diff --git a/src/main/java/eu/siacs/conversations/utils/StylingHelper.java b/src/main/java/eu/siacs/conversations/utils/StylingHelper.java
index 7a18dffbb4457640f4e115099d7823db26dce600..1618127e93fcf8b275883ef82035bd90312c037f 100644
--- a/src/main/java/eu/siacs/conversations/utils/StylingHelper.java
+++ b/src/main/java/eu/siacs/conversations/utils/StylingHelper.java
@@ -152,7 +152,7 @@ public class StylingHelper {
 					if (beginSpan >= start && endSpan <= end) {
 						continue;
 					}
-					sub.setSpan(clone(parcelableSpan), Math.max(beginSpan - start, 0), Math.min(sub.length() - 1, endSpan), Spannable.SPAN_EXCLUSIVE_EXCLUSIVE);
+					sub.setSpan(clone(parcelableSpan), Math.max(beginSpan - start, 0), Math.min(Math.max(sub.length() - 1, 0), endSpan), Spannable.SPAN_EXCLUSIVE_EXCLUSIVE);
 				}
 			}
 			return sub;