diff --git a/src/static/js/AttributeManager.js b/src/static/js/AttributeManager.js
index c89fc410f..0c9eb84e1 100644
--- a/src/static/js/AttributeManager.js
+++ b/src/static/js/AttributeManager.js
@@ -68,10 +68,7 @@ AttributeManager.prototype = _(AttributeManager.prototype).extend({
     // see https://github.com/ether/etherpad-lite/issues/2772
     let allChangesets;
     for (let row = start[0]; row <= end[0]; row++) {
-      const rowRange = this._findRowRange(row, start, end);
-      const startCol = rowRange[0];
-      const endCol = rowRange[1];
-
+      const [startCol, endCol] = this._findRowRange(row, start, end);
       const rowChangeset = this._setAttributesOnRangeByLine(row, startCol, endCol, attribs);
 
       // compose changesets of all rows into a single changeset
@@ -89,26 +86,12 @@ AttributeManager.prototype = _(AttributeManager.prototype).extend({
   },
 
   _findRowRange(row, start, end) {
-    let startCol, endCol;
-
-    const startLineOffset = this.rep.lines.offsetOfIndex(row);
-    const endLineOffset = this.rep.lines.offsetOfIndex(row + 1);
-    const lineLength = endLineOffset - startLineOffset;
-
-    // find column where range on this row starts
-    if (row === start[0]) { // are we on the first row of range?
-      startCol = start[1];
-    } else {
-      startCol = this.lineHasMarker(row) ? 1 : 0; // remove "*" used as line marker
-    }
-
-    // find column where range on this row ends
-    if (row === end[0]) { // are we on the last row of range?
-      endCol = end[1]; // if so, get the end of range, not end of row
-    } else {
-      endCol = lineLength - 1; // remove "\n"
-    }
-
+    // Subtract 1 for the end-of-line '\n' (it is never selected).
+    const lineLength =
+        this.rep.lines.offsetOfIndex(row + 1) - this.rep.lines.offsetOfIndex(row) - 1;
+    const markerWidth = this.lineHasMarker(row) ? 1 : 0;
+    const startCol = row === start[0] ? start[1] : markerWidth;
+    const endCol = row === end[0] ? end[1] : lineLength;
     return [startCol, endCol];
   },