diff --git a/src/editor.cc b/src/editor.cc
index c03fd396..ae156041 100644
--- a/src/editor.cc
+++ b/src/editor.cc
@@ -558,8 +558,10 @@ void IncrementalInserter::erase()
     auto& buffer = m_editor.buffer();
     for (auto& sel : m_editor.m_selections)
     {
+        if (sel.last() == BufferCoord{0,0})
+            continue;
         auto pos = buffer.iterator_at(sel.last());
-        buffer.erase(pos-1, pos);
+        buffer.erase(utf8::previous(pos), pos);
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/src/unit_tests.cc b/src/unit_tests.cc
index 5058bb91..c0d8a15b 100644
--- a/src/unit_tests.cc
+++ b/src/unit_tests.cc
@@ -94,7 +94,7 @@ void test_editor()
 
 void test_incremental_inserter()
 {
-    Buffer buffer("test", Buffer::Flags::None, { "test\n", "\n", "youpi\n", "matin\n" });
+    Buffer buffer("test", Buffer::Flags::None, { "test\n", "\n", "yoüpi\n", "matin\n" });
     Editor editor(buffer);
 
     editor.select({0,0});
@@ -106,6 +106,13 @@ void test_incremental_inserter()
         kak_assert(editor.selections().front().last() == BufferCoord{0 COMMA 0});
         kak_assert(*buffer.begin() == L'\n');
     }
+    // check utf-8 erase
+    editor.select({3,4});
+    {
+        IncrementalInserter inserter(editor, InsertMode::Insert);
+        inserter.erase();
+        kak_assert(editor.selections().back().last() == BufferCoord{3 COMMA 2});
+    }
     kak_assert(not editor.is_editing());
 }