diff --git a/src/6502/a2_frontend.s b/src/6502/a2_frontend.s
index 178216f..86deca4 100644
--- a/src/6502/a2_frontend.s
+++ b/src/6502/a2_frontend.s
@@ -231,6 +231,7 @@ AUXUNDOBANK2	= $d0		; logical page from
 
 ; ---- frontend zero page ----
 
+curstyle	= $04	; last style bits set by io_mstyle
 nunread		= $05	; lines scrolled off since last clear
 ioparam		= $06	; word, used by the engine
 wrappos		= $08
@@ -882,8 +883,11 @@ moretxt
 	.asc	"<...>",0
 
 io_mstyle
-	; style bits are already in rstyle zp var in engine
-	jmp	io_mflush_nostyle
+	pha
+	jsr	io_mflush
+	pla
+	sta	curstyle
+	rts
 
 ; TODO consider refactoring with sprogress?
 io_mprogress
@@ -1358,7 +1362,7 @@ gotoxy
 
 mstyle_enter
 	.(
-	lda	`rstyle
+	lda	curstyle
 	lsr			; reverse style bit
 	bcc	set_inverse_rts
 	; fallthrough to set_inverse
@@ -3065,6 +3069,7 @@ auxclrlp
 	sta	stxoffs
 	sta	cury
 	sta	strow
+	sta	curstyle
 #if UNDO
 	sta	u_ready
 	sta	u_count
diff --git a/src/6502/engine.s b/src/6502/engine.s
index 7ae9b4a..d24d3bd 100644
--- a/src/6502/engine.s
+++ b/src/6502/engine.s
@@ -3778,6 +3778,11 @@ op_en_lv_span
 	stx	divsp
 
 	inc	nspan
+	; ENTER_SPAN emits a pending AUTO/PENDING
+	; space before entering the span,
+	; so the space has the outer style.
+	; op_style does the same thing.
+	jsr	syncspace
 done
 	jsr	unstyle
 skip
diff --git a/test/codepoints/codepoints.6502.gold b/test/codepoints/codepoints.6502.gold
index 2e75f34..fbbcf33 100644
--- a/test/codepoints/codepoints.6502.gold
+++ b/test/codepoints/codepoints.6502.gold
@@ -276,6 +276,7 @@ and must leave the other alone.
 bold normal bold
 italic upright italic
 both italic only both
+reverse normal reverse
 ---
 The deprecated SET_STYLE/RESET_STYLE
 opcodes, which bypass the CSS parser
diff --git a/test/codepoints/codepoints.aastory b/test/codepoints/codepoints.aastory
index 8fc7d4c..808cac9 100644
Binary files a/test/codepoints/codepoints.aastory and b/test/codepoints/codepoints.aastory differ
diff --git a/test/codepoints/codepoints.dg b/test/codepoints/codepoints.dg
index 4c0325b..a699b50 100644
--- a/test/codepoints/codepoints.dg
+++ b/test/codepoints/codepoints.dg
@@ -157,6 +157,12 @@
 (style class @fixed)
 	font-family: monospace;
 
+(style class @reverse)
+	-iftf-reverse-video: reverse;
+
+(style class @unreverse)
+	-iftf-reverse-video: none;
+
 %% A font-family that is not monospace must set no bit at all.  The name is
 %% deliberately one that contains neither 'm' nor a substring of 'monospace',
 %% since the matcher scans for the word rather than comparing the whole value.
@@ -649,6 +655,7 @@
 	(line) (span @bold) { bold (span @unbold) { normal } bold }
 	(line) (span @italic) { italic (span @roman) { upright } italic }
 	(line) (span @bolditalic) { both (span @unbold) { italic only } both }
+	(line) (span @reverse) { reverse (span @unreverse) { normal } reverse }
 	(line) ---
 	(line) The deprecated SET_STYLE/RESET_STYLE
 	(line) opcodes, which bypass the CSS parser
diff --git a/test/codepoints/codepoints.js.gold b/test/codepoints/codepoints.js.gold
index 58de3cb..b8b8d25 100644
--- a/test/codepoints/codepoints.js.gold
+++ b/test/codepoints/codepoints.js.gold
@@ -269,6 +269,7 @@ and must leave the other alone.
 bold normal bold
 italic upright italic
 both italic only both
+reverse normal reverse
 ---
 The deprecated SET_STYLE/RESET_STYLE
 opcodes, which bypass the CSS parser