diff --git a/apic.go b/apic.go
index 65846e67..ae7d049f 100644
--- a/apic.go
+++ b/apic.go
@@ -108,6 +108,7 @@ func yaml_emitter_initialize(emitter *yaml_emitter_t) {
 		raw_buffer: make([]byte, 0, output_raw_buffer_size),
 		states:     make([]yaml_emitter_state_t, 0, initial_stack_size),
 		events:     make([]yaml_event_t, 0, initial_queue_size),
+		best_width: -1,
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/encode_test.go b/encode_test.go
index 83b1f0e4..fc65b933 100644
--- a/encode_test.go
+++ b/encode_test.go
@@ -429,6 +429,12 @@ var marshalTests = []struct {
 		"a: |\n    \tB\n    \tC\n",
 	},
 
+	// Ensure that strings do not wrap
+	{
+		map[string]string{"a": "abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ 1234567890 abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ 1234567890 "},
+		"a: 'abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ 1234567890 abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ 1234567890 '\n",
+	},
+
 	// yaml.Node
 	{
 		&struct {