diff --git a/crates/redact/src/interp.rs b/crates/redact/src/interp.rs
index 9b0dc842cb..ce2f608b40 100644
--- a/crates/redact/src/interp.rs
+++ b/crates/redact/src/interp.rs
@@ -696,11 +696,11 @@ fn show(scope: &Scope<'_>, gs: &Gs, tm: &mut Matrix, items: &[Object]) -> (Vec<O
                     let w0 = f.width(code);
                     let spacing = gs.char_spacing + if f.is_space(code, len) { gs.word_spacing } else { 0.0 };
                     let trm = Matrix([size * gs.scale, 0.0, 0.0, size, 0.0, gs.rise]).then(tm).then(&gs.ctm);
-                    let b = trm.bbox([0.0, f.descent, w0, f.ascent]);
+                    let metrics = trm.bbox([0.0, f.descent, w0, f.ascent]);
                     // A Type 3 glyph paints where its whole font matrix puts it: the box covers both.
-                    let b = gs.glyph_box.map_or(b, |g| {
+                    let b = gs.glyph_box.map_or(metrics, |g| {
                         let p = trm.bbox(g);
-                        [b[0].min(p[0]), b[1].min(p[1]), b[2].max(p[2]), b[3].max(p[3])]
+                        [metrics[0].min(p[0]), metrics[1].min(p[1]), metrics[2].max(p[2]), metrics[3].max(p[3])]
                     });
                     let origin = trm.apply(0.0, 0.0);
                     let advance = w0 * size + spacing;
@@ -710,7 +710,8 @@ fn show(scope: &Scope<'_>, gs: &Gs, tm: &mut Matrix, items: &[Object]) -> (Vec<O
                             let degenerate = b[2] - b[0] < 0.01 && b[3] - b[1] < 0.01;
                             matches!(gs.render_mode, 3 | 7) || !(overlaps(page, b, 0.0) || degenerate)
                         }
-                        None => scope.glyph_hit(b, origin),
+                        // (the metrics box is a second test: the union's overlap threshold is wider than a narrow glyph's own)
+                        None => scope.glyph_hit(b, origin) || scope.glyph_hit(metrics, origin),
                     };
                     glyphs.push(Glyph { bytes: pos..pos + len, advance, hit });
                     *tm = Matrix::translate(advance * gs.scale, 0.0).then(tm);