--- tbl_term.c.orig	2011-01-07 16:07:54.000000000 +0100
+++ tbl_term.c	2011-01-09 05:52:41.095174334 +0100
@@ -342,7 +342,7 @@
 tbl_literal(struct termp *tp, const struct tbl_dat *dp, 
 		const struct roffcol *col)
 {
-	size_t		 padl, padr, ssz;
+	size_t		 padl, padr, ssz, tsz;
 	enum tbl_cellt	 pos;
 	const char	*str;
 
@@ -352,24 +352,37 @@
 	str = dp && dp->string ? dp->string : "";
 
 	ssz = term_len(tp, 1);
+	tsz = term_strlen(tp, str);
 
 	switch (pos) {
 	case (TBL_CELL_LONG):
 		padl = ssz;
-		padr = col->width - term_strlen(tp, str) - ssz;
+		if (col->width >= tsz + ssz)
+			padr = col->width - tsz - ssz;
+		else
+			padr = 0;
 		break;
 	case (TBL_CELL_CENTRE):
-		padl = col->width - term_strlen(tp, str);
+		if (col->width >= tsz)
+			padl = col->width - tsz;
+		else
+			padl = 0;
 		if (padl % 2)
 			padr++;
 		padl /= 2;
 		padr += padl;
 		break;
 	case (TBL_CELL_RIGHT):
-		padl = col->width - term_strlen(tp, str);
+		if (col->width >= tsz)
+			padl = col->width - tsz;
+		else
+			padl = 0;
 		break;
 	default:
-		padr = col->width - term_strlen(tp, str);
+		if (col->width >= tsz)
+			padr = col->width - tsz;
+		else
+			padr = 0;
 		break;
 	}