diff --git a/lib/readline.js b/lib/readline.js
index 303d5b0f21a..b44d27db544 100644
--- a/lib/readline.js
+++ b/lib/readline.js
@@ -307,6 +307,26 @@ function commonPrefix(strings) {
 }
 
 
+Interface.prototype._wordLeft = function() {
+  if (this.cursor > 0) {
+    var leading = this.line.slice(0, this.cursor);
+    var match = leading.match(/([^\w\s]+|\w+|)\s*$/);
+    this.cursor -= match[0].length;
+    this._refreshLine();
+  }
+}
+
+
+Interface.prototype._wordRight = function() {
+  if (this.cursor < this.line.length) {
+    var trailing = this.line.slice(this.cursor);
+    var match = trailing.match(/^(\s+|\W+|\w+)\s*/);
+    this.cursor += match[0].length;
+    this._refreshLine();
+  }
+}
+
+
 Interface.prototype._deleteLeft = function() {
   if (this.cursor > 0 && this.line.length > 0) {
     this.line = this.line.slice(0, this.cursor - 1) +
@@ -325,6 +345,42 @@ Interface.prototype._deleteRight = function() {
 };
 
 
+Interface.prototype._deleteWordLeft = function() {
+  if (this.cursor > 0) {
+    var leading = this.line.slice(0, this.cursor);
+    var match = leading.match(/([^\w\s]+|\w+|)\s*$/);
+    leading = leading.slice(0, leading.length - match[0].length);
+    this.line = leading + this.line.slice(this.cursor, this.line.length);
+    this.cursor = leading.length;
+    this._refreshLine();
+  }
+}
+
+
+Interface.prototype._deleteWordRight = function() {
+  if (this.cursor < this.line.length) {
+    var trailing = this.line.slice(this.cursor);
+    var match = trailing.match(/^(\s+|\W+|\w+)\s*/);
+    this.line = this.line.slice(0, this.cursor) +
+                trailing.slice(match[0].length);
+    this._refreshLine();
+  }
+}
+
+
+Interface.prototype._deleteLineLeft = function() {
+  this.line = this.line.slice(this.cursor);
+  this.cursor = 0;
+  this._refreshLine();
+}
+
+
+Interface.prototype._deleteLineRight = function() {
+  this.line = this.line.slice(0, this.cursor);
+  this._refreshLine();
+}
+
+
 Interface.prototype._line = function() {
   var line = this._addHistory();
   this.output.write('\r\n');
@@ -374,7 +430,19 @@ Interface.prototype._ttyWrite = function(s, key) {
   var next_word, next_non_word, previous_word, previous_non_word;
   key = key || {};
 
-  if (key.ctrl) {
+  if (key.ctrl && key.shift) {
+    /* Control and shift pressed */
+    switch (key.name) {
+      case "backspace":
+        this._deleteLineLeft();
+        break;
+
+      case "delete":
+        this._deleteLineRight();
+        break;
+    }
+
+  } else if (key.ctrl) {
     /* Control key pressed */
 
     switch (key.name) {
@@ -406,8 +474,7 @@ Interface.prototype._ttyWrite = function(s, key) {
         break;
 
       case 'k': // delete from current to end of line
-        this.line = this.line.slice(0, this.cursor);
-        this._refreshLine();
+        this._deleteLineRight();
         break;
 
       case 'a': // go to the start of the line
@@ -438,17 +505,6 @@ Interface.prototype._ttyWrite = function(s, key) {
         this._historyNext();
         break;
 
-      case 'w': // delete backwards to a word boundary
-        if (this.cursor !== 0) {
-          var leading = this.line.slice(0, this.cursor);
-          var match = leading.match(/\s?((\W+|\w+)\s*)$/);
-          leading = leading.slice(0, leading.length - match[1].length);
-          this.line = leading + this.line.slice(this.cursor, this.line.length);
-          this.cursor = leading.length;
-          this._refreshLine();
-        }
-        break;
-
       case 'p': // previous history item
         this._historyPrev();
         break;
@@ -456,6 +512,26 @@ Interface.prototype._ttyWrite = function(s, key) {
       case 'z':
         process.kill(process.pid, 'SIGTSTP');
         return;
+
+      case 'w': // delete backwards to a word boundary
+      case 'backspace':
+        this._deleteWordLeft();
+        break;
+
+      case 'delete': // delete forward to a word boundary
+        this._deleteWordRight();
+        break;
+
+      case 'backspace':
+        this._deleteWordLeft();
+        break;
+
+      case 'left':
+        this._wordLeft();
+        break;
+
+      case 'right':
+        this._wordRight();
     }
 
   } else if (key.meta) {
@@ -463,81 +539,21 @@ Interface.prototype._ttyWrite = function(s, key) {
 
     switch (key.name) {
       case 'b': // backward word
-        if (this.cursor > 0) {
-          previous_word = this.line.slice(0, this.cursor)
-                .split('').reverse().join('')
-                .search(/\w/);
-          if (previous_word !== -1) {
-            previous_non_word = this.line.slice(0, this.cursor - previous_word)
-                .split('').reverse().join('')
-                .search(/\W/);
-            if (previous_non_word !== -1) {
-              this.cursor -= previous_word + previous_non_word;
-              this._refreshLine();
-              break;
-            }
-          }
-          this.cursor = 0;
-          this._refreshLine();
-        }
+        this._wordLeft();
         break;
 
       case 'f': // forward word
-        if (this.cursor < this.line.length) {
-          next_word = this.line
-            .slice(this.cursor, this.line.length)
-            .search(/\w/);
-
-          if (next_word !== -1) {
-            next_non_word = this.line.slice(this.cursor + next_word,
-                                            this.line.length).search(/\W/);
-            if (next_non_word !== -1) {
-              this.cursor += next_word + next_non_word;
-              this._refreshLine();
-              break;
-            }
-          }
-          this.cursor = this.line.length;
-          this._refreshLine();
-        }
+        this._wordRight();
         break;
 
       case 'd': // delete forward word
       case 'delete':
-        if (this.cursor < this.line.length) {
-          next_word = this.line
-            .slice(this.cursor, this.line.length)
-            .search(/\w/);
-
-          if (next_word !== -1) {
-            next_non_word = this.line.slice(this.cursor + next_word,
-                                            this.line.length).search(/\W/);
-            if (next_non_word !== -1) {
-              this.line = this.line.slice(this.cursor +
-                                          next_word +
-                                          next_non_word);
-              this.cursor = 0;
-              this._refreshLine();
-              break;
-            }
-          }
-          this.line = '';
-          this.cursor = 0;
-          this._refreshLine();
-        }
+        this._deleteWordRight();
         break;
 
       case 'backspace': // delete backwards to a word boundary
-        if (this.cursor !== 0) {
-          var leading = this.line.slice(0, this.cursor);
-          var match = leading.match(/\s?((\W+|\w+)\s*)$/);
-          leading = leading.slice(0, leading.length - match[1].length);
-          this.line = leading + this.line.slice(this.cursor, this.line.length);
-          this.cursor = leading.length;
-          this._refreshLine();
-        }
+        this._deleteWordLeft();
         break;
-
     }
 
   } else {