diff --git a/eval.c b/eval.c
index ca96ca2..fd4993b 100644
--- a/eval.c
+++ b/eval.c
@@ -588,7 +588,7 @@ int svar(struct variable_description *var, char *value)
 			lastkey = atoi(value);
 			break;
 		case EVCURCHAR:
-			ldelete(1L, FALSE);	/* delete 1 char */
+			ldelchar(1, FALSE);	/* delete 1 char */
 			c = atoi(value);
 			if (c == '\n')
 				lnewline();
diff --git a/line.c b/line.c
index 6e46ffc..172c9cd 100644
--- a/line.c
+++ b/line.c
@@ -268,7 +268,7 @@ int lowrite(int c)
 	if (curwp->w_doto < curwp->w_dotp->l_used &&
 	    (lgetc(curwp->w_dotp, curwp->w_doto) != '\t' ||
 	     ((curwp->w_doto) & tabmask) == tabmask))
-		ldelete(1L, FALSE);
+		ldelchar(1, FALSE);
 	return linsert(1, c);
 }
 
@@ -357,6 +357,30 @@ int lnewline(void)
 	return TRUE;
 }
 
+int lgetchar(unicode_t *c)
+{
+	int len = llength(curwp->w_dotp);
+	char *buf = curwp->w_dotp->l_text;
+	return utf8_to_unicode(buf, curwp->w_doto, len, c);
+}
+
+/*
+ * ldelete() really fundamentally works on bytes, not characters.
+ * It is used for things like "scan 5 words forwards, and remove
+ * the bytes we scanned".
+ *
+ * If you want to delete characters, use ldelchar().
+ */
+int ldelchar(long n, int kflag)
+{
+	while (n-- > 0) {
+		unicode_t c;
+		if (!ldelete(lgetchar(&c), kflag))
+			return FALSE;
+	}
+	return TRUE;
+}
+
 /*
  * This function deletes "n" bytes, starting at dot. It understands how do deal
  * with end of lines, etc. It returns TRUE if all of the characters were
@@ -655,7 +679,7 @@ int yank(int f, int n)
 					if (lnewline() == FALSE)
 						return FALSE;
 				} else {
-					if (linsert(1, c) == FALSE)
+					if (linsert_byte(1, c) == FALSE)
 						return FALSE;
 				}
 			}
diff --git a/line.h b/line.h
index 3900dbe..9eaad61 100644
--- a/line.h
+++ b/line.h
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 #ifndef LINE_H_
 #define LINE_H_
 
+#include "utf8.h"
+
 /*
  * All text is kept in circularly linked lists of "struct line" structures. These
  * begin at the header line (which is the blank line beyond the end of the
@@ -32,6 +34,8 @@ extern int lowrite(int c);
 extern int lover(char *ostr);
 extern int lnewline(void);
 extern int ldelete(long n, int kflag);
+extern int ldelchar(long n, int kflag);
+extern int lgetchar(unicode_t *);
 extern char *getctext(void);
 extern int putctext(char *iline);
 extern int ldelnewline(void);
diff --git a/main.c b/main.c
index a6dabf6..2cf7462 100644
--- a/main.c
+++ b/main.c
@@ -521,7 +521,7 @@ int execute(int c, int f, int n)
 		    curwp->w_doto < curwp->w_dotp->l_used &&
 		    (lgetc(curwp->w_dotp, curwp->w_doto) != '\t' ||
 		     (curwp->w_doto) % 8 == 7))
-			ldelete(1L, FALSE);
+			ldelchar(1, FALSE);
 
 		/* do the appropriate insertion */
 		if (c == '}' && (curbp->b_mode & MDCMOD) != 0)
diff --git a/random.c b/random.c
index 52acd45..240e807 100644
--- a/random.c
+++ b/random.c
@@ -278,7 +278,7 @@ int detab(int f, int n)
 		while (curwp->w_doto < llength(curwp->w_dotp)) {
 			/* if we have a tab */
 			if (lgetc(curwp->w_dotp, curwp->w_doto) == '\t') {
-				ldelete(1L, FALSE);
+				ldelchar(1, FALSE);
 				insspace(TRUE,
 					 (tabmask + 1) -
 					 (curwp->w_doto & tabmask));
@@ -758,7 +758,7 @@ int forwdel(int f, int n)
 			kdelete();
 		thisflag |= CFKILL;
 	}
-	return ldelete((long) n, f);
+	return ldelchar((long) n, f);
 }
 
 /*
@@ -781,7 +781,7 @@ int backdel(int f, int n)
 		thisflag |= CFKILL;
 	}
 	if ((s = backchar(f, n)) == TRUE)
-		s = ldelete((long) n, f);
+		s = ldelchar(n, f);
 	return s;
 }
 
diff --git a/word.c b/word.c
index 4b6fead..83cfe9b 100644
--- a/word.c
+++ b/word.c
@@ -363,7 +363,7 @@ int delbword(int f, int n)
 	}
 	if (forwchar(FALSE, 1) == FALSE)
 		return FALSE;
-      bckdel:return ldelete(size, TRUE);
+      bckdel:return ldelchar(size, TRUE);
 }
 
 /*
@@ -399,7 +399,8 @@ int inword(void)
  */
 int fillpara(int f, int n)
 {
-	int c;		/* current char durring scan    */
+	unicode_t c;		/* current char during scan    */
+	unicode_t wbuf[NSTRING];/* buffer for current word      */
 	int wordlen;	/* length of current word       */
 	int clength;	/* position on line during fill */
 	int i;		/* index during word copy       */
@@ -408,7 +409,6 @@ int fillpara(int f, int n)
 	int firstflag;	/* first word? (needs no space) */
 	struct line *eopline;	/* pointer to line just past EOP */
 	int dotflag;	/* was the last char a period?  */
-	char wbuf[NSTRING];	/* buffer for current word      */
 
 	if (curbp->b_mode & MDVIEW)	/* don't allow this command if      */
 		return rdonly();	/* we are in read only mode     */
@@ -438,16 +438,18 @@ int fillpara(int f, int n)
 	firstflag = TRUE;
 	eopflag = FALSE;
 	while (!eopflag) {
+		int bytes = 1;
+
 		/* get the next character in the paragraph */
 		if (curwp->w_doto == llength(curwp->w_dotp)) {
 			c = ' ';
 			if (lforw(curwp->w_dotp) == eopline)
 				eopflag = TRUE;
 		} else
-			c = lgetc(curwp->w_dotp, curwp->w_doto);
+			bytes = lgetchar(&c);
 
 		/* and then delete it */
-		ldelete(1L, FALSE);
+		ldelete(bytes, FALSE);
 
 		/* if not a separator, just add it in */
 		if (c != ' ' && c != '\t') {
@@ -496,7 +498,8 @@ int fillpara(int f, int n)
  */
 int justpara(int f, int n)
 {
-	int c;		/* current char durring scan    */
+	unicode_t c;		/* current char durring scan    */
+	unicode_t wbuf[NSTRING];/* buffer for current word      */
 	int wordlen;	/* length of current word       */
 	int clength;	/* position on line during fill */
 	int i;		/* index during word copy       */
@@ -504,7 +507,6 @@ int justpara(int f, int n)
 	int eopflag;	/* Are we at the End-Of-Paragraph? */
 	int firstflag;	/* first word? (needs no space) */
 	struct line *eopline;	/* pointer to line just past EOP */
-	char wbuf[NSTRING];	/* buffer for current word      */
 	int leftmarg;		/* left marginal */
 
 	if (curbp->b_mode & MDVIEW)	/* don't allow this command if      */
@@ -542,16 +544,18 @@ int justpara(int f, int n)
 	firstflag = TRUE;
 	eopflag = FALSE;
 	while (!eopflag) {
+		int bytes = 1;
+
 		/* get the next character in the paragraph */
 		if (curwp->w_doto == llength(curwp->w_dotp)) {
 			c = ' ';
 			if (lforw(curwp->w_dotp) == eopline)
 				eopflag = TRUE;
 		} else
-			c = lgetc(curwp->w_dotp, curwp->w_doto);
+			bytes = lgetchar(&c);
 
 		/* and then delete it */
-		ldelete(1L, FALSE);
+		ldelete(bytes, FALSE);
 
 		/* if not a separator, just add it in */
 		if (c != ' ' && c != '\t') {