diff --git a/asterixdb/asterix-app/src/test/resources/runtimets/queries/string/substr01/substr01.3.query.aql b/asterixdb/asterix-app/src/test/resources/runtimets/queries/string/substr01/substr01.3.query.aql
index bc9e7f7..a45b24c 100644
--- a/asterixdb/asterix-app/src/test/resources/runtimets/queries/string/substr01/substr01.3.query.aql
+++ b/asterixdb/asterix-app/src/test/resources/runtimets/queries/string/substr01/substr01.3.query.aql
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@
 let $str8:=substring($str7,0)
 
 let $str9:="This is a test string"
-let $str10:=substring($str9,-1)
+let $str10:=substring($str9,-6)
 
 let $str11:="This is a test string"
 let $str12:="This is a another test string"
diff --git a/asterixdb/asterix-app/src/test/resources/runtimets/queries/string/substring2-4/substring2-4.3.query.aql b/asterixdb/asterix-app/src/test/resources/runtimets/queries/string/substring2-4/substring2-4.3.query.aql
index 075af82..ecfcd94 100644
--- a/asterixdb/asterix-app/src/test/resources/runtimets/queries/string/substring2-4/substring2-4.3.query.aql
+++ b/asterixdb/asterix-app/src/test/resources/runtimets/queries/string/substring2-4/substring2-4.3.query.aql
@@ -18,5 +18,5 @@
  */
 use dataverse test;
 
-let $c1 := substring("HEllow",-1)
+let $c1 := substring("HEllow",-3)
 return {"result1": $c1}
diff --git a/asterixdb/asterix-app/src/test/resources/runtimets/queries_sqlpp/string/substr01/substr01.3.query.sqlpp b/asterixdb/asterix-app/src/test/resources/runtimets/queries_sqlpp/string/substr01/substr01.3.query.sqlpp
index b9c79d0..6abe9ff 100644
--- a/asterixdb/asterix-app/src/test/resources/runtimets/queries_sqlpp/string/substr01/substr01.3.query.sqlpp
+++ b/asterixdb/asterix-app/src/test/resources/runtimets/queries_sqlpp/string/substr01/substr01.3.query.sqlpp
@@ -23,4 +23,4 @@
  * Date           : 18th April 2012
  */
 
-{'str2':substring('Hello World',9),'str4':substring('This is a test string',20),'str6':substring('This is a test string',21),'str8':substring('This is a test string',0),'str10':substring('This is a test string',-1),'str13':substring(`string-concat`(['This is a test string','This is a another test string']),20),'str14':substring('UC Irvine',(`string-length`('UC Irvine') / 2 - 1))};
+{'str2':substring('Hello World',9),'str4':substring('This is a test string',20),'str6':substring('This is a test string',21),'str8':substring('This is a test string',0),'str10':substring('This is a test string',-6),'str13':substring(`string-concat`(['This is a test string','This is a another test string']),20),'str14':substring('UC Irvine',(`string-length`('UC Irvine') / 2 - 1))};
diff --git a/asterixdb/asterix-app/src/test/resources/runtimets/queries_sqlpp/string/substring2-4/substring2-4.3.query.sqlpp b/asterixdb/asterix-app/src/test/resources/runtimets/queries_sqlpp/string/substring2-4/substring2-4.3.query.sqlpp
index 8ea572c..ae943d4 100644
--- a/asterixdb/asterix-app/src/test/resources/runtimets/queries_sqlpp/string/substring2-4/substring2-4.3.query.sqlpp
+++ b/asterixdb/asterix-app/src/test/resources/runtimets/queries_sqlpp/string/substring2-4/substring2-4.3.query.sqlpp
@@ -20,4 +20,4 @@
 use test;
 
 
-{'result1':test.substring('HEllow',-1)};
+{'result1':test.substring('HEllow',-3)};
diff --git a/asterixdb/asterix-app/src/test/resources/runtimets/results/string/substr01/substr01.1.adm b/asterixdb/asterix-app/src/test/resources/runtimets/results/string/substr01/substr01.1.adm
index ac9dedd..326e22f 100644
--- a/asterixdb/asterix-app/src/test/resources/runtimets/results/string/substr01/substr01.1.adm
+++ b/asterixdb/asterix-app/src/test/resources/runtimets/results/string/substr01/substr01.1.adm
@@ -1 +1 @@
-{ "str2": "ld", "str4": "g", "str6": "", "str8": "This is a test string", "str10": "This is a test string", "str13": "gThis is a another test string", "str14": "Irvine" }
+{ "str2": "ld", "str4": "g", "str6": "", "str8": "This is a test string", "str10": "string", "str13": "gThis is a another test string", "str14": "Irvine" }
diff --git a/asterixdb/asterix-app/src/test/resources/runtimets/results/string/substring2-4/substring2-4.1.adm b/asterixdb/asterix-app/src/test/resources/runtimets/results/string/substring2-4/substring2-4.1.adm
index 5b0c7b9..197a7af 100644
--- a/asterixdb/asterix-app/src/test/resources/runtimets/results/string/substring2-4/substring2-4.1.adm
+++ b/asterixdb/asterix-app/src/test/resources/runtimets/results/string/substring2-4/substring2-4.1.adm
@@ -1 +1 @@
-{ "result1": "HEllow" }
+{ "result1": "low" }
diff --git a/asterixdb/asterix-app/src/test/resources/runtimets/results/stringoffset/substring/substring.1.adm b/asterixdb/asterix-app/src/test/resources/runtimets/results/stringoffset/substring/substring.1.adm
index b92a705..a8e64f4 100644
--- a/asterixdb/asterix-app/src/test/resources/runtimets/results/stringoffset/substring/substring.1.adm
+++ b/asterixdb/asterix-app/src/test/resources/runtimets/results/stringoffset/substring/substring.1.adm
@@ -1 +1 @@
-[ "ab", "ab", "ab", "bc", "cd" ]
\ No newline at end of file
+[ "g", "ab", "ab", "bc", "cd" ]
diff --git a/asterixdb/asterix-app/src/test/resources/runtimets/results/stringoffset/substring2/substring2.1.adm b/asterixdb/asterix-app/src/test/resources/runtimets/results/stringoffset/substring2/substring2.1.adm
index e341861..a11b25b 100644
--- a/asterixdb/asterix-app/src/test/resources/runtimets/results/stringoffset/substring2/substring2.1.adm
+++ b/asterixdb/asterix-app/src/test/resources/runtimets/results/stringoffset/substring2/substring2.1.adm
@@ -1 +1 @@
-[ "abcdefg", "abcdefg", "abcdefg", "bcdefg", "cdefg" ]
\ No newline at end of file
+[ "g", "abcdefg", "abcdefg", "bcdefg", "cdefg" ]
diff --git a/asterixdb/asterix-app/src/test/resources/runtimets/results_parser_sqlpp/string/substr01/substr01.3.ast b/asterixdb/asterix-app/src/test/resources/runtimets/results_parser_sqlpp/string/substr01/substr01.3.ast
index a86d0a4..4b7138d 100644
--- a/asterixdb/asterix-app/src/test/resources/runtimets/results_parser_sqlpp/string/substr01/substr01.3.ast
+++ b/asterixdb/asterix-app/src/test/resources/runtimets/results_parser_sqlpp/string/substr01/substr01.3.ast
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@
     :
     FunctionCall null.substring@2[
       LiteralExpr [STRING] [This is a test string]
-      - LiteralExpr [LONG] [1]
+      - LiteralExpr [LONG] [6]
     ]
   )
   (
diff --git a/asterixdb/asterix-app/src/test/resources/runtimets/results_parser_sqlpp/string/substring2-4/substring2-4.3.ast b/asterixdb/asterix-app/src/test/resources/runtimets/results_parser_sqlpp/string/substring2-4/substring2-4.3.ast
index 414ad6e..8ff93d6 100644
--- a/asterixdb/asterix-app/src/test/resources/runtimets/results_parser_sqlpp/string/substring2-4/substring2-4.3.ast
+++ b/asterixdb/asterix-app/src/test/resources/runtimets/results_parser_sqlpp/string/substring2-4/substring2-4.3.ast
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
     :
     FunctionCall test.substring@2[
       LiteralExpr [STRING] [HEllow]
-      - LiteralExpr [LONG] [1]
+      - LiteralExpr [LONG] [3]
     ]
   )
 ]
diff --git a/asterixdb/asterix-doc/src/main/markdown/builtins/2_string_common.md b/asterixdb/asterix-doc/src/main/markdown/builtins/2_string_common.md
index a733a84..6599dc3 100644
--- a/asterixdb/asterix-doc/src/main/markdown/builtins/2_string_common.md
+++ b/asterixdb/asterix-doc/src/main/markdown/builtins/2_string_common.md
@@ -528,7 +528,7 @@
  * Arguments:
     * `string` : a `string` to be extracted,
     * `offset` : an `tinyint`/`smallint`/`integer`/`bigint` value as the starting offset of the substring in `string`
-                 (starting at 0),
+                 (starting at 0). If negative then counted from the end of the string,
     * `length` : (Optional) an an `tinyint`/`smallint`/`integer`/`bigint` value as the length of the substring.
  * Return Value:
     * a `string` that represents the substring,
@@ -548,6 +548,7 @@
 
         "str"
 
+The function has an alias `substring`.
 
 ### trim ###
  * Syntax:
diff --git a/asterixdb/asterix-runtime/src/main/java/org/apache/asterix/runtime/evaluators/functions/Substring2Descriptor.java b/asterixdb/asterix-runtime/src/main/java/org/apache/asterix/runtime/evaluators/functions/Substring2Descriptor.java
index 53f73ae..854eb8e 100644
--- a/asterixdb/asterix-runtime/src/main/java/org/apache/asterix/runtime/evaluators/functions/Substring2Descriptor.java
+++ b/asterixdb/asterix-runtime/src/main/java/org/apache/asterix/runtime/evaluators/functions/Substring2Descriptor.java
@@ -86,8 +86,7 @@
 
                         byte[] bytes = argStart.getByteArray();
                         int offset = argStart.getStartOffset();
-                        int start = ATypeHierarchy.getIntegerValue(getIdentifier().getName(), 1, bytes, offset)
-                                - baseOffset;
+                        int start = ATypeHierarchy.getIntegerValue(getIdentifier().getName(), 1, bytes, offset);
                         bytes = argString.getByteArray();
                         offset = argString.getStartOffset();
                         int len = argString.getLength();
@@ -98,7 +97,8 @@
                         string.set(bytes, offset + 1, len - 1);
                         array.reset();
                         try {
-                            UTF8StringPointable.substr(string, start, Integer.MAX_VALUE, builder, array);
+                            int actualStart = start >= 0 ? start - baseOffset : string.getStringLength() + start;
+                            UTF8StringPointable.substr(string, actualStart, Integer.MAX_VALUE, builder, array);
                         } catch (StringIndexOutOfBoundsException e) {
                             throw new RuntimeDataException(ErrorCode.OUT_OF_BOUND, getIdentifier(), 1, start);
                         } catch (IOException e) {
diff --git a/asterixdb/asterix-runtime/src/main/java/org/apache/asterix/runtime/evaluators/functions/SubstringDescriptor.java b/asterixdb/asterix-runtime/src/main/java/org/apache/asterix/runtime/evaluators/functions/SubstringDescriptor.java
index 148d0a4..526711c 100644
--- a/asterixdb/asterix-runtime/src/main/java/org/apache/asterix/runtime/evaluators/functions/SubstringDescriptor.java
+++ b/asterixdb/asterix-runtime/src/main/java/org/apache/asterix/runtime/evaluators/functions/SubstringDescriptor.java
@@ -93,8 +93,7 @@
 
                         byte[] bytes = argStart.getByteArray();
                         int offset = argStart.getStartOffset();
-                        int start = ATypeHierarchy.getIntegerValue(getIdentifier().getName(), 0, bytes, offset)
-                                - baseOffset;
+                        int start = ATypeHierarchy.getIntegerValue(getIdentifier().getName(), 0, bytes, offset);
 
                         bytes = argLen.getByteArray();
                         offset = argLen.getStartOffset();
@@ -110,7 +109,8 @@
                         string.set(bytes, offset + 1, length - 1);
                         array.reset();
                         try {
-                            UTF8StringPointable.substr(string, start, len, builder, array);
+                            int actualStart = start >= 0 ? start - baseOffset : string.getStringLength() + start;
+                            UTF8StringPointable.substr(string, actualStart, len, builder, array);
                         } catch (StringIndexOutOfBoundsException e) {
                             throw new RuntimeDataException(ErrorCode.OUT_OF_BOUND, getIdentifier(), 1, start + len - 1);
                         } catch (IOException e) {