diff --git a/iedit-lib.el b/iedit-lib.el
index abd3ba6..60110e3 100644
--- a/iedit-lib.el
+++ b/iedit-lib.el
@@ -838,17 +838,25 @@ Return nil if occurrence string is empty string."
 
 (defun iedit-printable (string)
   "Return a omitted substring that is not longer than 50.
-STRING is already `regexp-quote'ed"
-  (let ((first-newline-index (string-match "$" string))
-        (length (length string)))
+STRING is already `regexp-quote'ed.
+
+When  is non-nil, if extra characters were added to make this
+string only match symbols (i.e. if
+iedit-only-complete-symbol-local is non-nil) then strip those
+extra characters off."
+  (let* ((clean-string (if iedit-hide-added-symbol-regexp
+                           (iedit-regexp-maybe-unquote string)
+                         string))
+         (first-newline-index (string-match "$" clean-string))
+         (length (length clean-string)))
     (if (and first-newline-index
              (/= first-newline-index length))
         (if (< first-newline-index 50)
-            (concat (substring string 0 first-newline-index) "...")
-          (concat (substring string 0 50) "..."))
+            (concat (substring clean-string 0 first-newline-index) "...")
+          (concat (substring clean-string 0 50) "..."))
       (if (> length 50)
-          (concat (substring string 0 50) "...")
-        string))))
+          (concat (substring clean-string 0 50) "...")
+        clean-string))))
 
 (defun iedit-char-at-bol (&optional N)
   "Get char position of the beginning of the current line. If `N'
diff --git a/iedit.el b/iedit.el
index 81bdd63..842bc71 100644
--- a/iedit.el
+++ b/iedit.el
@@ -99,6 +99,14 @@ For example, when invoking command `iedit-mode' on the \"in\" in the
   :type 'vector
   :group 'iedit)
 
+(defcustom iedit-hide-added-symbol-regexp nil
+  "If non-nil, when the search string is augmented to become a
+regexp to match only
+symbols (e.g. `iedit-only-complete-symbol-local' and friends)
+those extra characters to form said regexp are stripped off."
+  :type 'boolean
+  :group 'iedit)
+
 (defvar iedit-mode-hook nil
   "Function(s) to call after starting up an iedit.")
 
@@ -403,6 +411,13 @@ Keymap used within overlays:
       (concat "\\_<" (regexp-quote exp) "\\_>")
     (regexp-quote exp)))
 
+(defun iedit-regexp-maybe-unquote (exp)
+  "Strip off the extra regexp characters that
+`iedit-regexp-quote' adds to a string."
+  (if iedit-only-complete-symbol-local
+      (substring exp 3 (- (length exp) 3))
+    exp))
+
 (defun iedit-start2 (occurrence-regexp beg end)
   "Refresh Iedit mode."
   (setq iedit-occurrence-keymap iedit-mode-occurrence-keymap)