diff --git a/sideband.c b/sideband.c
index 368647acf8..7c3d33d3f8 100644
--- a/sideband.c
+++ b/sideband.c
@@ -87,7 +87,7 @@ static void maybe_colorize_sideband(struct strbuf *dest, const char *src, int n)
 		struct keyword_entry *p = keywords + i;
 		int len = strlen(p->keyword);
 
-		if (n <= len)
+		if (n < len)
 			continue;
 		/*
 		 * Match case insensitively, so we colorize output from existing
@@ -95,7 +95,8 @@ static void maybe_colorize_sideband(struct strbuf *dest, const char *src, int n)
 		 * messages. We only highlight the word precisely, so
 		 * "successful" stays uncolored.
 		 */
-		if (!strncasecmp(p->keyword, src, len) && !isalnum(src[len])) {
+		if (!strncasecmp(p->keyword, src, len) &&
+		    (len == n || !isalnum(src[len]))) {
 			strbuf_addstr(dest, p->color);
 			strbuf_add(dest, src, len);
 			strbuf_addstr(dest, GIT_COLOR_RESET);
diff --git a/t/t5409-colorize-remote-messages.sh b/t/t5409-colorize-remote-messages.sh
index f81b6813c0..2a8c449661 100755
--- a/t/t5409-colorize-remote-messages.sh
+++ b/t/t5409-colorize-remote-messages.sh
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ test_expect_success 'setup' '
 	echo " " "error: leading space"
 	echo "    "
 	echo Err
+	echo SUCCESS
 	exit 0
 	EOF
 	echo 1 >file &&
@@ -35,6 +36,7 @@ test_expect_success 'keywords' '
 	grep "<BOLD;RED>error<RESET>: error" decoded &&
 	grep "<YELLOW>hint<RESET>:" decoded &&
 	grep "<BOLD;GREEN>success<RESET>:" decoded &&
+	grep "<BOLD;GREEN>SUCCESS<RESET>" decoded &&
 	grep "<BOLD;YELLOW>warning<RESET>:" decoded
 '