diff --git a/src/builtin_string.cpp b/src/builtin_string.cpp
index 8aaeabf61..d61e109f8 100644
--- a/src/builtin_string.cpp
+++ b/src/builtin_string.cpp
@@ -768,15 +768,37 @@ static int string_length(parser_t &parser, io_streams_t &streams, int argc, cons
     int nnonempty = 0;
     arg_iterator_t aiter(argv, optind, streams);
     while (const wcstring *arg = aiter.nextstr()) {
-        size_t n = opts.visible ? width_without_escapes(*arg) : arg->length();
-        if (n > 0) {
-            nnonempty++;
-        }
-        if (!opts.quiet) {
-            streams.out.append(to_string(n));
-            streams.out.append(L'\n');
-        } else if (nnonempty > 0) {
-            return STATUS_CMD_OK;
+        if (opts.visible) {
+            // Visible length only makes sense line-wise.
+            for (auto &line : split_string(*arg, L'\n')) {
+                size_t max = 0;
+                // Carriage-return returns us to the beginning,
+                // the longest string stays.
+                for (auto &reset : split_string(line, L'\r')) {
+                    size_t n = width_without_escapes(reset);
+                    if (n > max) max = n;
+                }
+                if (max > 0) {
+                    nnonempty++;
+                }
+                if (!opts.quiet) {
+                    streams.out.append(to_string(max));
+                    streams.out.append(L'\n');
+                } else if (nnonempty > 0) {
+                    return STATUS_CMD_OK;
+                }
+            }
+        } else {
+            size_t n = arg->length();
+            if (n > 0) {
+                nnonempty++;
+            }
+            if (!opts.quiet) {
+                streams.out.append(to_string(n));
+                streams.out.append(L'\n');
+            } else if (nnonempty > 0) {
+                return STATUS_CMD_OK;
+            }
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/tests/checks/string.fish b/tests/checks/string.fish
index 8f64da1a1..8f4296b96 100644
--- a/tests/checks/string.fish
+++ b/tests/checks/string.fish
@@ -87,6 +87,31 @@ string pad -c_ --width 5 longer-than-width-param x
 string pad -c ab -w4 .
 # CHECKERR: string pad: Padding should be a character 'ab'
 
+# Visible length. Let's start off simple, colors are ignored:
+string length --visible (set_color red)abc
+# CHECK: 3
+begin
+    set -l fish_emoji_width 2
+    # This should print the emoji width
+    string length --visible . 🐟
+    # CHECK: 1
+    # CHECK: 2
+    set -l fish_emoji_width 1
+    string length --visible . 🐟
+    # CHECK: 1
+    # CHECK: 1
+end
+
+# Only the longest run between carriage returns is kept because the rest is overwritten.
+string length --visible (set_color normal)abcdef\rfooba(set_color red)raaa
+# (foobaraaa)
+# CHECK: 9
+
+# Visible length is *always* split by line
+string length --visible a(set_color blue)b\ncde
+# CHECK: 2
+# CHECK: 3
+
 string sub --length 2 abcde
 # CHECK: ab