diff --git a/core/src/main/java/cucumber/runtime/formatter/PrettyFormatter.java b/core/src/main/java/cucumber/runtime/formatter/PrettyFormatter.java
index 504b81dbb5..33d6ed196d 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/cucumber/runtime/formatter/PrettyFormatter.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/cucumber/runtime/formatter/PrettyFormatter.java
@@ -208,22 +208,28 @@ private void printStep(TestStep testStep, Result result) {
     }
 
     String formatStepText(String keyword, String stepText, Format textFormat, Format argFormat, List<Argument> arguments) {
-        int textStart = 0;
+        int beginIndex = 0;
         StringBuilder result = new StringBuilder(textFormat.text(keyword));
         for (Argument argument : arguments) {
             // can be null if the argument is missing.
             if (argument.getOffset() != null) {
-                String text = stepText.substring(textStart, argument.getOffset());
+                int argumentOffset = argument.getOffset();
+                // a nested argument starts before the enclosing argument ends; ignore it when formatting
+                if (argumentOffset < beginIndex ) {
+                    continue;
+                }
+                String text = stepText.substring(beginIndex, argumentOffset);
                 result.append(textFormat.text(text));
             }
             // val can be null if the argument isn't there, for example @And("(it )?has something")
             if (argument.getVal() != null) {
                 result.append(argFormat.text(argument.getVal()));
-                textStart = argument.getOffset() + argument.getVal().length();
+                // set beginIndex to end of argument
+                beginIndex = argument.getOffset() + argument.getVal().length();
             }
         }
-        if (textStart != stepText.length()) {
-            String text = stepText.substring(textStart, stepText.length());
+        if (beginIndex != stepText.length()) {
+            String text = stepText.substring(beginIndex, stepText.length());
             result.append(textFormat.text(text));
         }
         return result.toString();
diff --git a/core/src/test/java/cucumber/runtime/JdkPatternArgumentMatcherTest.java b/core/src/test/java/cucumber/runtime/JdkPatternArgumentMatcherTest.java
index a8654ecdbe..b67905fa76 100644
--- a/core/src/test/java/cucumber/runtime/JdkPatternArgumentMatcherTest.java
+++ b/core/src/test/java/cucumber/runtime/JdkPatternArgumentMatcherTest.java
@@ -59,6 +59,13 @@ public void canHandleVariableNumberOfArguments() {
         assertNull(matcher.argumentsFrom("I wait for some time").get(0).getVal());
     }
 
+    @Test
+    public void canHandleNestedCaptureGroups() throws UnsupportedEncodingException {
+        assertVariables("the order is placed( and( not yet)? confirmed)?", "the order is placed and not yet confirmed",
+            " and not yet confirmed", 19,
+            " not yet", 23);
+    }
+
     private void assertVariables(String regex, String string, String v1, Integer pos1, String v2, Integer pos2) throws UnsupportedEncodingException {
         List<Argument> args = new JdkPatternArgumentMatcher(Pattern.compile(regex)).argumentsFrom(string);
         assertEquals(2, args.size());
diff --git a/core/src/test/java/cucumber/runtime/formatter/PrettyFormatterTest.java b/core/src/test/java/cucumber/runtime/formatter/PrettyFormatterTest.java
index 7512fd049b..b2e4a85442 100755
--- a/core/src/test/java/cucumber/runtime/formatter/PrettyFormatterTest.java
+++ b/core/src/test/java/cucumber/runtime/formatter/PrettyFormatterTest.java
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@
 import static java.util.Arrays.asList;
 import static org.hamcrest.CoreMatchers.containsString;
 import static org.hamcrest.CoreMatchers.equalTo;
+import static org.junit.Assert.assertEquals;
 import static org.junit.Assert.assertThat;
 
 public class PrettyFormatterTest {
@@ -50,7 +51,7 @@ public void should_align_the_indentation_of_location_strings() throws Throwable
     }
 
     @Test
-    public void should_handle_backgound() throws Throwable {
+    public void should_handle_background() throws Throwable {
         CucumberFeature feature = feature("path/test.feature", "" +
                 "Feature: feature name\n" +
                 "  Background: background name\n" +
@@ -366,7 +367,7 @@ public void should_color_code_error_message_according_to_the_result() throws Thr
     }
 
     @Test
-    public void should_mark_arguments_in_steps() throws Throwable {
+    public void should_mark_subsequent_arguments_in_steps() throws Throwable {
         Formats formats = new AnsiFormats();
         Argument arg1 = new Argument(5, "arg1");
         Argument arg2 = new Argument(15, "arg2");
@@ -381,6 +382,35 @@ public void should_mark_arguments_in_steps() throws Throwable {
                                           AnsiEscapes.GREEN + AnsiEscapes.INTENSITY_BOLD + "arg2"  + AnsiEscapes.RESET));
     }
 
+    @Test
+    public void should_mark_nested_argument_as_part_of_full_argument(){
+        Formats formats = new AnsiFormats();
+        Argument enclosingArg = new Argument(19, " and not yet confirmed");
+        Argument nestedArg = new Argument(23, " not yet ");
+        PrettyFormatter prettyFormatter = new PrettyFormatter(null);
+
+        String formattedText = prettyFormatter.formatStepText("Given ", "the order is placed and not yet confirmed", formats.get("passed"), formats.get("passed_arg"), asList(enclosingArg, nestedArg));
+
+        assertThat(formattedText, equalTo(AnsiEscapes.GREEN + "Given " + AnsiEscapes.RESET +
+            AnsiEscapes.GREEN + "the order is placed" + AnsiEscapes.RESET +
+            AnsiEscapes.GREEN + AnsiEscapes.INTENSITY_BOLD + " and not yet confirmed"  + AnsiEscapes.RESET));
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    public void should_mark_nested_arguments_as_part_of_enclosing_argument(){
+        Formats formats = new AnsiFormats();
+        Argument enclosingArg = new Argument(19, " and not yet confirmed");
+        Argument nestedArg = new Argument(23, " not yet ");
+        Argument nestedNestedArg = new Argument(27, "yet ");
+        PrettyFormatter prettyFormatter = new PrettyFormatter(null);
+
+        String formattedText = prettyFormatter.formatStepText("Given ", "the order is placed and not yet confirmed", formats.get("passed"), formats.get("passed_arg"), asList(enclosingArg, nestedArg, nestedNestedArg));
+
+        assertThat(formattedText, equalTo(AnsiEscapes.GREEN + "Given " + AnsiEscapes.RESET +
+            AnsiEscapes.GREEN + "the order is placed" + AnsiEscapes.RESET +
+            AnsiEscapes.GREEN + AnsiEscapes.INTENSITY_BOLD + " and not yet confirmed"  + AnsiEscapes.RESET));
+    }
+
     private String runFeatureWithPrettyFormatter(final CucumberFeature feature, final Map<String, String> stepsToLocation) throws Throwable {
         return runFeatureWithPrettyFormatter(feature, stepsToLocation, Collections.<String, Result>emptyMap());
     }