diff --git a/termstr/termstr.py b/termstr/termstr.py
index ffbe0ad..192a956 100644
--- a/termstr/termstr.py
+++ b/termstr/termstr.py
@@ -173,8 +173,15 @@ _ZERO_WIDTH_SPACE = "\u200b"
 
 
 def _pad_wide_chars(str_):
-    padded_str = "".join(f"{char}{_ZERO_WIDTH_SPACE}"
-                         if cwcwidth.wcwidth(char) == 2 else char for char in str_)
+    parts = []
+    last_width = None
+    for char in str_:
+        width = cwcwidth.wcwidth(char)
+        parts.append(f"{_ZERO_WIDTH_SPACE}{char}" if width != 0 and last_width == 2 else char)
+        last_width = width
+    padded_str = "".join(parts)
+    if len(padded_str) > 0 and cwcwidth.wcwidth(padded_str[-1]) == 2:
+        padded_str += _ZERO_WIDTH_SPACE
     return str_ if len(padded_str) == len(str_) else padded_str
 
 
@@ -307,7 +314,7 @@ class TermStr(collections.UserString):
         if len(data) == 0:
             result = ""
         else:
-            first_char = " " if data[0] == _ZERO_WIDTH_SPACE else data[0]
+            first_char = " " if cwcwidth.wcwidth(data[0]) == 0 else data[0]
             if len(data) == 1:
                 result = first_char
             else:
diff --git a/termstr/tests/termstr_test.py b/termstr/tests/termstr_test.py
index be38474..cd1cb6a 100755
--- a/termstr/tests/termstr_test.py
+++ b/termstr/tests/termstr_test.py
@@ -116,6 +116,13 @@ class TermStrTests(unittest.TestCase):
         self.assertEqual(baz[3:], termstr.TermStr("z"))
         self.assertEqual(baz[:2], termstr.TermStr("b "))
         self.assertEqual(baz[2:], termstr.TermStr(" z"))
+        baz = termstr.TermStr("b⭐" + chr(65039) + "z")
+        self.assertEqual(len(baz), 4)
+        self.assertEqual(baz[3:], termstr.TermStr("z"))
+        self.assertEqual(baz[:2], termstr.TermStr("b "))
+        self.assertEqual(baz[2:], termstr.TermStr(" z"))
+        baz = termstr.TermStr("⭐⭐")
+        self.assertEqual(len(baz), 4)
 
     def test_from_term(self):
         def test_round_trip(term_str):