diff --git a/Documentation/pretty-formats.txt b/Documentation/pretty-formats.txt
index e51f1e54e1..3b71334459 100644
--- a/Documentation/pretty-formats.txt
+++ b/Documentation/pretty-formats.txt
@@ -157,6 +157,11 @@ The placeholders are:
 				  only works correctly with N >= 2.
 				  Note 2: spaces around the N and M (see below)
 				  values are optional.
+				  Note 3: Emojis and other wide characters
+				  will take two display columns, which may
+				  over-run column boundaries.
+				  Note 4: decomposed character combining marks
+				  may be misplaced at padding boundaries.
 '%<|( <M> )':: make the next placeholder take at least until Mth
 	     display column, padding spaces on the right if necessary.
 	     Use negative M values for column positions measured
diff --git a/t/t4205-log-pretty-formats.sh b/t/t4205-log-pretty-formats.sh
index 0404491d6e..2cba0e0c56 100755
--- a/t/t4205-log-pretty-formats.sh
+++ b/t/t4205-log-pretty-formats.sh
@@ -1018,4 +1018,31 @@ test_expect_success '%(describe:abbrev=...) vs git describe --abbrev=...' '
 	test_cmp expect actual
 '
 
+# pretty-formats note wide char limitations, and add tests
+test_expect_failure 'wide and decomposed characters column counting' '
+
+# from t/lib-unicode-nfc-nfd.sh hex values converted to octal
+	utf8_nfc=$(printf "\303\251") && # e acute combined.
+	utf8_nfd=$(printf "\145\314\201") && # e with a combining acute (i.e. decomposed)
+	utf8_emoji=$(printf "\360\237\221\250") &&
+
+# replacement character when requesting a wide char fits in a single display colum.
+# "half wide" alternative could be a plain ASCII dot `.`
+	utf8_vert_ell=$(printf "\342\213\256") &&
+
+# use ${xxx} here!
+	nfc10="${utf8_nfc}${utf8_nfc}${utf8_nfc}${utf8_nfc}${utf8_nfc}${utf8_nfc}${utf8_nfc}${utf8_nfc}${utf8_nfc}${utf8_nfc}" &&
+	nfd10="${utf8_nfd}${utf8_nfd}${utf8_nfd}${utf8_nfd}${utf8_nfd}${utf8_nfd}${utf8_nfd}${utf8_nfd}${utf8_nfd}${utf8_nfd}" &&
+	emoji5="${utf8_emoji}${utf8_emoji}${utf8_emoji}${utf8_emoji}${utf8_emoji}" &&
+# emoji5 uses 10 display columns
+
+	test_commit "abcdefghij" &&
+	test_commit --no-tag "${nfc10}" &&
+	test_commit --no-tag "${nfd10}" &&
+	test_commit --no-tag "${emoji5}" &&
+	printf "${utf8_emoji}..${utf8_emoji}${utf8_vert_ell}\n${utf8_nfd}..${utf8_nfd}${utf8_nfd}\n${utf8_nfc}..${utf8_nfc}${utf8_nfc}\na..ij\n" >expected &&
+	git log --format="%<(5,mtrunc)%s" -4 >actual &&
+	test_cmp expected actual
+'
+
 test_done