diff --git a/fcore/normal-mode/make-normal-delete.sml b/fcore/normal-mode/make-normal-delete.sml
index 9506ddf..7cfc620 100644
--- a/fcore/normal-mode/make-normal-delete.sml
+++ b/fcore/normal-mode/make-normal-delete.sml
@@ -9,8 +9,7 @@ struct
   open DrawMsg
   open MailboxType
 
-  fun finishAfterDeletingBuffer
-    (app: app_type, low, buffer, searchList, time, msgs) =
+  fun finishAfterDeletingBuffer (app, low, buffer, searchList, time, msgs) =
     let val buffer = LineGap.goToIdx (low, buffer)
     in NormalFinish.buildTextAndClear (app, buffer, low, searchList, msgs, time)
     end
@@ -939,7 +938,7 @@ struct
 
   fun deleteToEnd (app: app_type, time) =
     let
-      val {buffer, cursorIdx, ...} = app
+      val {buffer, cursorIdx, searchList, dfa, ...} = app
 
       val buffer = LineGap.goToIdx (cursorIdx, buffer)
       val startOfLineIdx = Cursor.vi0 (buffer, cursorIdx)
@@ -948,9 +947,14 @@ struct
       val buffer = LineGap.goToIdx (#textLength buffer, buffer)
       val initialMsg = Fn.initMsgs (startOfLineIdx, length, buffer)
 
-      val buffer = LineGap.delete (startOfLineIdx, length, buffer)
+      val (buffer, searchList) = SearchList.deleteBufferAndSearchList
+        (startOfLineIdx, length, buffer, searchList, dfa)
+
       val buffer =
-        if #textLength buffer = 0 then LineGap.fromString "\n" else buffer
+        (* todo: if we are creating a new buffer from string,
+         * then make sure we update the searchList for it too *)
+        if #textLength buffer = 0 then LineGap.fromString "\n"
+        else buffer
 
       val newLineEndIdx = Int.max (startOfLineIdx - 1, 0)
       val buffer = LineGap.goToIdx (newLineEndIdx, buffer)
@@ -1181,20 +1185,24 @@ struct
 
   fun finishDeleteAroundPair (app, buffer, chr1Idx, chr2Idx, time) =
     let
+      val {searchList, dfa, ...} = app
+
       val low = Int.min (chr1Idx, chr2Idx)
       val high = Int.max (chr1Idx, chr2Idx) + 1
       val length = high - low
 
       val buffer = LineGap.goToIdx (high, buffer)
       val initialMsg = Fn.initMsgs (low, length, buffer)
-      val buffer = LineGap.delete (low, length, buffer)
+
+      val (buffer, searchList) = SearchList.deleteBufferAndSearchList
+        (low, length, buffer, searchList, dfa)
 
       val buffer = LineGap.goToIdx (low, buffer)
       val low =
         if Cursor.isOnNewlineAfterChr (buffer, low) then low - 1 else low
       val buffer = LineGap.goToIdx (low, buffer)
     in
-      finishAfterDeletingBuffer (app, low, buffer, time, initialMsg)
+      finishAfterDeletingBuffer (app, low, buffer, searchList, time, initialMsg)
     end
 
   fun deleteAroundPair (app: app_type, openChr, closeChr, time) =
diff --git a/fcore/normal-mode/normal-mode.sml b/fcore/normal-mode/normal-mode.sml
index c42497f..41606ab 100644
--- a/fcore/normal-mode/normal-mode.sml
+++ b/fcore/normal-mode/normal-mode.sml
@@ -33,9 +33,13 @@ struct
 
           val {cursorIdx = origCursorIdx, dfa, ...} = app
           val buffer = LineGap.goToStart buffer
+
+          (* todo: try updating searchList incrementally 
+           * instead of rebuilding from scratch *)
+          val (buffer, searchList) = SearchList.build (buffer, dfa)
         in
           NormalDelete.finishAfterDeletingBuffer
-            (app, origCursorIdx, buffer, time, [])
+            (app, origCursorIdx, buffer, searchList, time, [])
         end
       else
         let
@@ -59,9 +63,9 @@ struct
   end
 
   local
-    fun loop (cursorIdx, buffer, count) =
+    fun loop (cursorIdx, buffer, searchList, dfa, count) =
       if count = 0 then
-        buffer
+        (buffer, searchList)
       else
         let
           val buffer = LineGap.goToIdx (cursorIdx, buffer)
@@ -71,12 +75,13 @@ struct
           (* delete from buffer *)
           val difference = firstNonSpaceChr - lineStart
           val deleteLength = Int.min (difference, 2)
-          val buffer =
+          val (buffer, searchList) =
             if difference = 0 then
               (* can't dedent as there is no leading space *)
-              buffer
+              (buffer, searchList)
             else
-              LineGap.delete (lineStart, deleteLength, buffer)
+              SearchList.deleteBufferAndSearchList
+                (lineStart, deleteLength, buffer, searchList, dfa)
 
           (* get next line to dedent *)
           val buffer = LineGap.goToIdx (lineStart, buffer)
@@ -86,14 +91,14 @@ struct
 
           val count = if lineEnd = nextLine then 0 else count - 1
         in
-          loop (nextLine, buffer, count)
+          loop (nextLine, buffer, searchList, dfa, count)
         end
   in
     fun dedentLine (app: app_type, count, time) =
       let
         open MailboxType
 
-        val {cursorIdx, buffer, dfa, ...} = app
+        val {cursorIdx, buffer, searchList, dfa, ...} = app
         val buffer = LineGap.goToIdx (cursorIdx, buffer)
 
         val lineStart = Cursor.vi0 (buffer, cursorIdx)
@@ -104,9 +109,12 @@ struct
         val deleteLength = Int.min (difference, 2)
 
         (* delete once *)
-        val buffer =
-          if deleteLength = 0 then buffer
-          else LineGap.delete (lineStart, deleteLength, buffer)
+        val (buffer, searchList) =
+          if deleteLength = 0 then
+            (buffer, searchList)
+          else
+            SearchList.deleteBufferAndSearchList
+              (lineStart, deleteLength, buffer, searchList, dfa)
 
         (* Calculate nextLine and newCursorIdx.
          * The cursorIdx might be past the current line after we dedent.
@@ -117,18 +125,18 @@ struct
         val nextLine = Cursor.viL (buffer, lineEnd, 1)
         val newCursorIdx = Int.min (lineEnd, cursorIdx)
 
-        val buffer =
+        val (buffer, searchList) =
           if lineEnd = nextLine then
             (* at end of file, so we cannot dedent anymore *)
-            buffer
+            (buffer, searchList)
           else
             (* dedent remaining lines specified by count *)
-            loop (nextLine, buffer, count - 1)
+            loop (nextLine, buffer, searchList, dfa, count - 1)
 
         val buffer = LineGap.goToStart buffer
       in
         NormalDelete.finishAfterDeletingBuffer
-          (app, newCursorIdx, buffer, time, [])
+          (app, newCursorIdx, buffer, searchList, time, [])
       end
   end