diff --git a/spec/app/edit-session-spec.coffee b/spec/app/edit-session-spec.coffee
index cf6ab48a5..a06ac7ff2 100644
--- a/spec/app/edit-session-spec.coffee
+++ b/spec/app/edit-session-spec.coffee
@@ -529,6 +529,13 @@ describe "EditSession", ->
            editSession.selectWord()
            expect(editSession.getSelectedBufferRange()).toEqual [[5, 0], [5, 6]]
 
+       describe "when the cursor is at the end of the text", ->
+         it "select the previous word", ->
+           editSession.buffer.append 'word'
+           editSession.moveCursorToBottom()
+           editSession.selectWord()
+           expect(editSession.getSelectedBufferRange()).toEqual [[12, 2], [12, 6]]
+
     describe ".setSelectedBufferRanges(ranges)", ->
       it "clears existing selections and creates selections for each of the given ranges", ->
         editSession.setSelectedBufferRanges([[[2, 2], [3, 3]], [[4, 4], [5, 5]]])
diff --git a/src/app/cursor.coffee b/src/app/cursor.coffee
index 2a0a9b60c..ae0801239 100644
--- a/src/app/cursor.coffee
+++ b/src/app/cursor.coffee
@@ -167,7 +167,7 @@ class Cursor
       if not allowNext and matchRange.start.isGreaterThan(currentBufferPosition)
         endOfWordPosition = currentBufferPosition
       stop()
-    endOfWordPosition
+    endOfWordPosition or currentBufferPosition
 
   getCurrentWordBufferRange: ->
     new Range(@getBeginningOfCurrentWordBufferPosition(allowPrevious: false), @getEndOfCurrentWordBufferPosition(allowNext: false))