diff --git a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/cli/HelpFormatter.java b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/cli/HelpFormatter.java
index 361788054..119a14c2d 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/cli/HelpFormatter.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/cli/HelpFormatter.java
@@ -427,8 +427,10 @@ <A extends Appendable> A appendOptions(final A sb, final int width, final Option
         // -a is opt and --aaa is long opt; in parallel look for
         // the longest opt string this list will be then used to
         // sort options ascending
-        int max = 0;
         final int maxSince = showSince ? determineMaxSinceLength(options) + leftPad : 0;
+        // determineMaxSinceLength() already reserves the width of the "Since" header; the option column needs the
+        // same floor for the "Options" header, otherwise the gap in front of "Since" below is computed negative.
+        int max = showSince ? HEADER_OPTIONS.length() + maxSince : 0;
         final List<StringBuilder> prefixList = new ArrayList<>();
         final List<Option> optList = options.helpOptions();
         if (getOptionComparator() != null) {
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/cli/HelpFormatterTest.java b/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/cli/HelpFormatterTest.java
index c935229ce..1c9691ae2 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/cli/HelpFormatterTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/cli/HelpFormatterTest.java
@@ -526,6 +526,23 @@ void testPrintHelpWithSince() {
         assertArrayEquals(expected, baos.toString().split(System.lineSeparator()));
     }
 
+    @Test
+    void testPrintHelpWithSinceShortOptions() {
+        // the option column is narrower than the "Options" header
+        final String[] expected = {"usage: Command syntax", "Header", "Options  Since   Description", "  -n     -          Description for n",
+                "  -W     1.19.0     Descripton for W", "footer"};
+        final Options options = new Options()
+                .addOption(Option.builder("W").since("1.19.0").desc("Descripton for W").get())
+                .addOption(Option.builder("n").desc("Description for n").get());
+
+        final HelpFormatter formatter = HelpFormatter.builder().setShowSince(true).get();
+        final ByteArrayOutputStream baos = new ByteArrayOutputStream();
+        try (PrintWriter pw = new PrintWriter(new OutputStreamWriter(baos))) {
+            formatter.printHelp(pw, 80, "Command syntax", "Header", options, 2, 5, "footer", false);
+        }
+        assertArrayEquals(expected, baos.toString().split(System.lineSeparator()));
+    }
+
     @Test
     void testPrintOptionGroupUsage() {
         final OptionGroup optionGroup = new OptionGroup();