diff --git a/input-keys.c b/input-keys.c
index 69b62edc..fa4e3f8e 100644
--- a/input-keys.c
+++ b/input-keys.c
@@ -586,12 +586,24 @@ input_key(struct screen *s, struct bufferevent *bev, key_code key)
 	/* Is this backspace? */
 	if ((key & KEYC_MASK_KEY) == KEYC_BSPACE) {
 		newkey = options_get_number(global_options, "backspace");
-		if (newkey == KEYC_BSPACE)
-			newkey = '\b';
- 		newkey |= (key & (KEYC_MASK_FLAGS|KEYC_MASK_MODIFIERS));
-		log_debug("%s: key 0x%llx is backspace -> 0x%llx", __func__, key,
-		    newkey);
-		key = newkey;
+		log_debug("%s: key 0x%llx is backspace -> 0x%llx", __func__,
+		    key, newkey);
+		if ((key & KEYC_MASK_MODIFIERS) == 0) {
+			ud.data[0] = 255;
+			if ((newkey & KEYC_MASK_MODIFIERS) == 0)
+				ud.data[0] = newkey;
+			else if ((newkey & KEYC_MASK_MODIFIERS) == KEYC_CTRL) {
+				newkey &= KEYC_MASK_KEY;
+				if (newkey >= 'A' && newkey <= 'Z')
+					ud.data[0] = newkey - 0x40;
+				else if (newkey >= 'a' && newkey <= 'z')
+					ud.data[0] = newkey - 0x60;
+			}
+			if (ud.data[0] != 255)
+				input_key_write(__func__, bev, &ud.data[0], 1);
+			return (0);
+		}
+		key = newkey|(key & (KEYC_MASK_FLAGS|KEYC_MASK_MODIFIERS));
 	}
 
 	/* Is this backtab? */
@@ -613,7 +625,6 @@ input_key(struct screen *s, struct bufferevent *bev, key_code key)
 	if (!(key & ~KEYC_MASK_KEY)) {
 		if (key == C0_HT ||
 		    key == C0_CR ||
-		    key == C0_BS ||
 		    key == C0_ESC ||
 		    (key >= 0x20 && key <= 0x7f)) {
 			ud.data[0] = key;
diff --git a/tty-keys.c b/tty-keys.c
index e551e726..0de31c5d 100644
--- a/tty-keys.c
+++ b/tty-keys.c
@@ -885,6 +885,17 @@ first_key:
 	if ((key & KEYC_MASK_KEY) == C0_NUL)
 		key = ' ' | KEYC_CTRL | (key & KEYC_META);
 
+	/*
+	 * Check for backspace key using termios VERASE - the terminfo
+	 * kbs entry is extremely unreliable, so cannot be safely
+	 * used. termios should have a better idea.
+	 */
+	bspace = tty->tio.c_cc[VERASE];
+	if (bspace != _POSIX_VDISABLE && key == bspace) {
+		log_debug("%s: key %#llx is backspace", c->name, key);
+		key = KEYC_BSPACE;
+	}
+
 	/*
 	 * Fix up all C0 control codes that don't have a dedicated key into
 	 * corresponding Ctrl keys. Convert characters in the A-Z range into
@@ -894,7 +905,6 @@ first_key:
 	if (onlykey < 0x20 &&
 	    onlykey != C0_HT &&
 	    onlykey != C0_CR &&
-	    onlykey != C0_BS &&
 	    onlykey != C0_ESC) {
 		onlykey |= 0x40;
 		if (onlykey >= 'A' && onlykey <= 'Z')
@@ -936,15 +946,6 @@ partial_key:
 complete_key:
 	log_debug("%s: complete key %.*s %#llx", c->name, (int)size, buf, key);
 
-	/*
-	 * Check for backspace key using termios VERASE - the terminfo
-	 * kbs entry is extremely unreliable, so cannot be safely
-	 * used. termios should have a better idea.
-	 */
-	bspace = tty->tio.c_cc[VERASE];
-	if (bspace != _POSIX_VDISABLE && (key & KEYC_MASK_KEY) == bspace)
-		key = (key & KEYC_MASK_MODIFIERS)|KEYC_BSPACE;
-
 	/* Remove key timer. */
 	if (event_initialized(&tty->key_timer))
 		evtimer_del(&tty->key_timer);