diff --git a/src/search.c b/src/search.c
index 74398e3..1145558 100644
--- a/src/search.c
+++ b/src/search.c
@@ -578,6 +578,7 @@
  * if (options & SEARCH_KEEP) keep previous search pattern
  * if (options & SEARCH_FOLD) match only once in a closed fold
  * if (options & SEARCH_PEEK) check for typed char, cancel search
+ * if (options & SEARCH_COL) start at pos->col instead of zero
  *
  * Return FAIL (zero) for failure, non-zero for success.
  * When FEAT_EVAL is defined, returns the index of the first matching
@@ -599,6 +600,7 @@
 {
     int		found;
     linenr_T	lnum;		/* no init to shut up Apollo cc */
+    colnr_T	col;
     regmmatch_T	regmatch;
     char_u	*ptr;
     colnr_T	matchcol;
@@ -711,12 +713,14 @@
 		/*
 		 * Look for a match somewhere in line "lnum".
 		 */
+		col = at_first_line && (options & SEARCH_COL) ? pos->col
+								 : (colnr_T)0;
 		nmatched = vim_regexec_multi(&regmatch, win, buf,
-						      lnum, (colnr_T)0,
+					     lnum, col,
 #ifdef FEAT_RELTIME
-						      tm
+					     tm
 #else
-						      NULL
+					     NULL
 #endif
 						      );
 		/* Abort searching on an error (e.g., out of stack). */
@@ -1098,6 +1102,7 @@
 
 /*
  * Return the number of the first subpat that matched.
+ * Return zero if none of them matched.
  */
     static int
 first_submatch(rp)