--- bash-4.4-rc1/bashline.c	2015-12-30 14:53:23.000000000 +0100
+++ bash-4.4-rc1-1/bashline.c	2016-07-09 00:20:24.568169131 +0200
@@ -1281,7 +1281,7 @@
   /* Handle the two character tokens `>&', `<&', and `>|'.
      We are not in a command position after one of these. */
   this_char = rl_line_buffer[ti];
-  prev_char = rl_line_buffer[ti - 1];
+  prev_char = (ti > 0)?rl_line_buffer[ti - 1]:'\0';
 
   if ((this_char == '&' && (prev_char == '<' || prev_char == '>')) ||
       (this_char == '|' && prev_char == '>'))