diff --git a/app/src/main/java/com/keylesspalace/tusky/util/SpanUtils.kt b/app/src/main/java/com/keylesspalace/tusky/util/SpanUtils.kt
index 01dcf02e..ec504038 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/com/keylesspalace/tusky/util/SpanUtils.kt
+++ b/app/src/main/java/com/keylesspalace/tusky/util/SpanUtils.kt
@@ -70,7 +70,10 @@ private fun findPattern(string: String, fromIndex: Int): FindCharsResult {
                 result.matchType = matchType
                 result.start = Math.max(0, i - finder.searchPrefixWidth)
                 findEndOfPattern(string, result, finder.pattern)
-                return result
+                if (result.start + finder.searchPrefixWidth <= i + 1 && // The found result is actually triggered by the correct search character
+                        result.end >= result.start) {                   // ...and we actually found a valid result
+                    return result
+                }
             }
         }
     }
diff --git a/app/src/test/java/com/keylesspalace/tusky/SpanUtilsTest.kt b/app/src/test/java/com/keylesspalace/tusky/SpanUtilsTest.kt
index 37e3a1be..f90a95e7 100644
--- a/app/src/test/java/com/keylesspalace/tusky/SpanUtilsTest.kt
+++ b/app/src/test/java/com/keylesspalace/tusky/SpanUtilsTest.kt
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ import org.junit.runners.Parameterized
 class SpanUtilsTest {
     @Test
     fun matchesMixedSpans() {
-        val input = "one #one two @two three https://thr.ee/meh?foo=bar&wat=@at#hmm four #four five @five"
+        val input = "one #one two: @two three : https://thr.ee/meh?foo=bar&wat=@at#hmm four #four five @five"
         val inputSpannable = FakeSpannable(input)
         highlightSpans(inputSpannable, 0xffffff)
         val spans = inputSpannable.spans