diff --git a/strutil/split.go b/strutil/split.go
index 4961b9b..2b6b09a 100644
--- a/strutil/split.go
+++ b/strutil/split.go
@@ -166,6 +166,12 @@ func Substr(s string, pos, length int) string {
 		stopIdx = strLn + length
 	}
 
+	// A negative length can move stopIdx before pos; clamp to avoid an
+	// out-of-range slice.
+	if stopIdx < pos {
+		stopIdx = pos
+	}
+
 	return string(runes[pos:stopIdx])
 }
 
diff --git a/strutil/split_test.go b/strutil/split_test.go
index 2a97caf..4e57ee7 100644
--- a/strutil/split_test.go
+++ b/strutil/split_test.go
@@ -120,6 +120,12 @@ func TestSubstr(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.Eq(t, "", strutil.Substr("abcDEF", 23, 5))
 	assert.Eq(t, "cDEF12", strutil.Substr("abcDEF123", 2, -1))
 	assert.Eq(t, "cDEF", strutil.Substr("abcDEF123", 2, -3))
+
+	// negative length trimming more than the remaining substring must not
+	// panic; it should yield an empty string.
+	assert.Eq(t, "", strutil.Substr("hello", 4, -3))
+	assert.Eq(t, "", strutil.Substr("hello", 3, -5))
+	assert.Eq(t, "", strutil.Substr("abcDEF123", 8, -3))
 }
 
 func TestSplitInlineComment(t *testing.T) {