diff --git a/addon/wrap/hardwrap.js b/addon/wrap/hardwrap.js
index 29cc15f01..2259e0e11 100644
--- a/addon/wrap/hardwrap.js
+++ b/addon/wrap/hardwrap.js
@@ -29,11 +29,20 @@
     return {from: start, to: end};
   }
 
-  function findBreakPoint(text, column, wrapOn, killTrailingSpace) {
+  function findBreakPoint(text, column, wrapOn, killTrailingSpace, forceBreak) {
     var at = column
     while (at < text.length && text.charAt(at) == " ") at++
     for (; at > 0; --at)
       if (wrapOn.test(text.slice(at - 1, at + 1))) break;
+
+    if ((at == 0) && (!forceBreak)) {
+      // didn't find a break point before column, in non-forceBreak mode try to
+      // find one after 'column'.
+      for (at = column+1; at < text.length-1; ++at) {
+        if (wrapOn.test(text.slice(at - 1, at + 1))) break;
+      }
+    }
+
     for (var first = true;; first = false) {
       var endOfText = at;
       if (killTrailingSpace)
@@ -47,6 +56,7 @@
     from = cm.clipPos(from); to = cm.clipPos(to);
     var column = options.column || 80;
     var wrapOn = options.wrapOn || /\s\S|-[^\.\d]/;
+    var forceBreak =  options.forceBreak !== false;
     var killTrailing = options.killTrailingSpace !== false;
     var changes = [], curLine = "", curNo = from.line;
     var lines = cm.getRange(from, to, false);
@@ -68,7 +78,7 @@
       curLine += text;
       if (i) {
         var firstBreak = curLine.length > column && leadingSpace == spaceTrimmed &&
-          findBreakPoint(curLine, column, wrapOn, killTrailing);
+          findBreakPoint(curLine, column, wrapOn, killTrailing, forceBreak);
         // If this isn't broken, or is broken at a different point, remove old break
         if (!firstBreak || firstBreak.from != oldLen || firstBreak.to != oldLen + spaceInserted) {
           changes.push({text: [spaceInserted ? " " : ""],
@@ -80,12 +90,16 @@
         }
       }
       while (curLine.length > column) {
-        var bp = findBreakPoint(curLine, column, wrapOn, killTrailing);
-        changes.push({text: ["", leadingSpace],
-                      from: Pos(curNo, bp.from),
-                      to: Pos(curNo, bp.to)});
-        curLine = leadingSpace + curLine.slice(bp.to);
-        ++curNo;
+        var bp = findBreakPoint(curLine, column, wrapOn, killTrailing, forceBreak);
+        if ((bp.from != bp.to) || (forceBreak)) {
+          changes.push({text: ["", leadingSpace],
+                        from: Pos(curNo, bp.from),
+                        to: Pos(curNo, bp.to)});
+          curLine = leadingSpace + curLine.slice(bp.to);
+          ++curNo;
+        } else {
+          break;
+        }
       }
     }
     if (changes.length) cm.operation(function() {
diff --git a/doc/manual.html b/doc/manual.html
index e77900838..8008002a4 100644
--- a/doc/manual.html
+++ b/doc/manual.html
@@ -3135,6 +3135,11 @@ editor.setOption("extraKeys", {
           <dt><code><strong>killTrailingSpace</strong>: boolean</code></dt>
           <dd>Whether trailing space caused by wrapping should be
           preserved, or deleted. Defaults to true.</dd>
+          <dt><code><strong>forceBreak</strong>: boolean</code></dt>
+          <dd>If set to true forces a break at <code>column</code> in the case
+          when no <code>wrapOn</code> pattern is found in the range. If set to
+          false allows line to overflow the <code>column</code> limit if no
+          <code>wrapOn</code> pattern found. Defaults to true.</dd>
         </dl>
         A demo of the addon is available <a href="../demo/hardwrap.html">here</a>.
       </dd>