diff --git a/.temp.txt.swp b/.temp.txt.swp
deleted file mode 100644
index 8b2ed04..0000000
Binary files a/.temp.txt.swp and /dev/null differ
diff --git a/fcore/normal-mode/normal-mode.sml b/fcore/normal-mode/normal-mode.sml
index e8a7b9c..2812729 100644
--- a/fcore/normal-mode/normal-mode.sml
+++ b/fcore/normal-mode/normal-mode.sml
@@ -272,4 +272,5 @@ struct
     | WITH_SEARCH_LIST searchList =>
         NormalFinish.withSearchList (app, searchList)
     | KEY_ENTER => app
+    | KEY_BACKSPACE => app
 end
diff --git a/fcore/normal-mode/normal-search-mode.sml b/fcore/normal-mode/normal-search-mode.sml
index ce78dae..2ce1f13 100644
--- a/fcore/normal-mode/normal-search-mode.sml
+++ b/fcore/normal-mode/normal-search-mode.sml
@@ -110,9 +110,14 @@ struct
         (app, buffer, searchString, tempSearchList, startLine, mode, msgs)
     end
 
+  (* todo: implement *)
+  fun backspace (app: app_type, searchString, tempSearchList) =
+    raise Fail "normal-search-mode: KEY_BACKSPACE unimplemented"
+
   fun update (app, {searchString, tempSearchList}, msg, time) =
     case msg of
       CHAR_EVENT chr => addChr (app, searchString, chr)
+    | KEY_BACKSPACE => backspace (app, searchString, tempSearchList)
     | KEY_ESC => exitToNormalMode app
     | KEY_ENTER => saveSearch (app, searchString, tempSearchList)
     | RESIZE_EVENT (width, height) => app
diff --git a/ffi/glfw-input.c b/ffi/glfw-input.c
index 57a49dd..64d0759 100644
--- a/ffi/glfw-input.c
+++ b/ffi/glfw-input.c
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ int REPEAT = GLFW_REPEAT;
 int RELEASE = GLFW_RELEASE;
 int KEY_ESC = GLFW_KEY_ESCAPE;
 int KEY_ENTER = GLFW_KEY_ENTER;
+int KEY_BACKSPACE = GLFW_KEY_BACKSPACE;
 
 void framebufferSizeCallback(GLFWwindow* window, int width, int height) {
   glViewport(0, 0, width, height);
diff --git a/ffi/glfw-input.sml b/ffi/glfw-input.sml
index 91ad2ec..15dd143 100644
--- a/ffi/glfw-input.sml
+++ b/ffi/glfw-input.sml
@@ -36,4 +36,7 @@ struct
   val (KEY_ENTER, _) =
     _symbol "KEY_ENTER" public : ( unit -> int ) * ( int -> unit );
   val KEY_ENTER = KEY_ENTER ()
+  val (KEY_BACKSPACE, _) =
+    _symbol "KEY_BACKSPACE" public : ( unit -> int ) * ( int -> unit );
+  val KEY_BACKSPACE = KEY_BACKSPACE ()
 end
diff --git a/message-types/input-msg.sml b/message-types/input-msg.sml
index 661da51..ce26639 100644
--- a/message-types/input-msg.sml
+++ b/message-types/input-msg.sml
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ struct
     CHAR_EVENT of char
   | KEY_ESC
   | KEY_ENTER
+  | KEY_BACKSPACE
   | RESIZE_EVENT of int * int
   | WITH_SEARCH_LIST of int vector
 end
diff --git a/shell/shell.sml b/shell/shell.sml
index 36f11b1..b59d634 100644
--- a/shell/shell.sml
+++ b/shell/shell.sml
@@ -27,6 +27,8 @@ struct
         Mailbox.send (inputMailbox, InputMsg.KEY_ESC)
       else if key = KEY_ENTER andalso action = PRESS andalso mods = 0 then
         Mailbox.send (inputMailbox, InputMsg.KEY_ENTER)
+      else if key = KEY_BACKSPACE andalso action <> RELEASE andalso mods = 0 then
+        Mailbox.send (inputMailbox, InputMsg.KEY_BACKSPACE)
       else
         ()
     end