diff -urp current/readline.c working/readline.c
--- current/readline.c	2017-01-30 04:55:51 +1000
+++ working/readline.c	2017-02-21 16:05:49 +1000
@@ -419,7 +419,10 @@ readline_internal_setup ()
 #if defined (VI_MODE)
   if (rl_editing_mode == vi_mode)
     rl_vi_insertion_mode (1, 'i');	/* don't want to reset last */
+  else
 #endif /* VI_MODE */
+  if (_rl_show_mode_in_prompt)
+    _rl_reset_prompt ();
 
   /* If we're not echoing, we still want to at least print a prompt, because
      rl_redisplay will not do it for us.  If the calling application has a
diff -urp current/vi_mode.c working/vi_mode.c
--- current/vi_mode.c	2017-01-30 04:55:51 +1000
+++ working/vi_mode.c	2017-02-21 16:05:49 +1000
@@ -594,7 +594,8 @@ rl_vi_bword (count, ignore)
 	 so we will go back to the start of the previous word. */
       if (!whitespace (rl_line_buffer[rl_point]) &&
 	  whitespace (rl_line_buffer[rl_point - 1]))
-	rl_point--;
+	if (--rl_point == 0)
+	  break;
 
       /* If this character and the previous character are `opposite', move
 	 back so we don't get messed up by the rl_point++ down there in