diff --git a/lisp/bindings.el b/lisp/bindings.el
index 2e32128274..109a1a411f 100644
--- a/lisp/bindings.el
+++ b/lisp/bindings.el
@@ -968,8 +968,8 @@ left-word
 
 (defvar-keymap narrow-map
   :doc "Keymap for narrowing commands."
-  "n" #'narrow-to-region
-  "w" #'widen
+  "n" #'soft-narrow-to-region
+  "w" #'soft-widen
   "g" #'goto-line-relative)
 (define-key ctl-x-map "n" narrow-map)
 
diff --git a/lisp/isearch.el b/lisp/isearch.el
index 31fcf01949..285c92f850 100644
--- a/lisp/isearch.el
+++ b/lisp/isearch.el
@@ -1321,9 +1321,10 @@ isearch-mode
   ;; Pushing the initial state used to be before running isearch-mode-hook,
   ;; but a hook might set `isearch-push-state-function' used in
   ;; `isearch-push-state' to save mode-specific initial state.  (Bug#4994)
-  (isearch-push-state)
+  (with-soft-narrow
+   (isearch-push-state)
 
-  (isearch-update)
+   (isearch-update))
 
   (add-hook 'pre-command-hook 'isearch-pre-command-hook)
   (add-hook 'post-command-hook 'isearch-post-command-hook)
@@ -1358,7 +1359,7 @@ isearch-update
 
   (if (and (null unread-command-events)
 	   (null executing-kbd-macro))
-      (progn
+      (with-soft-narrow
         (if (not (input-pending-p))
           (funcall (or isearch-message-function #'isearch-message)))
         (if (and isearch-slow-terminal-mode
diff --git a/lisp/simple.el b/lisp/simple.el
index 1e6e5e11e0..78d0804ee8 100644
--- a/lisp/simple.el
+++ b/lisp/simple.el
@@ -1647,6 +1647,14 @@ goto-line
       (widen))
     (goto-char pos)))
 
+(defmacro with-soft-narrow (&rest body)
+  (declare (indent 1) (debug t))
+  `(let ((bounds (soft-narrow-bounds)))
+     (save-restriction
+       (when bounds
+         (narrow-to-region (car bounds) (cdr bounds)))
+       ,@body)))
+
 (defun goto-line-relative (line &optional buffer)
   "Go to LINE, counting from line at (point-min).
 The line number is relative to the accessible portion of the narrowed
@@ -1654,7 +1662,8 @@ goto-line-relative
   (declare (interactive-only forward-line))
   (interactive (goto-line-read-args t))
   (with-suppressed-warnings ((interactive-only goto-line))
-    (goto-line line buffer t)))
+    (with-soft-narrow
+      (goto-line line buffer t))))
 
 (defun count-words-region (start end &optional arg)
   "Count the number of words in the region.
@@ -10707,6 +10716,40 @@ lax-plist-put
   "Change value in PLIST of PROP to VAL, comparing with `equal'."
   (declare (obsolete plist-put "29.1"))
   (plist-put plist prop val #'equal))
+
+(defvar soft-narrow--overlays nil)
+
+(defun soft-widen ()
+  (interactive)
+  (when soft-narrow--overlays
+    (with-soft-narrow
+      ;; If cursor is after the cdr ovl or before car ovl,
+      ;; move it inside.
+      (delete-overlay (car soft-narrow--overlays))
+      (delete-overlay (cdr soft-narrow--overlays)))
+    (setq soft-narrow--overlays nil)))
+
+(defun soft-narrow-to-region (beg end)
+  (interactive "r")
+  (soft-widen)
+  (let ((o1 (make-overlay (point-min) beg))
+        (o2 (make-overlay end (point-max) nil t t)))
+    (overlay-put o1 'invisible t)
+    (overlay-put o1 'read-only t)
+    (overlay-put o1 'modification-hooks '(soft-narrow--modif))
+    (overlay-put o2 'invisible t)
+    (overlay-put o2 'read-only t)
+    (overlay-put o2 'modification-hooks '(soft-narrow--modif))
+    (setq soft-narrow--overlays (cons o1 o2))))
+
+(defun soft-narrow--modif (&rest _)
+  (user-error "Not allowed"))
+
+(defun soft-narrow-bounds ()
+  (when soft-narrow--overlays
+    (cons (overlay-end (car soft-narrow--overlays))
+          (overlay-start (cdr soft-narrow--overlays)))))
+
 
 
 (provide 'simple)