diff --git a/ChangeLog b/ChangeLog
index 1c3d8c34..bb89895f 100644
--- a/ChangeLog
+++ b/ChangeLog
@@ -1,3 +1,12 @@
+2026-05-16  Bob Weiner  <rsw@gnu.org>
+
+* kotl/kotl-mode.el (kotl-mode:split-cell): Fix to ensure point within a
+    valid cell position and fix to not modify label-separator and leave
+    a stray character in the original cell when splitting at the first
+    character of that cell, i.e. all contents move to the second cell.
+  test/kotl-mode-tests.el (kotl-mode-split-cell): Add test of split on
+    first character.
+
 2026-05-16  Mats Lidell  <matsl@gnu.org>
 
 * hload-path.el (hload-path--make-directory-autoloads-in-sync-subprocess):
diff --git a/kotl/kotl-mode.el b/kotl/kotl-mode.el
index 391d32bd..8c363eb6 100644
--- a/kotl/kotl-mode.el
+++ b/kotl/kotl-mode.el
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 ;; Author:       Bob Weiner
 ;;
 ;; Orig-Date:    6/30/93
-;; Last-Mod:     11-May-26 at 12:50:49 by Bob Weiner
+;; Last-Mod:     16-May-26 at 11:55:50 by Bob Weiner
 ;;
 ;; SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-3.0-or-later
 ;;
@@ -3054,9 +3054,12 @@ With optional universal ARG, {\\`C-u'}, the new cell is added as the child of
 the current cell.  Non-read-only attributes from the current cell are
 replicated in the new cell."
   (interactive "*P")
-  ;; delete any surrounding whitespace
-  (delete-horizontal-space)
-  (delete-region (point) (progn (skip-chars-backward "\n\r\t ") (point)))
+  (kotl-mode:to-valid-position)
+  (kcell-view:operate
+   (lambda ()
+     ;; delete any surrounding whitespace
+     (delete-horizontal-space)
+     (delete-region (point) (progn (skip-chars-backward "\n\r\t ") (point)))))
   (let ((new-cell-contents (kotl-mode:kill-region
 			    (point) (kcell-view:end-contents) 'string))
 	(start (kcell-view:start))
diff --git a/test/kotl-mode-tests.el b/test/kotl-mode-tests.el
index 9aa74742..a6c7abef 100644
--- a/test/kotl-mode-tests.el
+++ b/test/kotl-mode-tests.el
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 ;; Author:       Mats Lidell <matsl@gnu.org>
 ;;
 ;; Orig-Date:    18-May-21 at 22:14:10
-;; Last-Mod:     12-Apr-26 at 15:11:30 by Bob Weiner
+;; Last-Mod:     16-May-26 at 12:04:54 by Bob Weiner
 ;;
 ;; SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-3.0-or-later
 ;;
@@ -491,7 +491,18 @@
             (kotl-mode:previous-line 1)
             (kotl-mode:end-of-line)
             (kotl-mode:split-cell)
-            (should (= (line-number-at-pos) 3))))
+            (should (= (line-number-at-pos) 3)))
+          (ert-info ("Split on first char in cell")
+            (kotl-mode:kill-tree 0)
+            (insert "first")
+            (kotl-mode:beginning-of-line)
+            (kotl-mode:split-cell)
+            (should (= (line-number-at-pos) 3))
+            (should (string= (kcell-view:contents) "first"))
+            (kotl-mode:previous-cell 1)
+            (should (string= (kcell-view:contents) ""))
+            (should (string= "   1. " (buffer-substring-no-properties
+                                       (line-beginning-position) (point))))))
       (hy-delete-file-and-buffer kotl-file))))
 
 (ert-deftest kotl-mode-append-cell ()