diff --git a/part/document/katedocument.cpp b/part/document/katedocument.cpp
index 3ba2ddd..1409aaf 100644
--- a/part/document/katedocument.cpp
+++ b/part/document/katedocument.cpp
@@ -2684,7 +2684,9 @@ void KateDocument::backspace( KateView *view, const KTextEditor::Cursor& c )
     {
       // ordinary backspace
       //c.cursor.col--;
-      removeText(KTextEditor::Range(line, col-1, line, col));
+      KTextEditor::Cursor beginCursor(line, view->currentTextLayout()->previousCursorPosition(c.column()));
+      KTextEditor::Cursor endCursor(line, col);
+      removeText(KTextEditor::Range(beginCursor, endCursor));
     }
     else
     {
@@ -2705,8 +2707,11 @@ void KateDocument::backspace( KateView *view, const KTextEditor::Cursor& c )
         // only spaces on left side of cursor
         indent( KTextEditor::Range( line, 0, line, 0), -1);
       }
-      else
-        removeText(KTextEditor::Range(line, col-1, line, col));
+      else {
+        KTextEditor::Cursor beginCursor(line, view->currentTextLayout()->previousCursorPosition(c.column()));
+        KTextEditor::Cursor endCursor(line, col);
+        removeText(KTextEditor::Range(beginCursor, endCursor));
+      }
     }
   }
   else
@@ -2740,7 +2745,8 @@ void KateDocument::del( KateView *view, const KTextEditor::Cursor& c )
 
   if( c.column() < (int) m_buffer->plainLine(c.line())->length())
   {
-    removeText(KTextEditor::Range(c, 1));
+    KTextEditor::Cursor endCursor(c.line(), view->currentTextLayout()->nextCursorPosition(c.column()));
+    removeText(KTextEditor::Range(c, endCursor));
   }
   else if ( c.line() < lastLine() )
   {
diff --git a/part/view/kateview.cpp b/part/view/kateview.cpp
index 39f0956..b081657 100644
--- a/part/view/kateview.cpp
+++ b/part/view/kateview.cpp
@@ -2341,6 +2341,12 @@ QString KateView::currentTextLine( )
   return m_doc->line( cursorPosition().line() );
 }
 
+QTextLayout * KateView::currentTextLayout() const
+{
+    KateLineLayoutPtr thisLine = m_viewInternal->cache()->line(cursorPosition().line());
+    return thisLine->layout();
+}
+
 QString KateView::searchPattern() const
 {
     if (hasSearchBar()) {
diff --git a/part/view/kateview.h b/part/view/kateview.h
index 69dbe1b..25126d0 100644
--- a/part/view/kateview.h
+++ b/part/view/kateview.h
@@ -382,6 +382,7 @@ class KATEPART_TESTS_EXPORT KateView : public KTextEditor::View,
     bool isOverwriteMode() const;
     enum KTextEditor::View::EditMode viewEditMode() const {return isOverwriteMode() ? KTextEditor::View::EditOverwrite : KTextEditor::View::EditInsert;}
     QString currentTextLine();
+    QTextLayout * currentTextLayout() const;
 
     /**
      * The current search pattern.