diff --git a/src/System.Management.Automation/utils/StringUtil.cs b/src/System.Management.Automation/utils/StringUtil.cs
index 6bdedd03a3b..8daf31866df 100644
--- a/src/System.Management.Automation/utils/StringUtil.cs
+++ b/src/System.Management.Automation/utils/StringUtil.cs
@@ -202,7 +202,7 @@ internal static string VtSubstring(this string str, int startOffset, int length,
                     }
 
                     // If the number of copied non-escape-sequence characters has reached the specified length, done copying.
-                    if (offset == length)
+                    if (copyStarted && offset == length)
                     {
                         break;
                     }