diff --git a/lisp/org-element.el b/lisp/org-element.el
index 68b830eec..a7c6cefeb 100644
--- a/lisp/org-element.el
+++ b/lisp/org-element.el
@@ -4868,8 +4868,8 @@ Providing it allows for quicker computation."
 	;; their title.
 	((memq type '(headline inlinetask))
 	 (goto-char (org-element-property :begin element))
-	 (skip-chars-forward "* ")
-	 (if (and (>= origin (point)) (< origin (line-end-position)))
+	 (skip-chars-forward "*")
+	 (if (and (> origin (point)) (< origin (line-end-position)))
 	     (narrow-to-region (point) (line-end-position))
 	   (throw 'objects-forbidden element)))
 	;; At a paragraph, a table-row or a verse block, objects are
diff --git a/testing/lisp/test-org-element.el b/testing/lisp/test-org-element.el
index 7cc8dd820..c65151e1d 100644
--- a/testing/lisp/test-org-element.el
+++ b/testing/lisp/test-org-element.el
@@ -3076,7 +3076,13 @@ Paragraph \\alpha."
        (org-test-with-temp-text "Some *text with _underline_ text*"
 	 (progn
 	   (search-forward "under")
-	   (org-element-type (org-element-context (org-element-at-point))))))))
+	   (org-element-type (org-element-context (org-element-at-point)))))))
+  ;; Special case: bold object at the beginning of a headline.
+  (should
+   (eq 'bold
+       (org-test-with-temp-text "* *bold*"
+	 (search-forward "bo")
+	 (org-element-type (org-element-context))))))
 
 
 (provide 'test-org-element)