diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 625d14fc..74a4d28b 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -1481,17 +1481,17 @@ multiple `dropbar_menu_entry_t` instances while a
 
 `dropbar_menu_entry_t` has the following methods:
 
-| Method                                                                                                         | Description                                                                                                                                                             |
-| ------                                                                                                         | ------                                                                                                                                                                  |
-| `dropbar_menu_entry_t:new(opts: dropbar_menu_entry_t?): dropbar_menu_entry_t`                                  | constructor of `dropbar_menu_entry_t`                                                                                                                                   |
-| `dropbar_menu_entry_t:del()`                                                                                   | destructor of `dropbar_menu_entry_t`                                                                                                                                    |
-| `dropbar_menu_entry_t:cat(): string, dropbar_menu_hl_info_t`                                                   | concatenate the components into a string, returns the string and highlight info<sub>[`dropbar_menu_hl_info_t`](#dropbar_menu_hl_info_t)                                 |
-| `dropbar_menu_entry_t:displaywidth(): integer`                                                                 | calculate the display width of the entry                                                                                                                                |
-| `dropbar_menu_entry_t:bytewidth(): integer`                                                                    | calculate the byte width of the entry                                                                                                                                   |
-| `dropbar_menu_entry_t:first_clickable(offset: integer?): dropbar_symbol_t?, { start: integer, end: integer }?` | get the first clickable component<sub>[`dropbar_symbol_t`](#dropbar_symbol_t)</sub> and its range in the dropbar menu entry starting from `offset`, which defaults to 0 |
-| `dropbar_menu_entry_t:get_component_at(col: integer): dropbar_symbol_t?, { start: integer, end: integer }?`    | get the component<sub>[`dropbar_symbol_t`](#dropbar_symbol_t)</sub> at column position `col` and the range it occupies in the menu entry                                |
-| `dropbar_menu_entry_t:prev_clickable(col: integer): dropbar_symbol_t?, { start: integer, end: integer }?`      | get the previous clickable component<sub>[`dropbar_symbol_t`](#dropbar_symbol_t)</sub> and its range in the dropbar menu entry given current column position `col`      |
-| `dropbar_menu_entry_t:next_clickable(col: integer): dropbar_symbol_t?, { start: integer, end: integer }?`      | get the next clickable component<sub>[`dropbar_symbol_t`](#dropbar_symbol_t)</sub> and its range in the dropbar menu entry given current column position `col`          |
+| Method                                                                                                                            | Description                                                                                                                                                             |
+| ------                                                                                                                            | ------                                                                                                                                                                  |
+| `dropbar_menu_entry_t:new(opts: dropbar_menu_entry_t?): dropbar_menu_entry_t`                                                     | constructor of `dropbar_menu_entry_t`                                                                                                                                   |
+| `dropbar_menu_entry_t:del()`                                                                                                      | destructor of `dropbar_menu_entry_t`                                                                                                                                    |
+| `dropbar_menu_entry_t:cat(): string, dropbar_menu_hl_info_t`                                                                      | concatenate the components into a string, returns the string and highlight info<sub>[`dropbar_menu_hl_info_t`](#dropbar_menu_hl_info_t)                                 |
+| `dropbar_menu_entry_t:displaywidth(): integer`                                                                                    | calculate the display width of the entry                                                                                                                                |
+| `dropbar_menu_entry_t:bytewidth(): integer`                                                                                       | calculate the byte width of the entry                                                                                                                                   |
+| `dropbar_menu_entry_t:first_clickable(offset: integer?): dropbar_symbol_t?, { start: integer, end: integer }?`                    | get the first clickable component<sub>[`dropbar_symbol_t`](#dropbar_symbol_t)</sub> and its range in the dropbar menu entry starting from `offset`, which defaults to 0 |
+| `dropbar_menu_entry_t:get_component_at(col: integer, look_ahead: boolean?): dropbar_symbol_t?, { start: integer, end: integer }?` | get the component<sub>[`dropbar_symbol_t`](#dropbar_symbol_t)</sub> at column position `col` and the range it occupies in the menu entry                                |
+| `dropbar_menu_entry_t:prev_clickable(col: integer): dropbar_symbol_t?, { start: integer, end: integer }?`                         | get the previous clickable component<sub>[`dropbar_symbol_t`](#dropbar_symbol_t)</sub> and its range in the dropbar menu entry given current column position `col`      |
+| `dropbar_menu_entry_t:next_clickable(col: integer): dropbar_symbol_t?, { start: integer, end: integer }?`                         | get the next clickable component<sub>[`dropbar_symbol_t`](#dropbar_symbol_t)</sub> and its range in the dropbar menu entry given current column position `col`          |
 
 #### `dropbar_menu_hl_info_t`
 
diff --git a/doc/dropbar.txt b/doc/dropbar.txt
index 6c3a6546..0b1a266c 100644
--- a/doc/dropbar.txt
+++ b/doc/dropbar.txt
@@ -1743,13 +1743,16 @@ dropbar_menu_entry_t:first_clickable([{offset}])
 	    component occupies in the menu
 
 				     *dropbar_menu_entry_t:get_component_at()*
-dropbar_menu_entry_t:get_component_at({col})
+dropbar_menu_entry_t:get_component_at({col}[, {look_ahead}])
 
 	Get the compoenent at column position {col} and the range it occupies
 	in the menu entry
 
 	Parameters ~
 	    • {col} (integer): column number, 1-based, byte-indexed
+	    • {look_ahead} (boolean?):
+		whether to look ahead to find a component if no component is
+		found at {col}
 
 	Returns ~
 	    (`dropbar_symbol_t`?): the component at the position