diff --git a/lib/wordrep.gi b/lib/wordrep.gi
index 3bbfd28004..6c8a876439 100644
--- a/lib/wordrep.gi
+++ b/lib/wordrep.gi
@@ -219,9 +219,9 @@ local a,n,t,
    or (IsInt(PRINTWORDPOWERS) and Length(l)<PRINTWORDPOWERS)) and
      ValueOption("printnopowers")<>true then
     if Length(l)>0 and n=infinity then
-      n:=2*(AbsInt(Maximum(l))+1); 
+      n:=2*(Maximum(List(l,AbsInt))+1);
     fi;
-    a:=FindSubstringPowers(l,n);
+    a:=FindSubstringPowers(l,n+Length(tseed)); # tseed numbers are used already
   else
     a:=[l,[]];
   fi;
diff --git a/tst/testbugfix/2020-01-13-wordprint.tst b/tst/testbugfix/2020-01-13-wordprint.tst
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..6c5356588a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tst/testbugfix/2020-01-13-wordprint.tst
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+# Assoc. word printing, #3845
+gap> f:=FreeGroup("x","y");;AssignGeneratorVariables(f);
+gap> y^4*(y^2*(y*x)^2)^2*y^-7*x*y^16;
+y^4*(y^2*(y*x)^2)^2*y^-7*x*y^16