diff --git a/altimate_packages/altimate/utils.py b/altimate_packages/altimate/utils.py
index 9c823e38a..ed00c2263 100644
--- a/altimate_packages/altimate/utils.py
+++ b/altimate_packages/altimate/utils.py
@@ -148,7 +148,7 @@ def sql_parse_errors(sql: str, dialect: str):
 
 def get_start_and_end_position(sql: str, invalid_string: str):
     start, end, num_occurences = find_single_occurrence_indices(sql, invalid_string)
-    if start and end:
+    if start is not None and end is not None:
         return (
             list(get_line_and_column_from_position(sql, start)),
             list(get_line_and_column_from_position(sql, end)),
diff --git a/altimate_packages/tests/test_utils.py b/altimate_packages/tests/test_utils.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..62496d6de
--- /dev/null
+++ b/altimate_packages/tests/test_utils.py
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+import sys
+import unittest
+sys.path.insert(0, 'altimate_packages')
+from altimate.utils import get_start_and_end_position
+
+class TestGetStartEndPosition(unittest.TestCase):
+    def test_invalid_token_at_beginning(self):
+        sql = "invalid_token SELECT * FROM table"
+        start, end, count = get_start_and_end_position(sql, "invalid_token")
+        self.assertEqual(start, [0, 1])
+        self.assertEqual(end, [0, len("invalid_token") + 1])
+        self.assertEqual(count, 1)
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    unittest.main()