diff --git a/base/datafmt.jl b/base/datafmt.jl
index 992f32b9bdeed..5a1242b19dc83 100644
--- a/base/datafmt.jl
+++ b/base/datafmt.jl
@@ -111,7 +111,8 @@ function dlm_fill{T}(cells::Array{T,2}, offsets::Array{Int,2}, sbuff::String, au
         for col in 1:maxcol
             start_pos = dlm_col_begin(maxcol, offsets, row, col)
             end_pos = offsets[row,col]
-            sval = SubString(sbuff, start_pos, end_pos)
+            sval = SubString(sbuff, start_pos,
+                             prevind(sbuff, nextind(sbuff,end_pos)))
 
             if T <: Char
                 (length(sval) != 1) && error("file entry \"$(sval)\" is not a Char")
diff --git a/base/exports.jl b/base/exports.jl
index 88ff57c6dd620..f333504f9cc0a 100644
--- a/base/exports.jl
+++ b/base/exports.jl
@@ -814,7 +814,6 @@ export
     strip,
     strwidth,
     summary,
-    thisind,
     ucfirst,
     unescape_chars,
     unescape_string,
diff --git a/base/regex.jl b/base/regex.jl
index 70e98ef85d920..f4a4a1acb6171 100644
--- a/base/regex.jl
+++ b/base/regex.jl
@@ -107,13 +107,12 @@ end
 matchall(re::Regex, str::ByteString) = matchall(re, str, false)
 
 function search(str::ByteString, re::Regex, idx::Integer)
-    len = length(str.data)
-    if idx >= len+2
-        return idx == len+2 ? (0:-1) : error(BoundsError)
+    if idx > nextind(str,endof(str))
+        throw(BoundsError())
     end
     opts = re.options & PCRE.EXECUTE_MASK
     m, n = PCRE.exec(re.regex, C_NULL, str, idx-1, opts, true)
-    isempty(m) ? (0:-1) : ((m[1]+1):m[2])
+    isempty(m) ? (0:-1) : ((m[1]+1):prevind(str,m[2]+1))
 end
 search(s::String, r::Regex, idx::Integer) =
     error("regex search is only available for bytestrings; use bytestring(s) to convert")
diff --git a/base/string.jl b/base/string.jl
index 90192f3ec5b35..81e33336d9fef 100644
--- a/base/string.jl
+++ b/base/string.jl
@@ -101,29 +101,35 @@ end
 
 prevind(s::DirectIndexString, i::Integer) = i-1
 prevind(s                   , i::Integer) = i-1
-thisind(s::DirectIndexString, i::Integer) = i
-thisind(s                   , i::Integer) = i
 nextind(s::DirectIndexString, i::Integer) = i+1
 nextind(s                   , i::Integer) = i+1
 
-prevind(s::String, i::Integer) = thisind(s,thisind(s,i)-1)
-
-function thisind(s::String, i::Integer)
-    for j = i:-1:1
+function prevind(s::String, i::Integer)
+    e = endof(s)
+    if i > e
+        return e
+    end
+    j = i-1
+    while j >= 1
         if isvalid(s,j)
             return j
         end
+        j -= 1
     end
     return 0 # out of range
 end
 
 function nextind(s::String, i::Integer)
-    for j = i+1:endof(s)
+    e = endof(s)
+    if i < 1 || e == 0
+        return 1
+    end
+    for j = i+1:e
         if isvalid(s,j)
             return j
         end
     end
-    endof(s)+1 # out of range
+    next(s,e)[2] # out of range
 end
 
 ind2chr(s::DirectIndexString, i::Integer) = i
@@ -163,8 +169,7 @@ typealias Chars Union(Char,AbstractVector{Char},Set{Char})
 
 function search(s::String, c::Chars, i::Integer)
     if isempty(c)
-        return 1 <= i <= endof(s)+1 ? i :
-               i == endof(s)+2      ? 0 :
+        return 1 <= i <= nextind(s,endof(s)) ? i :
                error(BoundsError)
     end
 
@@ -185,8 +190,7 @@ contains(s::String, c::Char) = (search(s,c)!=0)
 
 function _search(s, t, i)
     if isempty(t)
-        return 1 <= i <= endof(s)+1 ? (i:i-1) :
-               i == endof(s)+2      ? (0:-1) :
+        return 1 <= i <= nextind(s,endof(s)) ? (i:i-1) :
                error(BoundsError)
     end
     t1, j2 = next(t,start(t))
@@ -209,7 +213,7 @@ function _search(s, t, i)
             end
         end
         if matched
-            return i:k-1
+            return i:prevind(s,k)
         end
         i = ii
     end
@@ -224,8 +228,7 @@ rsearch(s::String, c::Chars) = rsearch(s,c,endof(s))
 
 function _rsearch(s, t, i)
     if isempty(t)
-        return 1 <= i <= endof(s)+1 ? (i:i-1) :
-               i == endof(s)+2      ? (0:-1) :
+        return 1 <= i <= nextind(s,endof(s)) ? (i:i-1) :
                error(BoundsError)
     end
     t = reverse(t)
@@ -252,12 +255,7 @@ function _rsearch(s, t, i)
         end
         if matched
             fst = nextind(s,l-k+1)
-            # NOTE: there's a subtle difference between
-            #       nexind(s,i) and next(s,i)[2] if s::UTF8String
-            #       since at the end nextind returns endof(s)+1
-            #       while next returns length(s.data)+1
-            lst = next(s,i)[2]-1
-            return fst:lst
+            return fst:i
         end
         i = l-ii+1
     end
@@ -387,11 +385,14 @@ immutable SubString{T<:String} <: String
     endof::Int
 
     function SubString(s::T, i::Int, j::Int)
-        if i > endof(s)
+        if i > endof(s) || j<i
             return new(s, i, 0)
         else
-            o = thisind(s,i)-1
-            new(s, o, max(0, thisind(s,j)-o))
+            if !isvalid(s,i) || !isvalid(s,j)
+                error("invalid SubString indexes")
+            end
+            o = i-1
+            new(s, o, max(0, j-o))
         end
     end
 end
@@ -422,8 +423,8 @@ endof(s::SubString) = s.endof
 # can this be delegated efficiently somehow?
 # that may require additional string interfaces
 
-thisind(s::SubString, i::Integer) = thisind(s.string, i+s.offset)-s.offset
 nextind(s::SubString, i::Integer) = nextind(s.string, i+s.offset)-s.offset
+prevind(s::SubString, i::Integer) = prevind(s.string, i+s.offset)-s.offset
 
 convert{T<:String}(::Type{SubString{T}}, s::T) = SubString(s, 1, endof(s))
 
@@ -492,7 +493,7 @@ sizeof(s::RevString) = sizeof(s.string)
 
 function next(s::RevString, i::Int)
     n = endof(s); j = n-i+1
-    (s.string[j], n-thisind(s.string,j-1)+1)
+    (s.string[j], n-prevind(s.string,j)+1)
 end
 
 reverse(s::String) = RevString(s)
@@ -1027,17 +1028,17 @@ function split(str::String, splitter, limit::Integer, keep_empty::Bool)
     i = start(str)
     n = endof(str)
     r = search(str,splitter,i)
-    j, k = first(r), last(r)+1
+    j, k = first(r), nextind(str,last(r))
     while 0 < j <= n && length(strs) != limit-1
         if i < k
             if keep_empty || i < j
-                push!(strs, str[i:j-1])
+                push!(strs, str[i:prevind(str,j)])
             end
             i = k
         end
         if k <= j; k = nextind(str,j) end
         r = search(str,splitter,k)
-        j, k = first(r), last(r)+1
+        j, k = first(r), nextind(str,last(r))
     end
     if keep_empty || !done(str,i)
         push!(strs, str[i:])
@@ -1080,26 +1081,28 @@ rsplit(s::String, spl)             = rsplit(s, spl, 0, true)
 
 function replace(str::ByteString, pattern, repl::Function, limit::Integer)
     n = 1
-    rstr = ""
+    e = endof(str)
     i = a = start(str)
     r = search(str,pattern,i)
     j, k = first(r), last(r)
-    k1 = k
     out = IOBuffer()
     while j != 0
         if i == a || i <= k
-            write(out, SubString(str,i,j-1))
+            write(out, SubString(str,i,prevind(str,j)))
             write(out, string(repl(SubString(str,j,k))))
-            i = nextind(str, k)
         end
-        if k <= j
-            k = nextind(str,j)
-            k == k1 && break
+        if k<j
+            i = j
+            k = nextind(str, j)
+        else
+            i = k = nextind(str, k)
+        end
+        if j > e
+            break
         end
-        k1 = k
         r = search(str,pattern,k)
         j, k = first(r), last(r)
-        if n == limit break end
+        n == limit && break
         n += 1
     end
     write(out, SubString(str,i))
diff --git a/base/utf8.jl b/base/utf8.jl
index be84b1a6b9d6c..e45f2f2fd3291 100644
--- a/base/utf8.jl
+++ b/base/utf8.jl
@@ -28,7 +28,15 @@ is_utf8_start(byte::Uint8) = ((byte&0xc0)!=0x80)
 
 ## required core functionality ##
 
-endof(s::UTF8String) = thisind(s,length(s.data))
+function endof(s::UTF8String)
+    d = s.data
+    i = length(d)
+    i == 0 && return i
+    while !is_utf8_start(d[i])
+        i -= 1
+    end
+    i
+end
 length(s::UTF8String) = int(ccall(:u8_strlen, Csize_t, (Ptr{Uint8},), s.data))
 
 function getindex(s::UTF8String, i::Int)
@@ -105,9 +113,10 @@ end
 
 function rsearch(s::UTF8String, c::Char, i::Integer)
     if c < 0x80 return rsearch(s.data, uint8(c), i) end
+    b = first_utf8_byte(c)
     while true
-        i = rsearch(s.data, first_utf8_byte(c), i)
-        if i==0 || s[i]==c return thisind(s,i) end
+        i = rsearch(s.data, b, i)
+        if i==0 || s[i]==c return i end
         i = prevind(s,i)
     end
 end
diff --git a/doc/stdlib/base.rst b/doc/stdlib/base.rst
index 90d6d1d3b3962..3da85d2d3fbdb 100644
--- a/doc/stdlib/base.rst
+++ b/doc/stdlib/base.rst
@@ -861,10 +861,6 @@ Strings
    Get the previous valid string index before ``i``. Returns ``0`` at
    the beginning of the string.
 
-.. function:: thisind(str, i)
-
-   Adjust ``i`` downwards until it reaches a valid index for the given string.
-
 .. function:: randstring(len)
 
    Create a random ASCII string of length ``len``, consisting of upper- and lower-case letters and the digits 0-9
diff --git a/test/strings.jl b/test/strings.jl
index 0d4dae0f98317..0f482a3e8f0de 100644
--- a/test/strings.jl
+++ b/test/strings.jl
@@ -317,15 +317,15 @@ end
 
 @test search(u8str, "z") == 0:-1
 @test search(u8str, "∄") == 0:-1
-@test search(u8str, "∀") == 1:3
+@test search(u8str, "∀") == 1:1
 @test search(u8str, "∀", 4) == 0:-1
-@test search(u8str, "∃") == 13:15
+@test search(u8str, "∃") == 13:13
 @test search(u8str, "∃", 16) == 0:-1
 @test search(u8str, "x") == 26:26
 @test search(u8str, "x", 27) == 43:43
 @test search(u8str, "x", 44) == 0:-1
-@test search(u8str, "ε") == 5:6
-@test search(u8str, "ε", 7) == 54:55
+@test search(u8str, "ε") == 5:5
+@test search(u8str, "ε", 7) == 54:54
 @test search(u8str, "ε", 56) == 0:-1
 
 # string rsearch with a single-char string
@@ -343,19 +343,19 @@ end
 
 @test rsearch(u8str, "z") == 0:-1
 @test rsearch(u8str, "∄") == 0:-1
-@test rsearch(u8str, "∀") == 1:3
+@test rsearch(u8str, "∀") == 1:1
 @test rsearch(u8str, "∀", 0) == 0:-1
 #TODO: setting the limit in the middle of a wide char
 #      makes search fail but rsearch succeed.
 #      Should rsearch fail as well?
 #@test rsearch(u8str, "∀", 2) == 0:-1 # gives 1:3
-@test rsearch(u8str, "∃") == 13:15
+@test rsearch(u8str, "∃") == 13:13
 @test rsearch(u8str, "∃", 12) == 0:-1
 @test rsearch(u8str, "x") == 43:43
 @test rsearch(u8str, "x", 42) == 26:26
 @test rsearch(u8str, "x", 25) == 0:-1
-@test rsearch(u8str, "ε") == 54:55
-@test rsearch(u8str, "ε", 53) == 5:6
+@test rsearch(u8str, "ε") == 54:54
+@test rsearch(u8str, "ε", 53) == 5:5
 @test rsearch(u8str, "ε", 4) == 0:-1
 
 # string search with a single-char regex
@@ -370,25 +370,24 @@ end
 @test search(astr, r"\n", 15) == 0:-1
 @test search(u8str, r"z") == 0:-1
 @test search(u8str, r"∄") == 0:-1
-@test search(u8str, r"∀") == 1:3
+@test search(u8str, r"∀") == 1:1
 @test search(u8str, r"∀", 4) == 0:-1
 @test search(u8str, r"∀") == search(u8str, r"\u2200")
 @test search(u8str, r"∀", 4) == search(u8str, r"\u2200", 4)
-@test search(u8str, r"∃") == 13:15
+@test search(u8str, r"∃") == 13:13
 @test search(u8str, r"∃", 16) == 0:-1
 @test search(u8str, r"x") == 26:26
 @test search(u8str, r"x", 27) == 43:43
 @test search(u8str, r"x", 44) == 0:-1
-@test search(u8str, r"ε") == 5:6
-@test search(u8str, r"ε", 7) == 54:55
+@test search(u8str, r"ε") == 5:5
+@test search(u8str, r"ε", 7) == 54:54
 @test search(u8str, r"ε", 56) == 0:-1
 for i = 1:endof(astr)
     @test search(astr, r"."s, i) == i:i
 end
 for i = 1:endof(u8str)
-    # TODO: should regex search fast-forward invalid indices?
     if isvalid(u8str,i)
-        @test search(u8str, r"."s, i) == i:(next(u8str,i)[2]-1)
+        @test search(u8str, r"."s, i) == i:i
     end
 end
 
@@ -778,7 +777,7 @@ bin_val = hex2bytes("07bf")
 # sizeof
 @test sizeof("abc") == 3
 @test sizeof("\u2222") == 3
-@test sizeof(SubString("abc\u2222def",4,6)) == 3
+@test sizeof(SubString("abc\u2222def",4,4)) == 3
 @test sizeof(RopeString("abc","def")) == 6
 
 # issue #3597