diff --git a/doc/org-manual.org b/doc/org-manual.org
index e542bf7b2..96fa3157a 100644
--- a/doc/org-manual.org
+++ b/doc/org-manual.org
@@ -11660,6 +11660,7 @@ neither checks for valid syntax nor changes the contents in any way.
 For example and source blocks, Org code-escapes the contents before
 inclusion.
 
+#+cindex: @samp{minlevel}, include
 If an included file is not specified as having any markup language,
 Org assumes it be in Org format and proceeds as usual with a few
 exceptions.  Org makes the footnote labels (see [[*Creating Footnotes]])
@@ -11674,6 +11675,7 @@ top-level headline:
 
 : #+INCLUDE: "~/my-book/chapter2.org" :minlevel 1
 
+#+cindex: @samp{lines}, include
 Inclusion of only portions of files are specified using ranges
 parameter with =:lines= keyword.  The line at the upper end of the
 range will not be included.  The start and/or the end of the range may
@@ -11693,6 +11695,7 @@ Therefore,
 #+texinfo: @noindent
 includes the first 20 lines of the headline named =conclusion=.
 
+#+cindex: @samp{only-contents}, include
 To extract only the contents of the matched object, set
 =:only-contents= property to non-~nil~.  This omits any planning lines
 or property drawers.  For example, to include the body of the heading
diff --git a/lisp/org.el b/lisp/org.el
index 191a16868..3d66bf76d 100644
--- a/lisp/org.el
+++ b/lisp/org.el
@@ -8209,12 +8209,10 @@ When REMOVE is non-nil, remove the subtree from the clipboard."
 	  (force-level
 	   (cond
 	    (level (prefix-numeric-value level))
-	    ;; When point is right after the stars in an otherwise
-	    ;; empty headline, use stars as the forced level.
-	    ((and (looking-at-p "[ \t]*$")
-		  (string-match-p "^\\*+ *"
-				  (buffer-substring (line-beginning-position)
-						    (point))))
+	    ;; When point is after the stars in an otherwise empty
+	    ;; headline, use the number of stars as the forced level.
+	    ((and (org-match-line "^\\*+[ \t]*$")
+		  (not (eq ?* (char-after))))
 	     (org-outline-level))
 	    ((looking-at-p org-outline-regexp-bol) (org-outline-level))))
 	  (previous-level