diff --git a/src/lexdcompiler.cc b/src/lexdcompiler.cc
index c1971e7..71df981 100644
--- a/src/lexdcompiler.cc
+++ b/src/lexdcompiler.cc
@@ -197,7 +197,7 @@ LexdCompiler::finishLexicon()
       die("Lexicon '%S' is empty.", err(name(currentLexiconId)));
     }
     appendLexicon(currentLexiconId, currentLexicon);
-    
+
     currentLexicon.clear();
     currentLexicon_tags.clear();
   }
@@ -632,6 +632,7 @@ LexdCompiler::readToken(char_iter& iter, UnicodeString& line)
     if(iter.span().first == begin_charspan.first)
       die("Syntax error - missing index in parenthesis");
     part = (unsigned int)StringUtils::stoi(to_ustring(line.tempSubStringBetween(begin_charspan.first, iter.span().first)));
+    if (part == 0) die("Invalid column number (0)");
     ++iter;
   }
 
diff --git a/tests/feature/Makefile b/tests/feature/Makefile
index b89f146..1cc83d4 100644
--- a/tests/feature/Makefile
+++ b/tests/feature/Makefile
@@ -40,7 +40,16 @@ tests = \
 
 sources = $(foreach test,$(tests),test-$(test).lexd)
 
-check: $(foreach src,$(sources),$(O)/$(src).txt.strings.check)
+check-pos: $(foreach src,$(sources),$(O)/$(src).txt.strings.check)
+
+negtests = \
+  col0 \
+
+negsources = $(foreach test,$(negtests),negtest-$(test).lexd)
+
+check-neg: $(foreach src,$(negsources),$(O)/$(src).txt.error)
+
+check: check-pos check-neg
 
 O=.
 
@@ -54,6 +63,9 @@ $(O)/%.strings.diff: $(O)/%.strings %.strings.gold
 	diff -U0 $^ > $@; [ $$? != 2 ]
 $(O)/%.strings.check: $(O)/%.strings.diff
 	[ -s "$<" ] && cat "$<" && exit 1; touch $@
+$(O)/%.lexd.txt.error: ../../src/lexd %.lexd | $(O)
+	$^ $(LEXD_TEST_FLAGS) > /dev/null 2> $@; [ $$? = 1 ]
 clean:
 	rm $(foreach src,$(sources),$(O)/$(src).txt.strings.check)
+	rm $(foreach src,$(negsources),$(O)/$(src).txt.error)
 	rmdir $(O)
diff --git a/tests/feature/negtest-col0.lexd b/tests/feature/negtest-col0.lexd
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..aab435d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/feature/negtest-col0.lexd
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+PATTERNS
+X(0)
+
+LEXICON X
+a:b