diff --git i/screen-write.c w/screen-write.c
index e58d744..eabfa6d 100644
--- i/screen-write.c
+++ w/screen-write.c
@@ -18,8 +18,11 @@
 
 #include <sys/types.h>
 
+#include <assert.h>
+#include <fcntl.h>
 #include <stdlib.h>
 #include <string.h>
+#include <unistd.h>
 
 #include "tmux.h"
 
@@ -494,8 +497,20 @@ screen_write_backspace(struct screen_write_ctx *ctx)
 			s->cy--;
 			s->cx = screen_size_x(s) - 1;
 		}
-	} else
-		s->cx--;
+	} else {
+		struct termios tio;
+		int fd = open(ctx->wp->tty, O_RDONLY);
+		assert(tcgetattr(fd, &tio) == 0);
+		close(fd);
+		if (tio.c_lflag & ICANON && tio.c_iflag & IUTF8 && ctx->wp->mode != &window_copy_mode) {
+			gl = &s->grid->linedata[s->grid->hsize + s->cy];
+			if (s->cx > 0 && s->cx-1 < gl->extdsize && gl->extddata[s->cx-1].data.width == 2)
+				s->cx -= 2;
+			else
+				s->cx--;
+		} else
+				s->cx--;
+	}
 }
 
 /* VT100 alignment test. */