diff --git a/src/normal.cc b/src/normal.cc
index 019ed58a..03e7895c 100644
--- a/src/normal.cc
+++ b/src/normal.cc
@@ -866,7 +866,8 @@ void regex_prompt(Context& context, String prompt, char reg, T func)
                         RegisterManager::instance()[reg].set(context, str.str());
                     break;
                 case PromptEvent::Validate:
-                    RegisterManager::instance()[reg].set(context, str.str());
+                    if (not str.empty())
+                        RegisterManager::instance()[reg].set(context, str.str());
                     context.push_jump();
                     break;
                 }
diff --git a/test/regression/5076-empty-text-should-not-change-prompt-history/cmd b/test/regression/5076-empty-text-should-not-change-prompt-history/cmd
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..8b137891
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/regression/5076-empty-text-should-not-change-prompt-history/cmd
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+
diff --git a/test/regression/5076-empty-text-should-not-change-prompt-history/in b/test/regression/5076-empty-text-should-not-change-prompt-history/in
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..1790c8d8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/regression/5076-empty-text-should-not-change-prompt-history/in
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+abab
diff --git a/test/regression/5076-empty-text-should-not-change-prompt-history/kak_selections b/test/regression/5076-empty-text-should-not-change-prompt-history/kak_selections
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..a4c6917f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/regression/5076-empty-text-should-not-change-prompt-history/kak_selections
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+a a
diff --git a/test/regression/5076-empty-text-should-not-change-prompt-history/script b/test/regression/5076-empty-text-should-not-change-prompt-history/script
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..8c2457f1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/regression/5076-empty-text-should-not-change-prompt-history/script
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+ui_out -ignore 7
+ui_in '{ "jsonrpc": "2.0", "method": "keys", "params": [ "xsa<ret>" ] }'
+ui_out -ignore 6
+ui_in '{ "jsonrpc": "2.0", "method": "keys", "params": [ "xs<ret>" ] }'
+ui_out -ignore 5
+ui_in '{ "jsonrpc": "2.0", "method": "keys", "params": [ "xs<ret>" ] }'
+ui_out -ignore 5