diff --git a/tools/tui/readline/actions_test.go b/tools/tui/readline/actions_test.go
index 037a1e0e8..589143843 100644
--- a/tools/tui/readline/actions_test.go
+++ b/tools/tui/readline/actions_test.go
@@ -474,4 +474,41 @@ func TestHistory(t *testing.T) {
 	test(ActionHistoryNext, "a", "")
 	test(ActionHistoryNext, "a", "")
 
+	ah := func(before_cursor, after_cursor string) {
+		ab := rl.text_upto_cursor_pos()
+		aa := rl.text_after_cursor_pos()
+		if diff := cmp.Diff(before_cursor, ab); diff != "" {
+			t.Fatalf("Text before cursor not as expected:\n%s", diff)
+		}
+		if diff := cmp.Diff(after_cursor, aa); diff != "" {
+			t.Fatalf("Text before cursor not as expected:\n%s", diff)
+		}
+	}
+	add_item("xyz1")
+	add_item("xyz2")
+	add_item("xyz11")
+	rl.perform_action(ActionHistoryIncrementalSearchBackwards, 1)
+	ah("", "")
+
+	rl.text_to_be_added = "z"
+	rl.perform_action(ActionAddText, 1)
+	ah("xy", "z11")
+	rl.text_to_be_added = "2"
+	rl.perform_action(ActionAddText, 1)
+	ah("xy", "z2")
+	rl.text_to_be_added = "m"
+	rl.perform_action(ActionAddText, 1)
+	ah("No matches for: z2m", "")
+	rl.perform_action(ActionBackspace, 1)
+	ah("xy", "z2")
+	rl.perform_action(ActionBackspace, 1)
+	ah("xy", "z2")
+	rl.perform_action(ActionHistoryIncrementalSearchBackwards, 1)
+	ah("xy", "z1")
+	rl.perform_action(ActionHistoryIncrementalSearchBackwards, 1)
+	ah("xy", "z1")
+	rl.perform_action(ActionHistoryIncrementalSearchForwards, 1)
+	ah("xy", "z2")
+	rl.perform_action(ActionTerminateHistorySearchAndRestore, 1)
+	ah("a", "")
 }
diff --git a/tools/tui/readline/history.go b/tools/tui/readline/history.go
index feade6daf..c2b4cfd07 100644
--- a/tools/tui/readline/history.go
+++ b/tools/tui/readline/history.go
@@ -297,8 +297,8 @@ func (self *Readline) add_text_to_history_search(text string) {
 		self.history_search.items = []*HistoryItem{}
 	} else {
 		items := make([]*HistoryItem, len(self.history.items))
-		for i, x := range self.history.items {
-			items[i] = &x
+		for i := range self.history.items {
+			items[i] = &self.history.items[i]
 		}
 		for _, token := range self.history_search.tokens {
 			matches := make([]*HistoryItem, 0, len(items))
@@ -319,7 +319,11 @@ func (self *Readline) add_text_to_history_search(text string) {
 		}
 	}
 	if idx == -1 {
-		idx = len(self.history_search.items) - 1
+		if self.history_search.backwards {
+			idx = len(self.history_search.items) - 1
+		} else {
+			idx = 0
+		}
 	}
 	self.history_search.current_idx = utils.Max(0, idx)
 	self.markup_history_search()