diff --git a/stdlib/REPL/src/docview.jl b/stdlib/REPL/src/docview.jl
index b6eb73bcd5faa..2e5fc361d8cbc 100644
--- a/stdlib/REPL/src/docview.jl
+++ b/stdlib/REPL/src/docview.jl
@@ -221,7 +221,7 @@ function lookup_doc(ex)
         str = string(ex)
         isdotted = startswith(str, ".")
         if endswith(str, "=") && Base.operator_precedence(ex) == Base.prec_assignment && ex !== :(:=)
-            op = str[1:end-1]
+            op = chop(str)
             eq = isdotted ? ".=" : "="
             return Markdown.parse("`x $op= y` is a synonym for `x $eq x $op y`")
         elseif isdotted && ex !== :(..)
diff --git a/stdlib/REPL/test/docview.jl b/stdlib/REPL/test/docview.jl
index 1cc5037c1c806..160544eb475d2 100644
--- a/stdlib/REPL/test/docview.jl
+++ b/stdlib/REPL/test/docview.jl
@@ -47,3 +47,7 @@ end
     # shouldn't throw when there is a space in a middle of query
     @test (REPL.matchinds("a ", "a file.txt"); true)
 end
+
+@testset "Unicode doc lookup (#41589)" begin
+    @test REPL.lookup_doc(:(÷=)) isa Markdown.MD
+end