diff --git a/extensions/search-rg/src/test/searchrg.test.ts b/extensions/search-rg/src/test/searchrg.test.ts
index 3407245bb1a..af55abf9b0f 100644
--- a/extensions/search-rg/src/test/searchrg.test.ts
+++ b/extensions/search-rg/src/test/searchrg.test.ts
@@ -110,4 +110,23 @@ suite('search-rg', () => {
 				uri
 			});
 	});
+
+	test('truncating match', () => {
+		const previewOptions: vscode.TextSearchPreviewOptions = {
+			leadingChars: 4,
+			maxLines: 1,
+			totalChars: 5
+		};
+
+		assert.deepEqual(
+			createTextSearchResult(uri, 'foo bar', createOneLineRange(0, 4, 7), previewOptions),
+			<vscode.TextSearchResult>{
+				preview: {
+					text: 'foo b',
+					match: createOneLineRange(0, 4, 5)
+				},
+				range: createOneLineRange(0, 4, 7),
+				uri
+			});
+	});
 });
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/extensions/search-rg/src/utils.ts b/extensions/search-rg/src/utils.ts
index 86303ed79ee..5b65f3a598a 100644
--- a/extensions/search-rg/src/utils.ts
+++ b/extensions/search-rg/src/utils.ts
@@ -23,11 +23,12 @@ export function createTextSearchResult(uri: vscode.Uri, fullText: string, range:
 	let preview: vscode.TextSearchResultPreview;
 	if (previewOptions) {
 		const previewStart = Math.max(range.start.character - previewOptions.leadingChars, 0);
-		const previewEnd = Math.max(previewOptions.totalChars + previewStart, range.end.character);
+		const previewEnd = previewOptions.totalChars + previewStart;
+		const endOfMatchRangeInPreview = Math.min(previewEnd, range.end.character - previewStart);
 
 		preview = {
 			text: fullText.substring(previewStart, previewEnd),
-			match: new vscode.Range(0, range.start.character - previewStart, 0, range.end.character - previewStart)
+			match: new vscode.Range(0, range.start.character - previewStart, 0, endOfMatchRangeInPreview)
 		};
 	} else {
 		preview = {
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/api/node/extHostWorkspace.ts b/src/vs/workbench/api/node/extHostWorkspace.ts
index 9d2cfe912d6..2f0be1aa260 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/api/node/extHostWorkspace.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/api/node/extHostWorkspace.ts
@@ -382,6 +382,10 @@ export class ExtHostWorkspace implements ExtHostWorkspaceShape {
 	findTextInFiles(query: vscode.TextSearchQuery, options: vscode.FindTextInFilesOptions, callback: (result: vscode.TextSearchResult) => void, extensionId: string, token?: vscode.CancellationToken) {
 		this._logService.trace(`extHostWorkspace#findTextInFiles: textSearch, extension: ${extensionId}, entryPoint: findTextInFiles`);
 
+		if (options.previewOptions && options.previewOptions.totalChars <= options.previewOptions.leadingChars) {
+			throw new Error('findTextInFiles: previewOptions.totalChars must be > previewOptions.leadingChars');
+		}
+
 		const requestId = this._requestIdProvider.getNext();
 
 		const globPatternToString = (pattern: vscode.GlobPattern | string) => {