diff --git a/src/calibre/gui2/tweak_book/editor/text.py b/src/calibre/gui2/tweak_book/editor/text.py
index d8439319fb..c32a76b632 100644
--- a/src/calibre/gui2/tweak_book/editor/text.py
+++ b/src/calibre/gui2/tweak_book/editor/text.py
@@ -503,13 +503,13 @@ class TextEdit(PlainTextEdit):
         if wrap and not complete:
             pos = QTextCursor.MoveOperation.End if reverse else QTextCursor.MoveOperation.Start
         c.movePosition(pos, QTextCursor.MoveMode.KeepAnchor)
+        raw = str(c.selectedText()).replace(PARAGRAPH_SEPARATOR, '\n').rstrip('\0')
         if hasattr(self.smarts, 'find_text'):
             self.highlighter.join()
             found, start, end = self.smarts.find_text(pat, c, reverse)
             if not found:
                 return False
         else:
-            raw = str(c.selectedText()).replace(PARAGRAPH_SEPARATOR, '\n').rstrip('\0')
             m = pat.search(raw)
             if m is None:
                 return False