_emsg;
 
     if (search_regcomp(pattern, RE_SEARCH, RE_SEARCH,
 					      SEARCH_KEEP, &regmatch) == FAIL)
@@ -4704,15 +4699,17 @@
     {
 	/* Zero-width pattern should match somewhere, then we can check if
 	 * start and end are in the same position. */
+	called_emsg = FALSE;
 	nmatched = vim_regexec_multi(&regmatch, curwin, curbuf,
 						  pos.lnum, (colnr_T)0, NULL);
 
 	if (!called_emsg)
 	    result = (nmatched != 0
-		    && regmatch.startpos[0].lnum == regmatch.endpos[0].lnum
-		    && regmatch.startpos[0].col == regmatch.endpos[0].col);
+		&& regmatch.startpos[0].lnum == regmatch.endpos[0].lnum
+		&& regmatch.startpos[0].col == regmatch.endpos[0].col);
     }
 
+    called_emsg |= save_called_emsg;
     vim_free(regmatch.regprog);
     return result;
 }
diff --git a/src/testdir/test53.in b/src/testdir/test53.in
index be76b05..af617c0 100644
--- a/src/testdir/test53.in
+++ b/src/testdir/test53.in
@@ -40,7 +40,8 @@
 /\>\zs
 0gnd/^
 gnd$h/\zs
-gnd
+gnd/[u]niquepattern/s
+vlgnd
 :/^start:/,/^end:/wq! test.out
 ENDTEST
 
@@ -67,4 +68,5 @@
 lines
 zero width pattern
 delete first and last chars
+uniquepattern uniquepattern
 end:
diff --git a/src/testdir/test53.ok b/src/testdir/test53.ok
index 928caff..0a2a6f4 100644
--- a/src/testdir/test53.ok
+++ b/src/testdir/test53.ok
@@ -24,4 +24,5 @@
 join lines
 zerowidth pattern
 elete first and last char
+ uniquepattern
 end:
diff --git a/src/version.c b/src/version.c
index 2f20fa6..922e865 100644
--- a/src/version.c
+++ b/src/version.c
@@ -720,6 +720,8 @@
 static int included_patches[] =
 {   /* Add new patch number below this line */
 /**/
+    647,
+/**/
     646,
 /**/
     645,