diff --git a/contrib/tsearch2/wparser_def.c b/contrib/tsearch2/wparser_def.c
index 352fae298c4..53199992c8e 100644
--- a/contrib/tsearch2/wparser_def.c
+++ b/contrib/tsearch2/wparser_def.c
@@ -280,11 +280,13 @@ prsd_headline(PG_FUNCTION_ARGS)
 					break;
 			}
 			if ( curlen < min_words && i>=prs->curwords ) { /* got end of text and our cover is shoter than min_words */
-				for(i=p; i>= 0; i--) {
+				for(i=p-1; i>= 0; i--) {
 					if (!NONWORDTOKEN(prs->words[i].type))
 						curlen++;
 					if (prs->words[i].item && !prs->words[i].repeated)
 						poslen++;
+					if ( curlen >= max_words )
+						break;
 					if (NOENDTOKEN(prs->words[i].type) || prs->words[i].len <= shortword)
 						continue;
 					if (curlen >= min_words)