diff --git a/src/search.c b/src/search.c
index 7022870..c9614ea 100644
--- a/src/search.c
+++ b/src/search.c
@@ -548,6 +548,7 @@
     pos_T	start_pos;
     int		at_first_line;
     int		extra_col;
+    int		start_char_len;
     int		match_ok;
     long	nmatched;
     int		submatch = 0;
@@ -574,23 +575,37 @@
 	/* When not accepting a match at the start position set "extra_col" to
 	 * a non-zero value.  Don't do that when starting at MAXCOL, since
 	 * MAXCOL + 1 is zero. */
-	if ((options & SEARCH_START) || pos->col == MAXCOL)
-	    extra_col = 0;
+	if (pos->col == MAXCOL)
+	    start_char_len = 0;
 #ifdef FEAT_MBYTE
 	/* Watch out for the "col" being MAXCOL - 2, used in a closed fold. */
-	else if (dir != BACKWARD && has_mbyte
-		     && pos->lnum >= 1 && pos->lnum <= buf->b_ml.ml_line_count
-						     && pos->col < MAXCOL - 2)
+	else if (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;
 	    if (*ptr == NUL)
-		extra_col = 1;
+		start_char_len = 1;
 	    else
-		extra_col = (*mb_ptr2len)(ptr);
+		start_char_len = (*mb_ptr2len)(ptr);
 	}
 #endif
 	else
-	    extra_col = 1;
+	    start_char_len = 1;
+	if (dir == FORWARD)
+	{
+	    if (options & SEARCH_START)
+		extra_col = 0;
+	    else
+		extra_col = start_char_len;
+	}
+	else
+	{
+	    if (options & SEARCH_START)
+		extra_col = start_char_len;
+	    else
+		extra_col = 0;
+	}
 
 	start_pos = *pos;	/* remember start pos for detecting no match */
 	found = 0;		/* default: not found */
@@ -779,15 +794,15 @@
 					|| (lnum + regmatch.endpos[0].lnum
 							     == start_pos.lnum
 					     && (int)regmatch.endpos[0].col - 1
-								   + extra_col
-							<= (int)start_pos.col))
+							< (int)start_pos.col
+								+ extra_col))
 				    : (lnum + regmatch.startpos[0].lnum
 							      < start_pos.lnum
 					|| (lnum + regmatch.startpos[0].lnum
 							     == start_pos.lnum
 					     && (int)regmatch.startpos[0].col
-								   + extra_col
-						      <= (int)start_pos.col))))
+						      < (int)start_pos.col
+							      + extra_col))))
 			    {
 				match_ok = TRUE;
 				matchpos = regmatch.startpos[0];
diff --git a/src/testdir/Make_amiga.mak b/src/testdir/Make_amiga.mak
index 5d80c4b..eba28f8 100644
--- a/src/testdir/Make_amiga.mak
+++ b/src/testdir/Make_amiga.mak
@@ -57,6 +57,7 @@
 		test_perl.out \
 		test_qf_title.out \
 		test_ruby.out \
+		test_search_mbyte.out \
 		test_set.out \
 		test_signs.out \
 		test_textobjects.out \
@@ -205,6 +206,7 @@
 test_perl.out: test_perl.in
 test_qf_title.out: test_qf_title.in
 test_ruby.out: test_ruby.in
+test_search_mbyte.out: test_search_mbyte.in
 test_set.out: test_set.in
 test_signs.out: test_signs.in
 test_textobjects.out: test_textobjects.in
diff --git a/src/testdir/Make_dos.mak b/src/testdir/Make_dos.mak
index 219b4bc..eecb735 100644
--- a/src/testdir/Make_dos.mak
+++ b/src/testdir/Make_dos.mak
@@ -56,6 +56,7 @@
 		test_perl.out \
 		test_qf_title.out \
 		test_ruby.out \
+		test_search_mbyte.out \
 		test_set.out \
 		test_signs.out \
 		test_textobjects.out \
diff --git a/src/testdir/Make_ming.mak b/src/testdir/Make_ming.mak
index ba28cb5..29d931d 100644
--- a/src/testdir/Make_ming.mak
+++ b/src/testdir/Make_ming.mak
@@ -78,6 +78,7 @@
 		test_perl.out \
 		test_qf_title.out \
 		test_ruby.out \
+		test_search_mbyte.out \
 		test_set.out \
 		test_signs.out \
 		test_textobjects.out \
diff --git a/src/testdir/Make_os2.mak b/src/testdir/Make_os2.mak
index 52addee..f473d89 100644
--- a/src/testdir/Make_os2.mak
+++ b/src/testdir/Make_os2.mak
@@ -58,6 +58,7 @@
 		test_perl.out \
 		test_qf_title.out \
 		test_ruby.out \
+		test_search_mbyte.out \
 		test_set.out \
 		test_signs.out \
 		test_textobjects.out \
diff --git a/src/testdir/Make_vms.mms b/src/testdir/Make_vms.mms
index 6d1f73b..437f9b1 100644
--- a/src/testdir/Make_vms.mms
+++ b/src/testdir/Make_vms.mms
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
 # Authors:	Zoltan Arpadffy, <arpadffy@polarhome.com>
 #		Sandor Kopanyi,  <sandor.kopanyi@mailbox.hu>
 #
-# Last change:  2015 Jun 19
+# Last change:  2015 Jul 10
 #
 # This has been tested on VMS 6.2 to 8.3 on DEC Alpha, VAX and IA64.
 # Edit the lines in the Configuration section below to select.
@@ -117,6 +117,7 @@
 	 test_perl.out \
 	 test_qf_title.out \
 	 test_ruby.out \
+	 test_search_mbyte.out \
 	 test_set.out \
 	 test_signs.out \
 	 test_textobjects.out \
diff --git a/src/testdir/Makefile b/src/testdir/Makefile
index f0a2138..656a744 100644
--- a/src/testdir/Makefile
+++ b/src/testdir/Makefile
@@ -54,6 +54,7 @@
 		test_perl.out \
 		test_qf_title.out \
 		test_ruby.out \
+		test_search_mbyte.out \
 		test_set.out \
 		test_signs.out \
 		test_textobjects.out \
diff --git a/src/version.c b/src/version.c
index 3e09845..57740cf 100644
--- a/src/version.c
+++ b/src/version.c
@@ -742,6 +742,8 @@
 static int included_patches[] =
 {   /* Add new patch number below this line */
 /**/
+    771,
+/**/
     770,
 /**/
     769,