--- src/ooxml/java/org/apache/poi/xssf/usermodel/XSSFRichTextString.java	
+++ src/ooxml/java/org/apache/poi/xssf/usermodel/XSSFRichTextString.java	
@@ -577,7 +577,7 @@ 
             String txt = r.getT();
             CTRPrElt fmt = r.getRPr();
-            length += txt.length();
+            length += utfDecode(txt).length();
             formats.put(length, fmt);
         }
         return formats;
--- src/ooxml/testcases/org/apache/poi/xssf/usermodel/TestXSSFRichTextString.java	
+++ src/ooxml/testcases/org/apache/poi/xssf/usermodel/TestXSSFRichTextString.java	
@@ -258,6 +258,19 @@ 
     }
     @Test
+    public void testUtfDecode_withApplyFont() {
+        XSSFFont font = new XSSFFont();
+        font.setBold(true);
+        font.setFontHeightInPoints((short) 14);
+
+        CTRst st = CTRst.Factory.newInstance();
+        st.setT("abc_x000D_2ef_x000D_");
+        XSSFRichTextString rt = new XSSFRichTextString(st);
+        rt.applyFont(font);
+        assertEquals("abc\r2ef\r", rt.getString());
+    }
+
+    @Test
     public void testApplyFont_lowlevel(){
         CTRst st = CTRst.Factory.newInstance();
         String text = "Apache Software Foundation";