diff --git a/src/main/java/com/zaxxer/sparsebits/SparseBitSet.java b/src/main/java/com/zaxxer/sparsebits/SparseBitSet.java
index 3d86170..60d06d6 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/zaxxer/sparsebits/SparseBitSet.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/zaxxer/sparsebits/SparseBitSet.java
@@ -943,8 +943,15 @@ a null area or block, or a clear bit (a set bit in the
                     if ((a3 = a2[w2]) == null)
                         break loop;
                     for (; w3 != LENGTH3; ++w3)
-                        if ((nword = ~a3[w3]) != 0)
+                    {
+                        final long current;
+                        if ((current = ~a3[w3]) != 0)
+                        {
+                            // Only set nword if there was a clear bit in the current word
+                            nword = current;
                             break loop;
+                        }
+                    }
                     w3 = 0;
                 }
                 w2 = w3 = 0;
diff --git a/src/test/java/com/zaxxer/sparsebits/NextClearBitTest.java b/src/test/java/com/zaxxer/sparsebits/NextClearBitTest.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8ea17eb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/test/java/com/zaxxer/sparsebits/NextClearBitTest.java
@@ -0,0 +1,142 @@
+package com.zaxxer.sparsebits;
+
+import org.junit.Assert;
+import org.junit.Before;
+import org.junit.Test;
+import org.junit.Rule;
+import org.junit.rules.ExpectedException;
+
+public class NextClearBitTest {
+
+    SparseBitSet set;
+
+    @Rule
+    public ExpectedException thrown = ExpectedException.none();
+
+    @Before
+    public void setUp() {
+        set = new SparseBitSet();
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    public void testNextClearBitAfterFullLastWordInFirstLevel3Entry() {
+        // The last word in the first level3 block covers bits 1984-2047, set those + the last bit from second
+        // to last word
+        for (int i = 1983; i < 2047; i++) {
+            set.set(i);
+        }
+
+        // Test a known clear bit
+        Assert.assertEquals(1982, set.nextClearBit(1982));
+
+        // Test nextClearBit from the beginning of the last word
+        Assert.assertEquals(2047, set.nextClearBit(1984));
+
+        // Test nextClearBit from the middle of the last word
+        Assert.assertEquals(2047, set.nextClearBit(2020));
+
+        // Test nextClearBit from the end of the last word
+        Assert.assertEquals(2047, set.nextClearBit(2047));
+
+        // Test nextClearBit from the end of the previous word
+        Assert.assertEquals(2047, set.nextClearBit(1983));
+
+        // set the last bit
+        set.set(2047);
+        // Test a known clear bit
+        Assert.assertEquals(1982, set.nextClearBit(1982));
+
+        // Test nextClearBit from the beginning of the last word
+        Assert.assertEquals(2048, set.nextClearBit(1984));
+
+        // Test nextClearBit from the middle of the last word
+        Assert.assertEquals(2048, set.nextClearBit(2020));
+
+        // Test nextClearBit from the end of the last word
+        Assert.assertEquals(2048, set.nextClearBit(2047));
+
+        // Test nextClearBit from the end of the previous word
+        Assert.assertEquals(2048, set.nextClearBit(1983));
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    public void testNextClearBitAfterFullLastWordInFirstLevel2() {
+        // The last word in the first level2 covers bits 65472-65535, set those + the last bit from second
+        // to last word
+        for (int i = 65471; i < 65535; i++) {
+            set.set(i);
+        }
+
+        // Set a bit in the third level2 block leaving the second level2 block empty / null.
+        set.set(65536 * 3 + 1);
+
+        // Test a known clear bit
+        Assert.assertEquals(65470, set.nextClearBit(65470));
+
+        // Test nextClearBit from the beginning of the last word
+        Assert.assertEquals(65535, set.nextClearBit(65472));
+
+        // Test nextClearBit from the middle of the last word
+        Assert.assertEquals(65535, set.nextClearBit(65504));
+
+        // Test nextClearBit from the end of the last word
+        Assert.assertEquals(65535, set.nextClearBit(65535));
+
+        // Test nextClearBit from the end of the previous word
+        Assert.assertEquals(65535, set.nextClearBit(65471));
+
+        // set the last bit
+        set.set(65535);
+
+        // Test a known clear bit
+        Assert.assertEquals(65470, set.nextClearBit(65470));
+
+        // Test nextClearBit from the beginning of the last word
+        Assert.assertEquals(65536, set.nextClearBit(65472));
+
+        // Test nextClearBit from the middle of the last word
+        Assert.assertEquals(65536, set.nextClearBit(65504));
+
+        // Test nextClearBit from the end of the last word
+        Assert.assertEquals(65536, set.nextClearBit(65535));
+
+        // Test nextClearBit from the end of the previous word
+        Assert.assertEquals(65536, set.nextClearBit(65471));
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    public void testNextClearBitForEmptySet() {
+        Assert.assertEquals(0, set.nextClearBit(0));
+        final int x = 65536 * 4 + set.length();
+        Assert.assertEquals(x, set.nextClearBit(x));
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    public void testNextClearBitForSingleEntry() {
+        set.set(50);
+        Assert.assertEquals(51, set.nextClearBit(50));
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    public void testNoNextClearBit() {
+        // Test that nextClearBit returns -1 when there are no clear bits
+        set.set(Integer.MAX_VALUE - 1);
+        Assert.assertEquals(-1, set.nextClearBit(Integer.MAX_VALUE - 1));
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    public void testNegativeIndex() {
+        // Test that nextClearBit throws an IndexOutOfBoundsException for negative indexes
+        thrown.expect(IndexOutOfBoundsException.class);
+        thrown.expectMessage(String.valueOf(-1));
+        set.nextClearBit(-1);
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    public void testNegativeIndexLarge() {
+        // Test with another negative index
+        thrown.expect(IndexOutOfBoundsException.class);
+        thrown.expectMessage(String.valueOf(-10000));
+        set.nextClearBit(-10000);
+    }
+}