diff --git a/src/selectors.cc b/src/selectors.cc
index 2c657b805..cf631e723 100644
--- a/src/selectors.cc
+++ b/src/selectors.cc
@@ -420,6 +420,12 @@ select_to_reverse(const Context& context, const Selection& selection,
                   Codepoint c, int count, bool inclusive)
 {
     auto& buffer = context.buffer();
+
+    // if we are selecting backwards from the beginning of the buffer,
+    // there is nothing more that can be selected.
+    if (selection.cursor() == buffer.begin())
+        return {};
+
     Utf8Iterator begin{buffer.iterator_at(selection.cursor()), buffer};
     Utf8Iterator end = begin;
     do
diff --git a/test/regression/4471-crash-on-alt-t-with-one-char-file/cmd b/test/regression/4471-crash-on-alt-t-with-one-char-file/cmd
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..ecd63ea52
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/regression/4471-crash-on-alt-t-with-one-char-file/cmd
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+<a-t><ret>
diff --git a/test/regression/4471-crash-on-alt-t-with-one-char-file/in b/test/regression/4471-crash-on-alt-t-with-one-char-file/in
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e69de29bb