diff --git a/grep.c b/grep.c
index a649f063cf..cc6d5b04c1 100644
--- a/grep.c
+++ b/grep.c
@@ -360,6 +360,7 @@ static int match_one_pattern(struct grep_pat *p, char *bol, char *eol,
 			bol = pmatch[0].rm_so + bol + 1;
 			while (word_char(bol[-1]) && bol < eol)
 				bol++;
+			eflags |= REG_NOTBOL;
 			if (bol < eol)
 				goto again;
 		}
diff --git a/t/t7002-grep.sh b/t/t7002-grep.sh
index b81593780a..f275af8240 100755
--- a/t/t7002-grep.sh
+++ b/t/t7002-grep.sh
@@ -16,12 +16,13 @@ test_expect_success setup '
 		echo foo mmap bar_mmap
 		echo foo_mmap bar mmap baz
 	} >file &&
+	echo ww w >w &&
 	echo x x xx x >x &&
 	echo y yy >y &&
 	echo zzz > z &&
 	mkdir t &&
 	echo test >t/t &&
-	git add file x y z t/t &&
+	git add file w x y z t/t &&
 	test_tick &&
 	git commit -m initial
 '
@@ -48,6 +49,12 @@ do
 		diff expected actual
 	'
 
+	test_expect_success "grep -w $L (w)" '
+		: >expected &&
+		! git grep -n -w -e "^w" >actual &&
+		test_cmp expected actual
+	'
+
 	test_expect_success "grep -w $L (x)" '
 		{
 			echo ${HC}x:1:x x xx x